It would appear the candidates for the presidential election in the United States are set.
Donald Trump or "The Donald" is the heir presumptive to the Republican candidacy. Hillary Clinton should win the Democratic nomination. So now the fun begins.
Hillary has already called out The Donald on a number of points related to his business dealings, his ethics, and his views on women. The Donald has responded by calling Hillary a "liar" - by taking a "liar, liar, pants on fire" approach.
At the same time, the Donald has played the innuendo game - insinuating Clinton is a criminal about to be indicted, a murderer, and unfit for office. So far, Clinton hasn't risen to the bait although if the election comes down to a character debate, then it is too close to call.
Neither has a sparkling character. Neither can claim to be squeaky clean.
And that is perhaps what is so fascinating about the events south of the border. It is like watching a slow motion train crash where you know the outcome but are powerless to do anything about it.
Or maybe it is that the United States is a good friend you helplessly watch as they descend into a slow death spiral of destructive behaviour. You want to help but there is nothing you can do except pick up the pieces afterwards.
I would suggest the entire world is watching this election cycle with a mixture of humour and horror. The sight of The Donald quacking on about "the Wall" has become something bordering on farcical. No one seriously believes he will build a wall around the United States but countries around the world are scared he might try.
An isolationist United States - one that withdraws from the world and refuses immigrants of Muslim faith or denies the legitimacy of its international debt or embargoes its trading partners - is not healthy for the world.
As one commentator put it, Russia and China are just waiting for The Donald to remove the United States from the world stage. They will gladly fill the vacuum left behind.
I would add there are leaders in the Arab world who would gladly take advantage of the room provided. Europe would revel in the economic opportunities.
Would Ms. Clinton be any better?
It is not clear what her policies will be regarding the United States's role in the world. For example, increasing the bombing campaign in Syria and building a safe zone around ISIS is not really an answer. But it is better than the approach The Donald seems to advocate - particularly because he waffles.
At one point, he has said "I do know what to do and I would know how to bring ISIS to the table or beyond that, defeat ISIS very quickly and I'm not going to tell you what is... All I can tell you, it is a foolproof way of winning." And yet, he has also said "It's really rather amazing, maybe Syria should be a free zone for ISIS, let them fight and then you pick up the remnants."
Yes, The Donald has the answer to winning against ISIS but he is not going to tell anyone because it is a big secret. However, wouldn't it be amazing if we just let ISIS take over Syria or Syria wipe out ISIS and then we can pick up the pieces?
Really? Seriously?
When it comes to the world, The Donald seems to have a one-size-fits-all policy - arm everyone to the hilt.
When asked who should have nuclear weapons, he seemed to think more countries. When talking about the terror attacks in Paris, he seemed to think everyone should have had a gun. That way they can shoot the bad guys first.
When asked about a war between Japan and Korea, his response was "And if they fight, you know what, that would be a terrible thing, terrible. Good luck folks, enjoy yourself... if they do, they do," despite his view that Japan should have its own nuclear arsenal.
Perhaps more disturbing is his admiration for Kim Jong Un: "And you've got to give him credit. How many young guys - he was like 26 or 25 when his father died - take over these tough generals.... It's incredible. He wiped out the uncle. He wiped out this one, that one. I mean, this guy doesn't play games."
The Donald dances, bobs, and weaves around issues which would flatten any other politician. He has a very loose grasp on the truth and an even poorer understanding of world politics, if his speeches are any indication.
Which is why good people around the world are worried because there are millions of people in the United States listening to The Donald and thinking he has the right idea.
