While Mississippi’s presidential primary election date is not set until March 8 of this year, the primary and caucus election season itself began for both parties with Iowa on Monday, Feb 1.  With more primaries and caucuses just around the corner, one of the most quintessential questions of American politics comes to mind: Which Republican and Democratic nominee will win their respective primary and caucus elections to face-off in this year’s general election?

To begin, let us examine the current poll-projections as well as use some logical reasoning to see if we can figure out which Republican will win their Royal Rumble match and which Democrat has secured the hope of American people as well as the non-official, yet equally-effective, endorsement from our current Commander in Chief.

As far as the Republican nominees are concerned, there are quite a few of them still fighting to convince hardcore, Islam-hating conservatives to jump off Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” band-wagon and join their respective causes. Donald Trump has maintained such a strong lead in the Republican poll projections that I feel extremely comfortable saying that Trump has all but secured the initial victory over his republican competitors. Trump has roughly 38.6 percent of the projected votes, a percentile far higher than that of any of his competitors. The only candidate who is even moderately close to challenging Trump is Ted Cruz seeing as how Cruz holds about 17.6 percecnt of the projected votes. Despite Trump’s radically anti-Islamic stance, racist generalizations of Mexicans and lack of political experience, he has won over the majority of republican voters. 

Apparently the thought of someone who has so much money that he cannot be bought out achieving Executive power over the United States is enough to win over Americans who are tired of politicians while also securing him a significant endorsement from Sarah Palin. This fairly recent endorsement is likely to put even more distance between Trump and Cruz due to the possible influx of new non-republican conservative voters who take care to remember Palin’s fond association with the TEA Party. Consider this along with the fact that the votes of all non-Trump Republican voters are split similarly between nine other candidates including Cruz, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio, and it appears highly unlikely that a sensible Republican runner will be able to consolidate enough votes to defeat Trump in the primary and caucus elections. 

What does all of this mean? Well, it means that Donald Trump certainly looks like the soon-to-be general election Republican candidate, and it also means that he is a word that rhymes with bass-pole. Oh well, it looks like Trump is one fishing-rod we are going to see battling it out for the oval office. 

That brings me to the other side of the coin: Who will be Trump’s Democratic opponent for the 2016 Presidential Election? The probable answer to this question does not appear to be so cut and dry.

The only two significant Democratic contenders for the Presidential race are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders with Clinton having maintained a predominant lead since she entered the race. Yet, the polls project that Democratic preference is becoming more and more even as the gap between Clinton’s lead and Bernie’s second place position has started to close. According to the Wall Street Journal, Clinton only “holds a slim 48 – 45 percent lead” over Sanders in a poll that question citizens of Iowa who are likely to attend their state-caucus. Perhaps this means that Sanders will surpass Clinton in the polls toward the end of the Primary Election race as did President Obama back in the 2008.

Of course, both candidates are receiving support from different groups from the left. For example, President Obama praised Clinton in a recent interview he had with Glenn Thrush, and while this was not an endorsement, it is quite possible that Obama’s kind words and seeming-support toward his former Secretary of State might carry the weight of one. Receiving support from a Presidential incumbent who has generally remained supported by those who voted for him might ensure that Clinton secures that voting demographic as well. 

Then again, Sanders’ focus on income-inequality has made him very popular with millennials according to the Washington Post. The question then becomes, will enough young men and women turn out in support for Sanders? I do not think so. 

Sanders has received a fair amount of deserved criticism for focusing almost solely on income-inequality, and while income-inequality is certainly a problem, there are greater issues at stake that he has neglected to address with the degree of passion and clarity that Clinton has. Do not be surprised to see Clinton still running for President after the primaries and caucuses are over in June.  

Before I wrap this up, I am going to switch gears for a second and address the choice that would follow my prediction should it come true. Regardless of whether or not Trump and Clinton truly do face-off for the Presidency, we all must still choose whether or not to turn out and vote in the general election for the next POTUS. I implore you all to turn out and vote for whichever candidate you believe is best suited for office. Yet, it is of equal importance that I also implore you to see reason and think critically about the issues we face as a nation. While I will certainly not ask that you vote for Clinton, or any other candidate if my predictions are incorrect, I will ask that you do not vote for Trump. 

I understand that Trump cannot be bought out. I also understand that he puts his money where his mouth is and refuses to make empty promises, but he is dangerous. I agree that the refugee screening process needs to be more effective to aid in the prevention of domestic terrorism, but exemplifying a combination of hatred and indifference toward an entire religion by completely forsaking them while they are being slaughtered across the ocean carries major consequences, specifically the consequence of unintentionally aiding the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in their attempt to brainwash loving, peaceful Muslims into joining their war against the West and all who do not swear allegiance to their terrorist organization. I am firmly against illegal immigration and a firm supporter of legal immigration, yet Trump’s generalized insensible promise of total, rapid deportation is barbaric and, dare I say, stupid. I am in support of increasing the strength of our border with Mexico by having a wall-built, yet Trump continues to assert repeatedly that he will have Mexico pay for a bordering-wall to be built. How can Trump be so sure Mexico would be willing to concede to his demands? Is he willing to initiate economic sanctions against Mexico? Is he willing to utilize military force? Because he is so unpredictable, it is impossible to say. He is dangerous, his ideas are dangerous and the position of President would provide the perfect outlet for his dangerous potential to manifest into a blunder of destructive consequences.