DONALD TRUMPS PALIN?

For those who think Donald Trump is not for real as a Presidential candidate - think again. For those who think that his inane questioning of Obama's birthplace, after the issue has been declared dead and buried, put paid to any credence that he was running for the Presidency - really, really, think again. In the current topsy turvy world of politics, where nothing seems to make much sense,  he has many of the necessary credentials. To prove the latter point his persistent ranting as a "birther", suddenly shot him up in the polls as a Republican candidate. This even after the top Fox Republican TV host, Bill O'Reilly had told him to get serious. The official Republican party line has been that this line of attack is counterproductive but then the line that Trump toes is his own.

CREDENTIALS

Well what are his credentials? He has massive public exposure. His show, the Apprentice, has high, high ratings that went even higher following his announcement that he was a "birther". He is on finance shows, talk shows and political shows. He was a regular on Larry King's show. In fact other than his colossal ego he was considered pretty middle of the road. He has unashamedly touted his financial success. He told an interviewer that one of the reasons he would be a good president was because he was so rich!

He has an opinion on everything. When the Libyan war broke out his boastful contribution to the debate was that he had gyped Gadhaffi by hopelessly overcharging him rent when the latter visited the USA. He shows a rare mixture of charm, bravado, ruthlessness and empathy that seems to resonate with the viewers. His trade mark is barking out, "Your are fired". This he does with sadistic glee as he eliminates the contenders one by one on his show, "The Apprentice". He is thus a member of the elite, an icon  - a status that can be gained in no time by wealth and entertainment skills in this environment.

His private life is not all that marvelous but then he has no pretensions to having led a monastic life. He runs the Miss Universe competition, among other things, and has been involved in controversies relating to the lives and behavior of the beauties. Gingrich has claims to respectability so he cannot glibly skip the issue. Newt Gingrich is just too compromised to survive the primaries let alone a Presidential race.

THE COMPETITION

So he has even more name recognition than Sarah. Suddenly the conservative base are taking note of him because he is a birther, a cause that even Sarah and the other Sarah wannabees, such as Michele Bachmann and Huckabee, have abandoned. His birther move is thus unashamedly calculated to get him recognition among the voter base that is needed in the Republican Primaries. When push comes to shove he will know exactly how to get out of his rave, once nominated.

His financial qualifications are a big, big plus in a situation where everyone acknowledges that America is in deep deep financial trouble - "We need a financial manager to get us out of this mess". The other financial candidate, Romney, is responsible for Obamacare in Massachusetts and as a Mormon is not going to get the bible belt votes.

His independence is another plus. He can hardly be called a Washington insider. You are dealing with a disillusioned electorate where last time the independent voters opted for Obama in the hope that he would be "different". That is not the current perception of Obama and as politicians go Trump is certainly "different".

Then there are a collection of barely known Republican Governors who have no money and no name recognition that, barring a miracle,  really cannot really be serious contenders. So we are beginning to be left with Donald. I think I better stop because I am beginning to convince myself that Donald is about to move into the White House toting one of those mattresses that he so convincingly advertises......

However, hopefully, he may just let this one go by because there may have been 43 Presidents but there has only been one Donald Trump.