"A Speedboat to Crazytown"

[n2doc]

By Clarence Page
6:21 p.m. CDT, April 26, 2011

When I was a kid way back in the previous century, my favorite attraction at the local county fair was a midway amusement that everyone called "dunk the dimwit" — or words to that effect. A loudmouth clown sat on a collapsible platform over a barrel of water and shouted insults at the passing crowd. He wasn't terribly creative, as I recalled. He kept shouting pretty much the same trash talk over and over again. But it seemed to work, especially when he teased some macho-looking guy who was strolling by with his girlfriend.

You can guess what came next. Some guys would empty their wallets buying balls to throw and make the clown fall in the water.

Then the alleged dimwit would get back up, shout, "High and dry! High and dry!," and go back into his routine as if nothing had happened, despite the water dripping from his shoes. I could have watched that guy all day. What showmanship. I thought he had the best job in the world. Here he got to do things my parents wouldn't allow me to do — insult people and go swimming with my street clothes on — and get paid for it.

That's why I admire Donald Trump. When I see the motormouth business mogul with the curious hairstyle, I see that old clown at the county fair again.

more
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/ct-oped-0427-page-20110426,0,2233841.story

[wtmusic]

1. Difference being, of course

the clown knew he was a clown.