SOURCE:
Mcclatchy DC.URL:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/opinion/article88823407.htmlby:
Andrew Malcolm
Donald Trump, you may have noticed, has proved to be an, uh, unorthodox presidential candidate.
That served the celebrity well in real estate, on TV and in a record primary field of 17 Republican candidates. He’s now on the precipice of becoming the nominee for the party of Lincoln’s 41st attempt to occupy the White House.
All indications now are that the billionaire businessman will not become the 24th GOP president, despite his fans’ fervor and a record number of primary votes. The indications include a wide range of consistent national and state polls showing him almost universally behind the Democrat with even greater unfavorables.
Such surveys, of course, can change along with voters’ opinions as the campaign and upcoming convention/reality show reaffirm or reshape existing evaluations.
What seems unlikely to change, however, is Trump’s unpredictable, usually counterproductive behavior. So the growing question is: What if Trump’s idea of winning is electing Hillary Clinton? And devastating the GOP in the process?
We suggested 13 months ago that Trump was a Clinton stalking horse: Whether intentional or not, Trump’s candidacy will focus attention on him and elect the Democrat whom he’s long supported. Nothing has happened since to change our mind, save that another Clinton White House could be an unintended consequence of an enormous Trump ego that expands faster than the universe.
Trump and Hillary Clinton are longtime friends and supporters of liberal causes. He’s contributed generously to her campaigns and family foundation. Trump conferred with her husband just before announcing his candidacy. And with Hillary Clinton’s FBI exoneration last week, we’ve seen the power of a Bill Clinton chat, at least with Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
More significant, though, is Trump’s behavior. Yes, it seems unpredictable. And that’s compelling as Sunday night entertainment. He has mocked the handicapped, POWs and a woman’s menstrual cycle, among other crude displays, with no apparent damage.
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