Look, I’m trying to pay as little attention to Donald Trump as you are, but it’s difficult. I’ve come to the conclusion that Donald Trump is not a businessman or a politician. He is a master musician whose only role in government should be playing with the Marine Band.
Because he is playing us like a Stradivarius.
Witness his comments this week about punishing women who have abortions. They weren’t particularly bright, even by presidential candidate standards, but they did keep Trump at the forefront of the news, ahead of everyone else.
Which is why he said them. Don’t kid yourself. Trump did not say women who have abortions should be punished because he thinks this a substantive position on a divisive issue. He said them because he knew they would keep him in the news.
It worked, too. Was Ted Cruz making news Thursday morning? No, of course he wasn’t. We saw a clip of him on some late night talk show. That was it. Trump had the headlines and the attention of those yap for a living.
Trump, of course, later amended the statement to conform to GOP policy, namely only those performing abortions should be subject to criminal penalties. The retraction, of course, got him further exposure. 01
As it has since the beginning of his campaign, it worked. Trump blurts out something undeserving of an American presidential candidate and it earns him votes and delegates and may well earn him the GOP presidential nomination, though we personally think the 2016 GOP convention will have enough backroom maneuvering to make Warren G Harding proud.
The bottom line is Trump has us talking about Trump. Few are talking about how much they embrace Trump and his generally witless bellowing, but people are talking about him. A lot. It’s exactly what he wanted and don’t kid yourself, Trump’s no dummy. He knew exactly what he was saying and exactly what the reaction would be.
Trump’s only real talent is drumming up interest in himself and he is giving a clinic in that right now and we are taking the bait hook, line and sinker.
