Dear Editor,

Is America entering an age of the Imperial Presidency? The Republican Establishment promoted their best presidential choice as being the son and brother (Jeb Bush) of former presidents. The big money donors agreed.

The Democratic establishment promoted their best presidential choice as being the wife of a former president. Their big money donors agreed as well. The Republican establishment tried to insure that Donald Trump would not be elected. Emails released by Wikileaks confirm the Democratic establishment rigged the system to insure Bernie Sanders could not win.

It’s concerning that establishment choices from both parties coalesced more with entitlement than ability. It appears those with the same last name — Bush or Clinton — should receive coronation as the heirs to entitlement and royal treatment. Are we supposed to believe that the two best presidential choices would come from just these two families? What are the odds?

Obviously the answer is no, but doesn’t it present a disturbing trend? Money can be good or bad. It builds churches, too, but improperly entrenched in politics, it can buy influence for the few who have learned how to play the game and manipulate the system.

This alone is why (regardless of political persuasion) a Trump or Sanders victory seems more appropriate, safer, and more honest choices for the electorate. If the current establishment can build up or destroy these two candidates, thus determining our elective choices, then haven’t we entered a dangerous era?

The establishment stopped the will of the people in the Clinton/Sanders Democratic primary. They did not however stop the will of the people in the Republican primary. In this regards (the establishment versus the will of the American people), shouldn’t both Democrats and Republicans who are against the establishment stand in the same corner?

Trump has announced he will push for term limits in Congress, something that would release the hold on corruption, and which the majority of both parties support. For these reasons, considering the defeat of Bernie Sanders, isn’t Donald Trump our only choice to take back our country from the corrupt establishment?

Randy Gip Graham

Danville