Clinton and Trump: What we're seeing might be prologue to next year's big spectacle

In what could be a preview of next fall's presidential election, the sparring between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump has heated up.

Up until now, most of the rhetoric has been intra-party, with each of the leading candidates in their respective parties concentrating their attacks on intra-party rivals. Trump in particular has resorted to fierce assaults on his chief rivals, likely because there are so many of them and because they have gone after him so strongly. Clinton has been less strident in her campaign speeches, probably because she faces less of a threat from her fellow Democrats.

But in a recent debate, Clinton accused Trump of being a recruiting tool for terrorists because of his radical call for a ban on all Muslim immigration. Trump in turn called Clinton a liar and demanded a retraction. To which the Clinton camp responded, "Hell no."

Good stuff.

Whether either candidate will win their party's nomination remains to be seen. But both are in strong positions as the primary season approaches. Two more opposite candidates could not be found. The race appears to be taking shape and it promises to be a humdinger.

Published in Editorials on December 23, 2015 11:43 AM