OPINION:
It’s easy to say that Donald Trump is an obnoxious, egomaniacal buffoon, but the real story might be a little subtler and a little more complex (not that it makes him any more desirable as president). Whatever Mr. Trump’s level of actual financial success — either the most incredible businessman of his age, as he claims, or a financial manipulator who has profited greatly at the expense of partners, as a number of business associates claim — he can’t actually be the monumentally undisciplined clown he plays on the campaign trail.
An alternative explanation might be that at some level of consciousness, “The Donald” knows he cannot succeed if he bows to the traditional level of give-and-take and public scrutiny that comes with public office. He knows he is not temperamentally suited to treating the speaker of the House and Senate majority leader as policy equals. He’s never had to operate in any kind of triumvirate, and he’s not about to try. Therefore, even as the Republican establishment leans to accommodate his idiosyncrasies, Mr. Trump will accept nothing but capitulation. He doesn’t care about the future of the Republican Party. He cares only about fulfilling his vision of narcissistic destiny.
The critical questions are these: Will the Republican leadership vacuum that allowed Mr. Trump to rise and thrive continue? Will the party chair and congressional leadership step up to recapture the philosophic integrity of the party, or will they continue to shuffle around like a herd of deer caught in the headlights?
TONY ST. AMANT
Chico, Calif.
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