George Carlin’s take on voting has some validity. We as a people actually think we choose are leaders, but when you think about it we are actually just one step above the old Soviet Union.
Here's what I mean, in the Soviet Union the people were also told they got to choose, however any candidate that ran was a member of the communist party chosen to run by party leaders, so no matter which candidate got chosen the party won.
Here in American things have changed so much since the founding fathers, over the years our elected have placed so many barrier into our political process it's almost impossible to get a foot hold into it without the consent of one of the two parties. Today's politics has two parties actually choosing who we get to vote for, these candidates are part of each party's system or as they say, members of the establishment. Independent candidates have little chance and are used by the establishment to fool us into believing we have a real choice. We are a society indoctrinated into the two party system.
This primary candidates like Sanders or Trump knowing they had to run under one of the two banners to stand a chance did so, the parties allowed them to because they felt they had enough control of the system it wouldn't matter. Surly Clinton and Bush would be the chosen candidates. Now you may say, so the people actually do get to choose, but here's the rub, today with money being dumped into elections like water rushing over Niagara Falls and the media, save for a select few internet sites and small local papers, being owned and controlled by rich wealthy members of the establishment it is almost impossibly for a non-establishment candidate to make any headway.
People follow the media and believe almost everything that comes out of their TV or what they read in the news print. The rich knowing this have turned the media into one giant propaganda machine.
Example in this election, on the Democrat side Sanders has had just a fraction of media time compared to Clinton, they have constantly preached Sanders demise, even when results may have shown otherwise. They have downplayed Clinton's problems and basically are steering the people to vote for her. She has modified her positions on many issues to mirror those of Sanders which connect with the people, positions she would not have taken otherwise and one can only wonder if she will keep them if she gets elected. In Washington, investigations are on going, but are they? She is after all the establishments candidate. With Trump doing what he is doing on the other side, it is doubtful anything will come out against Clinton.
But what of the GOP, never in their wildest days did they think he would connect with the people, after all, he is a vile racist who speaks hate, fear, and has pretty much alienated the rest of the world's governments and he hasn't even won anything yet. The problem of course lies with the party itself, they have become fractured since allowing the Tea Partiers to encompass their banner. What does this show, it shows we as a society have a whole lot of problems that have been festering for years boiling beneath the surface, one that the GOP has been feeding since the advent of the Tea Party, yes, racism, hate, fear, and even religious zealotry, and now that has come back to bite them in the ass. Trump has brought all those issues to the surface, he has opened the Pandora's box and it's not going away, the GOP did itself in.
So, what will the Republican party do, well they have already indicated what they are going to do, they are going to fight against Trump, even going so far as covertly supporting the only establishment candidate left, Clinton.
The only chance the American people have to elect a non establishment candidate is for Sanders to get the nomination on the Democratic side, then the people may actually get a choice. They could choose all that Sanders embodies, or Trump. A good vs. evil.
The election then becomes one of where does the heart of the American people actually lie. Are we a society of racist, hateful, fearful people, or a society that wants to move forward, make this nation better for all. Now that would be an election to see.
Unfortunately, Clinton will most likely get the nomination on the Democrat side, the powers to be have gone all out to see to it. Money and power does talk. Trump look like a shoo-in, so the election will then boil down to, status quo vs, evil. In either case the American people lose, as well as our Democracy.
Maybe George Carlin was right, maybe it really doesn’t matter, it could just be the establishment always wins in the end.