Within the past hour, I watched three young people interviewed on the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, conducted by MSNBC correspondent, Craig Melvin.
The three-member panel consisted of three males, an African-American Hillary Clinton supporter, a White Ted Cruz, supporter and a White Donald Trump, supporter. All three young men were fervent in their support, and articulated the positions of each candidate. What scared me was the Cruz and Trump supporters were clones of their heroes. The Cruz supporter appeared to even style his hair the same way, right down to the hair gel.
The African-American young man presented his case for Hillary with an appeal for her elect-ability, her long held Democratic views and her standing in government and experience. Maybe not in every eye a positive, but presented with an ease and confidence.
The Cruz supporter used the same evangelical like oratory of Ted Cruz, confident in his opinion, narrow in focus, xenophobic and condescending. The Trump young supporter, was reminiscent of the 1975 movie, The Stepford Wives. He was dressed like Trump, vague like Trump and short on detail like Trump. The idea of young men following, so closely, two men who have nothing to offer but a future of fear and exclusion as selling points, makes me leery of tomorrow. As the young man of color spoke, the Cruz supporter took the exact physical posture Cruz takes, when trying to assert his dominance. It was really eerie. The only statement delivered with assured confidence by the Trump supporter, was how he purposely emulated Trump’s, “snappy” dressing style.
The idea that young men on an esteemed college campus are so indoctrinated, by pointless argument and fearfully acquiesce to the idea of invasion or takeover by the other is a revolting prospect for the future of the country. I was only sure at the end of the conversation that the Hillary Clinton supporter actually formed an idea when he answered, the other two appeared to regurgitate the personalities of the candidates so frighteningly close, I was waiting for Melvin to ask for an oil can to lube their gears.