As I continue to watch the GOP 2016 field of candidates line up in their poll positions for the first of two debates on Fox News next week, I can’t help but continue to be intrigued by Donald Trump.
But why the intrigue? There are surely other equally-qualified candidates (and some not so much, in my opinion, either by personality or by hard skills) that could more than adequately fill the role of POTUS.
From my spartan perch, there are two things that any candidate for the presidency absolutely requires in order to have a chance at being nominated for the high office:
- Excellent organizational, leadership and management skills
- Excellent one-on-one skills
If you think about it, running for President is a lot like the inverse of finding the ideal job. In this case, the individual who pursues the presidency must (ideally) prove that they can handle the mantle of the office (point 1) and that they can also deal with others (point 2).
For Donald Trump, point number one will be proven as the road to the White House unfolds. In theory, if the businessman can handle becoming a multi-billionaire by overseeing the creation of a large, multi-national business, then forming State apparatuses to get primary and caucus-goers to vote for him should be a challenge worth the effort.
Regarding point number two, Mr. Trump is entering a sphere in politics that almost no other candidate can reach — the ability to behold a potential voter for a moment in time simply by showing up and reaching out to them.
TheRightScoop.com has some interesting posts that absolutely confirm this point. First of all, candidate Trump is currently leading in Florida polls, topping both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio in their own back yard. Granted, this is very early in the process, but with “preliminary” numbers like these, my point number two is clearly being carried out.
The second post I’d like to bring attention to has to do with a clip from MSNBC — a channel that is far from being right-wing and has gone intellectually apoplectic over survey responses to The Donald.
Take a look:
I would go so far as to suggest that the focus group in question in the above video is a small but exceptionally relevant representation of any group of American voters in the country.
There’s a brief analysis by MSNBC that voters’ first instincts are emotional, and that’s true; all you’d have to do to confirm this is research anyone who’s ever been in leadership, management, training or teaching and you’ll discover this fact. Three-quarters of what you communicate has nothing to do with what you actually say, but rather how you present yourself.
Of course, the politicos inside the DC beltway don’t get this — sure, Donald Trump is rich enough to not need consultants — but the bigger issue is why Mr. Trump is becoming a bit of “Teflon Don,” where “controversies” don’t seem to stick to him. Why is this? Because the controversies are made up (at least to this point in time) and Mr. Trump is willing to fight back with abandon.
Remember — Donald Trump is a business man, but all personal acquaintance indicators (from those who personally know the man) are that he’s full-hearted. Therefore, he’s as much used to the boardroom (think swimming with proverbial sharks and you have to know how to defend yourself) as he is to meeting the average guy or gal on the street (where it takes a softer touch to relate).
Add to this that he’s at least a reasonably intelligent guy (how many stupid billionaires do you know who had to work for their wealth?) who earned an excellent education who also happens to be one of the best deal-makers on the planet and you have someone who can rise above party machinery and confound the alleged party king-makers.
For anyone who might think I’m all-in for the businessman, I’ll have to admit that I’m approaching that point, but it’s still early in the process.
Which brings me to my final — but potent — point.
Imagine what would happen if Donald Trump actually got out of the race at this point? Would you not feel even a smidgen of a sense of heartbreak that there’s nobody in the race willing to fight?
I think a lot of people would, and I think that’s part of The Donald’s brilliance in how he’s positioned himself in the race. The message: nobody is willing to fight as hard as Donald Trump for the issues that matter to all of us, especially when it comes to matters of national security.
I’m looking forward to the Fox News debates (plural “s” emphasis intentional) on Thursday, August 6. Politico recently reported that there will be an hour-long 5pm ET debate for all candidates, and then a 90-minute debate beginning at 8:50pm ET for the top polled candidates.
Pop popcorn beforehand and let’s see if Trump gets to the point of telling a candidate, “you’re fired!” 