by Stephen Lendman

Governors Rick Perry and Scott Walker were early dropouts. Expect others before the February 1 Iowa caucus and primary season begins, New Hampshire first eight days after Iowa - heading toward March 1 super-Tuesday with 13 states up for grabs.

Does it matter? Not under money controlled one-party rule, candidates from each wing virtual cardboard cutouts of each other, in lockstep on all issues mattering most - same-old, same-old: pro-war, pro-business, anti-populist. Don’t be fooled by demagogic rhetoric. Candidate Obama promised hope and change, peace, not war, prosperity lifting all boats, affordable universal healthcare with a public option, respect for labor rights, closing Guantanamo, ending torture, real immigration reform, prosecuting Bush administration war criminals, Palestinian sovereignty free from occupation, respect for rule of law principles and much more.

Dirty business as usual continues, including endless wars, corporate favoritism, social injustice and harsh crackdowns on nonbelievers. Instead of improving lives of ordinary Americans, they’re worse than ever - poverty and unemployment at Great Depression levels, unprecedented wealth disparity, social needs increasingly ignored, human misery a growth industry.

Think duopoly candidates will change things? Think again. No matter who succeeds Obama, business as usual will triumph like always. Democracy is pure fantasy. Voters have no say whatever.

Money power rules. Rogue governance proves it - threatening world peace, security and stability, inflicting more harm on more people at home and abroad than any previous regime in world history.

As of late September, Hillary Clinton maintains a sizable lead over Bernie Sanders (despite plunging support) - 43 - 27%, unannounced potential candidate Joe Biden at nearly 20%.

Their rhetoric differs. Their agendas are cookie-cutter similar, matching Republican meanness, why America and Israel are perhaps the world’s most hated countries.

The US agenda threatens world peace, Democrats more belligerent than Republicans. Lincoln gave us devastating Civil War, Wilson WW I, Roosevelt WW II, Bill Clinton more war than Reagan/Bush I; Bush II more than Clinton, Obama more than W, whoever succeeds him perhaps WW III unless he beats them to it.

New Republican polls show Trump waning - 21 v. 34% in July. Retired retired neurosurgeon/Muslim hater Ben Carson nearly tied at 20%, up from 10% in July.

Tea party favorite neocon Senator Marco Rubio (R. FL) and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina tied in 3rd place, each with 11%. Jeb Bush has distant single digit support.

Previous articles discussed Clinton, Sanders, Trump and Carson. Super-hawk Marco Rubio may launch WW III in his first 100 days.

His “Rubio Doctrine” prioritizes “American strength” - more military spending, belligerence and endless wars, perhaps Obama on steroids.

He supports Cuban isolation, rescinding the Iran nuclear deal, maintaining tough sanctions, imposing new ones, escalated war in Syria, more military aid for Ukrainian fascists, and perhaps direct confrontation with Russia.

He and Hillary Clinton especially represent America’s lunatic fringe - perma-hawks, most likely to launch WW III.

Carly Fiorina is a failed corporate CEO. Her dismal record got her sacked. Hewlett-Packard’s stock lost half its value while most other blue-chips rose sharply.

More than 30,000 H-P employees lost jobs on her watch. It included what some market watchers called “the dumbest deal of the decade.” A risky mega-merger with Compaq failed.

She blamed the dot.com bust, sexism and board member ineffectiveness for her own shortcomings. She made a once Silicon Valley pioneer into a shadow of its former self.

Do Americans want a former CEO as president, or current one? Do they want anyone prioritizing profits over popular interests running the country?

Do they really think they have a choice in deciding? It’s preordained well before polls open on November 8, 2016. Business as usual always wins.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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