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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Trump-Palin *could* happen: The Trump Trot.
Last edited Tue May 17, 2016, 11:03 AM - Edit history (1)
Donald Trump is a Cluster B. He's a textbook case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, one of several Cluster B personality disorders (Borderline Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder are others)--mental disorders that not only negatively impact the inflicted person, but those around him or her as well.
It's been said of serial killers (mind you not all Cluster Bs are serial killers, but many serial killers could likely fall into some Cluster B categories) that they grow more impulsive as their killing go on. They get an inflated sense of invincibility, as well as a sense that they need to top their past killings in their spectacular nature. Eventually, this leads to many of them ultimately making a mistake and getting caught.
While not a serial killer (at least not that we know), Trump in his Presidential quest seems to thrive off a sense of invincibility. He seems to love the idea that he was dismissed as a joke and then rose to the role of frontrunner and subsequently presumptive nominee. He seems to thrive on his legion of adoring, personality-cult worshiping fans. As we all remember, he once proclaimed, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK? It's, like, incredible."
So I think we're expecting too much when we think Trump as a nominee will act more pragmatic, or nuanced, or measured, or "more presidential". He knows he's selling The Greatest Show on Earth, and picking an establishment type running mate just doesn't seem to be in his character.
He wants to be buzzworthy and talked about and the big story in the news, because he's hopelessly NPD, and having a counter balance of someone who at least thinks before he or she speaks just runs against that style. So I see Trump wanting to pick a VP nominee who is outside the establishment and is every bit the wildcard he is. There's several notable people who could fit that role, but Ben Carson seemed to identify the one name that would undoubtedly cause the biggest, yuuugest splash:
Sarah Palin.
It sounds crazy because it is crazy and Trump wants crazy because people will talk about Trump. And Trump has built up what he thinks is an immunity to bad acting and insane thinking based on what I call the Trump Trot, a corollary to the Gish Gallop. I explain it in detail here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027562497
But in short, it means he overwhelms us with obnoxious behavior, bizarre statements and bewildering actions, things that if isolated would cause campaign killing outrage against any other seemingly normal candidate, but because we're placed into a state of shock due to the sheer number of instances he acts out like this, calling him out seems futile and useless.
And what's better than one practitioner of the Trump Trot? Two practitioners of the Trump Trot. And no person in politics comes closer to the level of sheer insanity and general unfitness for office that is Donald J. Trump than Sarah L. Palin.
Trump wants The Greatest Show on Earth, and he knows the media will promote it to no end. Naming Sarah Palin to the ticket would guarantee such a result.
Despite all the insanity that Trump-Palin entails, the prospect itself is not as crazy as you think.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)of Trump months ago, Trump had the most dumb-founded look on his face as she rambled on like one on a meth bender.
Then again, when those ignorant racists flagellate at the convention, anything could happen.
Liberal Insights
(109 posts)So why not?
Takket
(21,424 posts)I don't think he'll take Palin, but I hope he does. If you are going to go down, go out in a blaze of glory!
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,080 posts)To him, McCain's just the loser who got himself captured in wartime.
Trump probably thinks McCain was the weak end of the 2008 ticket.
ChoppinBroccoli
(3,764 posts)At least John McCain can claim ignorance. I'm sure he didn't know what a know-nothing shit-show Sarah Palin was before he made her his running mate. Drumpf has no such excuse. The evidence is all out there and is overwhelming. So if he picks her anyway, it becomes the dumbest move of the dumbest candidate, probably in my lifetime, and that's really saying something.
So let me just say................oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh PLEASE let this happen. I was supremely confident that Drumpf would lose in a landslide when it was just him. But then you add the vapid windbag who can't stop talking no matter how stupid her wordsalad remarks make her look, Iquitarod, to the ticket and you have a recipe for a true blowout. I'd predict a victory that rivals Reagan's 49-state win in 1984, but we all know that the vast majority of Southern States would vote for a ham sandwich if it had the letter R after its name.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,080 posts)Donald Trump's only smarter than people he's conning. That's it.
Granted, that's a lot of people--millions actually--but he's not a genius or even remotely smart. He's a con man who pathologically craves attention.