The 2016 Presidential Campaign is marked by two remarkable people whose success is worthy of commentary. The first is Donald Trump, a egoist of the first order, whose candidacy is supported by three factors: his fame, his money and the fact his statements embarrass Republicans.

Trump gets attention because his name is immediately recognized by those who have seen his TV shows, and his countless media appearances, His statements about immigration were inflammatory, but resonated with those who are actually concerned because immigrants break the law and seem to kill people for no reason. The recent murders in Chattanooga of Marines and the random, senseless killing of a woman in San Francisco come to mind. There are many others.

The mainstream media covers Trump because he attracts attention and boosts audiences. Of course, Hillary Clinton makes reference to Trump for those reasons and because he injures Republicans and helps her so she calls attention to him. That, however, will not last as Trump has limited shelf life and due to his McCain comments, is dwindling as a candidate. He will be gone soon.

He will be gone unless he has other motives. He has profited enormously during Obama’s presidency and may see Hillary as the way to maintain his momentum.  He helps that cause by running as a Republican and injuring that party. I think he knows what he is doing. His plan may be to run as a third party candidate to help Hillary as well. That is how her husband won his presidency, after all.

Bernie Sanders is worth looking at as his candidacy is more astounding. Sanders is the Socialist party Senator from Vermont and is running as a Democrat, with whom he caucuses in the Senate. He is not running as a Socialist but as a Democrat and Hillary is not running away from Sanders, trying to distinguish her campaign positions from hers, she is running toward him and moving into radical leftist positions. She has always been at the far left of her party, but is now becoming Sanders like-a Socialist. She will run to the center in the actual campaign, if nominated.

Being a Socialist once, not very long ago, would have relegated him and her to a minority party that may get 4% of the vote, like the Green Party in Minnesota.

The political scene has changed to the point where being a Socialist is seen as a benefit, especially among the coveted millennials, whose knowledge of the world is lamentably poor as history is not taught in college or on the Dally Show. They simply think that Socialist has something to do with having fun.

This fact was shown to me this weekend when I was taken to a restaurant in Minneapolis called, “Hammer and Sickle.”  The communist symbol was displayed everywhere, It was shocking. I see that symbol of mass murder as truly offensive, but I am of a different generation. I remember Americans dying fighting against enemies under that symbol. It is perfectly acceptable now.

We find ourselves with Trump the disingenuous and Sanders the Socialist running for president. It will be an interesting year. I have always adhered to the Chinese proverb, “Hope you live in interesting times.” These times may be too interesting.