You don’t need to be a natural-born anthropologist to understand why Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are doing as well as they are. It is because of how badly we fell on our face in 2008 still stares at us in the face.

Has anyone looked at their 401k lately? Since opening day in January the stock market has tanked with things looking evermore like there might be a recession right around the corner, with the Feds, seemingly, out of magic tricks. No wonder Bernie Sanders is doing as well as he is having tied Clinton in the Iowa Caucus, trounced her in the New Hampshire Primary and who has, now, come in just a few points behind her in Nevada. People are nervous. Bernie has the narrative down; he knows how to tell the story that needs to be told. He has a clear idea of where we need to go in the next chapter of our story.

Americans, as the experiential pioneers they are, are looking for bold leadership to a better place. 

And from the bottom of my heart, in the mysterious way of things, I want to thank Donald Trump for sounding off on President George W. last week. To me it was really gratifying to see Jeb Bush, after having his brother show up to campaign on his behalf, come in more than 20 points behind Trump and have to drop out of the race. 

Also it was greatly satisfying to watch Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have to swallow Trump’s dust. I can’t wait to tune into Rush Limbaugh Monday morning to listen to him burble away flabbergasted. Who would have ever thought anger could get away from the mighty maestro of anger himself, old Rushbo? Proving, before our eyes, fear and loathing of ethnicity and religion trumps — all — in today’s Republican party. And thanks to Donald’s unmasking, finally, anthropology (at least, that is, for us more objective natural-born anthropologists) can start describing Banana Republicans for what they’ve actually become: fascists with a proclivity for torture. 

Again, thanks Donald for making it so crystal clear. 

Alas, in the near future, we are about to discover who we’ve really become as a people in our American story.

I pray Bernie is the one to author our next chapter.

P. S. That Donald Trump could express support last week for the President’s individual mandate in health care and still win South Carolina by such numbers, anthropologically, is very, very significant.

Tim O’Leary