I’ve finally figured out why this presidential campaign season feels so familiar. It’s like the travelling circuses I went to when I was young. That was a long time ago.

Under the “big top”, the main attractions were on display. There might be lion tamers or daring displays of shooting skill, maybe a human cannonball, but there were always clowns. The audience was directed where to look by the loud-mouthed ringmaster. The ringmaster for the last few years has been Donald Trump. The acts have been other politicians and Trump’s agenda. Trump’s always pointing to what he’s done or how stupid or unfair someone is.

The democrats’ campaigns remind me of the old side shows, loaded down with oddities and clever, impatient barkers. Nothing there was real, but it was fun and silly. I remember one where there was a dead baleen whale that stunk to high heaven in the hot sun…yet people paid money to see it. I did, too.

One time I was hired to help take down the tents when the circus was ready to move on. I must have been about 13-14 years old. With the audience gone, I got to hear and see who the circus people really were. They were a crass and unhappy bunch who swore at each other in the most vulgar and childish ways. I’d never seen adults behave that way before. Amazingly, my father somehow found me that night and after demanding the pay they were clearly hoping to cheat me out of, he angrily took me home.

I’ve also been behind the scene as plans for a liberal demonstration were taking shape. That had the same familiar side show display of childish vulgarity and clear desire to abuse the innocent and gullible.