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Is Donald Trump's Fake Presidential Campaign Fueled By Hate?
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 20, 2011
Modified Apr 20, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 20, 2011
Modified Apr 20, 2011
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For weeks now, Celebrity Combover impresario Donald Trump has been in all the headlines due to his almost definitely fake president campaign. But, remarkably, he's also leading the Republican field of 2012 candidates, which has led many to attack him for the charade, and for hitting the birther bottle a bit too hard. But is it possible that all this hate has actually convinced Trump he should run? "Donald Trump now has all the right enemies to run as the ultimate outsider against the Republican establishment," says Politico. Does that mean that even though he's not the president anyone really wants...maybe he is the president we deserve?
Earlier this week, an NBC executive said that they didn't think Trump was really running, even though he has begun interviewing possible campaign managers. Another NBC executive echoed those sentiments to EW: "He won't tell even us—and we haven't pushed because we've just decided it is whatever it is. If he wants to spout off about things, we're happy to let him. But our inclination is that he's not serious about running for president. We think it's a stunt." Considering that Trump has said he'd maybe make an announcement about whether or not he makes an announcement during the finale of I'm A Celebrity Apprentice, Get Me Out Of Here, that doesn't seem too far fetched.
Karl Rove has called him a "joke candidate." Conservative economic group Club for Growth President Chris Chocola laughed at the idea: "Donald Trump for President? You've got to be joking. Donald Trump has advocated for massive tax increases that display a stunning lack of knowledge of how to create jobs." Columnist George Will called him a "blatherskite:" "That is a word my grandmother was fond of as someone who blathers promiscuously." NYers have also raged against his birther crap: “I think he’s just a publicity hound. Anything to get in the newspapers. I’d like to see Donald Trump’s birth certificate, see where he’s from,” one man told CBS.
And yet, all of this hate is exactly why Politico thinks Trump may be for real. He has positioned himself as an anti-Obama, anti-establishment candidate, without really having much of a platform otherwise. He has lots of money to spend on a campaign, he doesn't really care what people say about him, and he's good at being loud:
Trump is the new [Howard] Dean. But The Donald is Dean on steroids. He is Jimmy Carter telling the liberal/Kennedy wing of the Democratic Party, “Kiss my ass.”
Trump is reaping what Palin, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), and the rest planted. He is Ross Perot and Patrick J. Buchanan with a hint of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. The talk-show right will sound like they are on his payroll. Just watch.
Trump is anger management: The political sequel.
And hey, it's not like her doesn't have some allies: Sarah Palin came to his defense today, saying that he "is the one being really treated unfairly," although she didn't specifically comment on whether she agreed with his obsession with Obama's birth certificate. And even more importantly, he's got Gary Busey's endorsement too (check the video below for proof)! That's one step away from Nick Nolte, the most desired of celebrity endorsements.
Tagged
birthers
campaign
donald trump
election 2012
hate
president obama
presidential ambitions
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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