The Donald

Somehow, the Donald was left off this chart, maybe that's why he's running.

I really was trying to avoid the stunt candidacy of Donald Trump.  But then THIS happened.  He goes out and laps the field in a PPP poll of potential GOP presidential candidates.

In some ways, Trump is a perfect candidate for the modern GOP.  He almost certainly doesn't believe this Birther nonsense he's been spouting non-stop.  As he said to Eric Cantor, "People love this issue!"  He doesn't believe it!  He's just giving people what they want!

The lack of principle behind it is irrelevant, he's just trying to give the base what it wants.

He's a mid-level celebrity and reality show star, so he's perfect for a field in which Mike Huckabee is known as the charismatic one.

He's rich, so that works.

He's been married more times than Elizabeth Taylor, so he can fit perfectly into the family values hypocrisy.

And he's nakedly opportunistic.  

This candidacy is simply an extension of Trump the Brand.  He's on the front pages, he's getting headlines, he's been talked about.

He's an attention whore and the fleet is in town.

Eventually, this candidacy as performance art will crash and burn, but I hope it continues a while longer.

With any luck it will force another certain attention grabbing narcissist into the race.  No, not Newt.  Not Bachmann.  Further north.  Furrrrther.