Some of my friends are urging me, “Shhhhhh. Speak not of his crimes and indiscretions. Get behind the nominee.”
Why should I get behind the nominee when the nominee won’t get behind the nominee? Trump is blowing holes in his own boat and I’m catching flack because I won’t jump in and help bail water onto the down ballot.
Where is his advertising in battleground states? Where is his organization? None. No money. No staff. No strategy. He’s treating this like a state rep race in rural Nebraska that he could take or leave. And that’s probably a generous assessment.
He is very rich, as he goes to lengths has reminded us. With a paltry 1.3 million in campaign cash on hand, compared to Hillary Clinton’s 40 million war chest, one would think he’d be tapping his own bulging bank account to put up some kind of fight. But no.
Now, granted, he’s known for exaggerating, so let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say he’s worth only 1/4 of the $10B he claims, dropping the poor fellow to $2.5B. Surely he could borrow against his equity to pump $50 million (a mere 2% of his adjusted net worth) into his withering campaign. I mean, he loves America, right? Yes? Say you track with the average American adult; you are worth $300K. Suppose further that you really believe your beloved country is on the verge of collapse. Someone says to you, “If you’ll put up $6,000 of your own money, there’s hope.” You’d write that check faster than someone could say “Make America Great.”
To put it syllogistically: If Trump has the money and wants to win he would invest the money. He has not invested the money. He either doesn’t have the money or he doesn’t want to win. It’s one or the other. I know what I believe, and all the evidence supports it.
As of the end of May, in the perennially crucial state of Ohio, Trump had no staff and hadn’t even made contact with in-state Republican leaders, according to the Wall Street Journal. The campaign said they hoped to have the situation corrected by June. Well, it’s June. Unlike Clinton who has visited twice in the last week, Trump hasn’t been to Ohio since March.
Of course, how can he be expected to be found in the most important battleground state in the country with such urgent campaign business to accomplish in–ready for this? — Scotland. The Guardian reports that Trump will on Thursday “officially unveil his lavishly revamped hotel and championship golf course at Turnberry in Ayrsire.” On Saturday, he’ll fly north to Aberdeenshire where he will visit another course. So, counting travel time, we are looking at three or four days of ribbon cutting on the wrong side of the Atlantic while his opponent does circles around what meager efforts Trump has going on in these United States.
And now this: According to the Federal Election Commission, Trump lists himself on the payroll of his impoverished campaign. Is he really drawing a salary or is the money merely passing through his hands to others? In any case, what is undeniable from the FEC report is that his own companies are receiving chunky checks from what’s left of his emaciated campaign as he exhorts his followers to open their wallets and make America great again. What to conclude but that this is a giant scam?!
Looks like we’ve gone from “I’m the only guy who is self-funded” to “Well, it’s a loan” to “The country needs you” to “The upholstery on my jet sure could stand an update.”
The Trump train is derailed. His sycophants are already scanning the room for someone to blame. Does the room have a mirror?
photo credit: Donald Trump via photopin (license); Gage Skidmore
