This March, the madness is not just limited to college basketball. The nation’s democratic process, more specifically the Republican primaries, has really begun to ramp up the craziness. In case you’ve been living under a rock for this whole election cycle, Donald Trump is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, and almost everyone expects him to be the final frontier against the Democratic candidate come November.

Trump’s presidential campaign has drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike, but he continues to bulldoze caucuses and primaries across the country. Trump is loud, big and obnoxious. He has questionable taste in hair and outrageously terrible taste in real estate — just look at the architectural travesty that is Trump Tower. That being said, he’s not the incarnation of evil that pundits and other candidates insisting on. He’s not necessarily Adolf Hitler, he’s just a businessman capitalizing on the fears, insecurities and deep-seated systemic prejudices held by his supporters. Trump is marketing himself and his potential presidency as a product.

To be clear, I do not support or like Trump in any way. I strongly oppose his campaign and what it stands for, but I do not think he’s the devil that liberal media and a vast majority of college students seem to be making him out to be. In fact, I don’t think he’s even the worst Republican candidate. I would choose him over his biggest competitor, Ted Cruz, any day of the week.

Although Trump may run an abrasive and bigoted campaign, he is just playing a political game, appealing to those within the Republican Party who have been disenfranchised by  traditional party politics. On the other hand, we have Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz, in my opinion, is far more threatening to the future of the United States than Trump because Cruz is a genuine fanatic. While Trump may spout off nonsense and inspire fear and hate in his followers, he isn’t as staunchly devoted to right-wing extremism the same way that Cruz is.

Trump is a businessman, and with that comes all the tricks of the trade necessary to help him win the nomination. Cruz has no such pretensions. He is steadfastly conservative, unlike Trump who was a Democrat from 2001-2009. Cruz opposes abortion in all forms, unlike Trump, who is in favor of abortion in cases of maternal health, rape and incest. Cruz favors the death penalty, and referred to the separation of church and state — an integral part of the Constitution — as a myth.

In the end, neither Trump nor Cruz are acceptable candidates for the presidency. However, the point remains: Trump is not the worst option, and Cruz is not a healthy alternative to him by any stretch of the imagination.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, March 21 print edition. Email Patrick Seaman at [email protected].