As someone perceived as a capitalist mogul Donald Trump was associated with a certain type of political expectation if he chose to become involved in presidential politics. At first blush the expectation was an issues approach comparable to Mitt Romney, seen in the context of a chieftain of wealth within the Republican Party.
Some seasoned pundits who make a living attempting to ascertain actions of politicians were taken aback last week when Trump fervently raised the birth certificate issue regarding President Obama. According to the conventional wisdom Trump would be expected to challenge former Massachusetts governor Romney for the more tidy and orderly Republican vote, those who follow the maxim of Calvin Coolidge that "The business of the country is business."
Trump instead invaded the province of Mike Huckabee without so much as a knock on the door and fought him tenaciously for the Tea Party vote. After the initial shock waves wore off pundits began to analyze the surprising behavior of the mega rich property developer from New York City.
Certain political analysts were cynical about Trump becoming a born again birther. The conventional wisdom was that, with his steady television presence, his statements were attention grabbers.
By attacking Obama on the birth certificate front and posturing himself as a Republican presidential hopeful he would guarantee prolific media exposure, solid professional advertising. Individuals holding this view did not expect Trump to run for president. They treated his series of commentaries as following the Marshall McLuhan formula of "the medium is the massage" as well as the message.
Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, hardly a friend of Trump's, delivered a left-handed compliment of sorts to the wealthy developed by referring to him as a "huckster" but someone good at the game who has been garnering publicity with his recent presidential posturing while not intending to make a run.
Another viewpoint should be inserted into the discussion, a trait discussed by the immortal bard William Shakespeare in numerous plays. That would be hubris, a quality existing strongly within Trump as well as an inordinate amount of chutzpah.
Trump is accustomed to giving orders and getting what he wants. His persona is far removed from the folksy humility depicted onscreen by Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper. Recently this already strong tendency has been greatly enhanced by Trump's appearances on reality television, where he summarily hires and fires people, reminding one of the late flamboyant New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.
As someone used to getting what he wants, do not sell Trump short as someone who believes that he can achieve the presidency in the manner that he has soared to riches as a property magnate. With his strong egotism he might well consider the United States his personal fiefdom for the taking.
Could a presidential quest for Trump loom as a real life version of the board game Monopoly with the last square to be reached the presidency?
One thing is for certain. Trump's comment, delivered with the sobriety of someone who regrets making it, that Obama could be a bogus president by not having been born in the United States, has provided him with at least temporary support from hard line Tea Party members. His birthing stance has, according to a recently released MSNBC Poll, caused him to shake up the field among Republican potential presidential aspirants.
Trump's at least temporary support, since we have no way of knowing at such an early and volatile stage whether it will hold, has come at the expense of Tea Party favorite Mike Huckabee. Trump has leap-frogged ahead of the former Arkansas governor and now stands in second place behind Mitt Romney.
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