So what is going on over there and how has it got so crazy? According to what I hear from the British public, they think the whole election is a complete joke with Trump being called a “baffoon” by British politicians. I asked a few American expats who live here in Britain and also some Americans based in the States what they think.

Valerie Adler is an American who lives in Britain, France and goes back to the States for long stays:

“Donald Trump has every right to be a self-involved, self-aggrandising, pompous ass. What worries me is the sheer number and collective frenzy of his fans. By all appearances, many (half? more?) American voters are more motivated by sensationalism rather than sense. The GOP process is a complete circus in which the candidates win applause by ridiculing one another’s private parts in one moment, and invoking a Christian God in the next to defend indefensible positions on immigration, abortion and healthcare. There is not one Republican hopeful who makes me feel even a shred of hope.

The man who should be president is unlikely even to run. Bernie Sanders is thoughtful, outward looking and a true force for good…for the country, for the environment and for women. Much as I will be happy to see a woman in the Oval Office, I have reservations about Hillary’s loyalties to corporate America.”

Heidi Walker is an American who lived in Britain for nearly 20 years, China for 2 years and is now currently living in North Carolina, USA:

“Since I am an optimist by nature I choose to see the positive aspect of the current US presidential race for both the Republican and Democratic parties.

I am also a registered Democrat and my choice of candidate at the moment is Bernie Sanders. I will be happy if Hillary Clinton is the eventual Democratic nominee but I am partial to Bernie’s views on healthcare for all. This is in no small part due to the almost 20 years that I spent living and working in the UK and singing the praises of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). For years I told my British friends about the high cost of medical insurance in the US and I marveled at how the NHS is taken for granted. Imagine having a baby and never seeing a bill, or needing to file an insurance claim. That is the reality in the UK. And is just one example of how healthcare as a “right for all” plays out.

On a more subtle level, imagine leaving a job that you are no longer enjoying and not having to worry about losing healthcare insurance for you and your family. Yep, once again this is reality in the UK. No system is perfect and I was a huge fan of Obama because of his commitment to make health insurance more accessible for Americans. So that is one of my primary reasons for supporting Bernie Sanders in the primary stage.

Now, I must turn my attention to Donald Trump’s attempt to secure the Republican nomination and the fact that it looks like he will do exactly that. I choose not to react with fear but rather I choose to be optimistic because I believe that the majority of American’s feel as I do that his racist rhetoric is dangerous and reminiscent of Hitler.

The media is expert at crafting continuous “breaking news” and in many ways the media has played a role in Trump’s rise. He has received four times as much coverage as any other Republican candidate because he drives ratings, pure and simple.

The other reason that I choose to remain optimistic that good will prevail, by which I mean a Democratic candidate will win if Trump is the Republican nominee, is that this election cycle has energized the disenfranchised on both sides of the aisle. Finally, Americans are calling out the campaign finance system that can only be called corrupt at best. Finally, Americans are demanding that their candidates are authentic and not simply spinners of headline making sound bites.

The American public is engaged in this election like no other, turnout for the primaries is breaking records and that is another reason to be optimistic.

If every American who has the right to vote gets it and exercises their right then I am confident that Donald Trump will experience being on the other side of his own boardroom table and the American people can send him a resounding “You’re fired” message.

God Bless America

And this from an American Facebook connection on Bringing Up Brits:

So, this kind of sums up how a lot of us see trump right now lol…

So, as we pack for our trip to the mother country, the land of opportunity and freedom, we are excited (so excited!!) but also apprehensive about what we will find and what we’ll see. It is certainly an interesting time to go back ‘home’ and hopefully an educational time too for my British family. From my point of view, the main objective for us is to spend time with family and friends, have fun – lots of fun – and learn and see new things. It is also the first time in 12 years that I will see my sister and we get to meet her two sons and spend some time hanging out with them and getting to know each other. Hopefully we’ll do just that. Hasta la vista, baby!

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits, co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs, co-founder and Director of Design and Web at Shake It Up Creative. And, she is an award winning expat blogger and mother of three.

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