I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that Donald Trump of “The Apprentice” fame is considering a run for president. Well, now that his face has replaced Scott Walker’s on Newsmax pop-up ads, it’s pretty much official.
Although not many people think he can actually win, there is a lot of interest in his campaign. Okay, it’s not so much interest as it …is curiosity, but people are still paying attention. For those of you who are curious about why Trump is running, I came up with a few possible explanations for why Trump thinks this is a good idea.
The Birther Factor
If there’s one thing that Republicans love to flaunt, it’s their appeal to ordinary Americans. Trump resembles an ordinary American less than the stereotypical liberal elitist. In any other year, Trump would have no chance of out-averaging the sitting president, except maybe in terms of temper.
Luckily for Trump, Obama isn’t your average president. Obama spent part of his childhood overseas and he’s black. Whether it’s because he’s disgusting or because it’s the only trait he has to be proud of, Trump seems to have launched his campaign on the fact that he’s white and has a birth certificate.
The Ronald Reagan Factor
Reagan broke new ground for public figures looking to become public servants. Trump, like the hero of his adopted party, comes from a sales background. Seeing these similarities, it’s not difficult to imagine that Trump thinks he’s the next Reagan.
One had experience working with monkeys, while the other has to separate Gary Busy and Meatloaf on reality TV. Since most Congresspeople devote a majority of their time to flinging shit and ranting in one another’s faces, these bizarre skills might actually look good on a Washington resume.
As for which is the better salesman, I’d have to give it to Reagan. He carried himself like a luxury car dealer. Trump looks and acts like the guy in charge of clearing out the junkers at the Hyundai dealership.
The Republican Money Factor
Plenty of non-politicians ran for election in 2010. Most of them were wealthy Republicans from the business world, fighting hard for the people atop the business world.
The new attitude in the Republican Party seems to be that if someone can run a company, they can run a government. In most cases, that’s not true.
Sure, some of the CEOs that came out of the recession with a profit are fiscally responsible and could be capable statesmen. Most of them stayed afloat by outsourcing jobs, begging for bailouts, and driving local stores that pay living wages out of business.
Trump doesn’t fall neatly into any of the categories. He’s not a successful businessman. He had to fail a few times before he found a cushy gig as a celebrity. And instead of outsourcing jobs, Trump is reaping profits from people in other countries.
The Fox News Factor
It’s hard for anyone to take the conservative wing of the Republican Party seriously these days. They’ve all found their way on to Fox News, the only place where their unique version of reality can go unchecked. Palin and Bachmann regularly chat with Fox hosts while Huckabee has his own Sunday night show.
Trump (or anyone) can string together a few words about politics and sound about as intelligent as the Fox regulars. And just like the wing-nuts, Trump has no problem finding someone to point a camera in his direction.
As it just so happens, Trump landed a gig on Fox. Some would see that as a sign that Trump’s name is big enough to boost ratings. But the delusional, combed-over mind of Donald Trump sees it as an unofficial nomination for president.
No matter which reason actually prompted Trump to run for president––or if it’s just his ego––it looks like we’re stuck with him for a while. Enjoy the ride, everyone, it should be a lot of fun. Just as long as it doesn’t get serious.
