The Trump Candidacy Becomes Real
The Republican Establishment underestimates him at their peril.
by Rod D. Martin
June 16, 2015
The Republican Establishment wants to write him off as "not serious," "a clown," anything but a real threat.
But Donald Trump's candidacy is very real indeed.
Trump is smart, media savvy and a brilliant negotiator. He's amassed a $9 billion fortune through precisely those skills, and spent much of that time outsmarting wildly successful politicians, starting with Ed Koch. He's been contemplating this for 16 years, and he can dig more change out of his couch than the rest of the field combined can raise.
It's that last bit more than anything else that bears watching. Trump can self-fund a primary campaign on a grander scale than any conceivable opponent. Money doesn't equal victory, but the lack of it usually equals defeat. And Trump is not limited to his own pocketbook. Wealthy businesspeople across the country may suddenly find the need to support their old friend and associate, or at least to ensure that they continuing having the opportunity to do business…