How Trump will "gracefully" leave the GOP primary.

[DetlefK]

This got me thinking:
http://www.salon.com/2015/07/22/thanks_donald_trump_how_his_insane_campaign_and_fingers_crossed_third_party_bid_dooms_the_gop/

No, I don't think Trump wants to be President. He wants the IMPORTANCE and the ATTENTION a President has. He won't run as an Independent.

When the GOP-field has narrowed down to ~5 candicates, he will announce that his mission is fulfilled:
His goal all-along was to force the republican candidates to the right side of issues and to the right side of history.
He's the conscience of the GOP!
Without him, you would be nothing!
He gave the GOP-candidates the ideas that poll so well!
Every vote they receive, it will be because of the intellectual groundwork he laid!
He brought the GOP this far, don't fuck it up, guys!

And with that, he will leave the primary-race.

And then he will say that he might be forced to come back in the next election.
He doesn't want to, but he's the best and brightest and the GOP fucked it up by not doing exactly what he wanted.
Only he can save GOP and country! And he will do so! In the 2020 elections! And this time he's serious!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. The problem with this scenario is that it takes him out of the spotlight.

Once he drops out all the attention will be focused on the remaining candidates. If there's anything Trump hates it's not being the center of attention. Since the reason he's running for president has nothing to do with policy and everything do do with maximum exposure for him, I would expect him to run as a third-party candidate because then he'd get more attention than ever. He really doesn't care about what happens to the GOP (if he did, he wouldn't be doing what he's doing), so if he throws the election to the Dems it won't matter to him. If that happens (and it almost certainly would), he can then bask in the attention paid him as the spoiler. There will be many interviews on TV. All the pundits will pontificate and write articles about him. The fact that he didn't win the presidency isn't important; what's important is that he will continue to dance in the spotlight. If he just drops out that won't happen.

[lame54]

2. as long as his poll numbers are up...

his ego will not allow him to bow out

the closer he gets the more he believes

[PoliticAverse]

3. Note that this morning he indicated he wouldn't run as a third party candidate

"I will only ever run as a Republican."

[packman]

4. I agree

Donald is feeding his ego and making himself into a shaper and doer now in the political arena. He enjoys the attention and the publicity he's getting. As they say, laughing all the way to the bank and no publicity is bad publicity. He is going to parlay this crap into big bucks somewhere down the line. The clown will move on to the next tent along the midway.

[Brother Buzz]

5. I don't disagree and I will enjoy the show for what it is

stalk·ing horse
noun
noun: stalking horse; plural noun: stalking horses

a political candidate who runs only in order to provoke the election and thus allow a stronger candidate to come forward.

a false pretext concealing someone's real intentions.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. So who do you think he's a stalking horse for?

It seems to me the Republican primary was going to be just as crowded without him. Are you saying there's already someone who only joined because Trump did?

[Brother Buzz]

11. The BFEE, of course. The 'New and Improved', 'As Seen on TV', Jeb Bush is still in Beta testing

Trump is only running interference until Jeb learns all the intricacies of the BFEE machine and gets his ducks in a row. The old Jeb is just playing rope-a-dope until the new product is rolled out. Hell, contrary to conventional wisdom, they may roll it out in August.

The thing is, Jeb has mommy's famous mailing list

The same mailing list Rove updated, exploited and expanded. Jeb has a very, very powerful political machine at his disposal, and very competent lieutenants well versed in the operation and maintenance of said machine.

It's a herculean task but at the end of the day, the boys behind the curtain will make the 'New and Improved' Jeb look like he is playing this game like a Maestro.

That's my thinking, and I'm sticking with it!

[fadedrose]

6. I hope he doesn't drop out, not yet anyway...

He makes politics on the Teevee worth watching again, and I've gotten many smiles and giggles from him - the audacity of that man!!

The little boy who said "the king has no clothes," has grown up and has become very opinionated over this matter. And he has enough money to keep running, although he gets a lot of free press because reporters are enjoying the respite of boredom of covering some candidates who talk and talk and don't say anything.

[1939]

7. GOP will keep him in as long as they can

The longer he hangs around, the less he is able to mount a 3rd party run (which would sink the GOP).

Trump also serves to suck all the air out of the room that Cruz, Paul, and Carson need to stay alive.

Bush, Walker, Kasich need Trump at this point in time. What he says that resonates they can adopt. What he says that gets trashed, hey can avoid.

[951-Riverside]

9. Plane crash or heart attack? n/t

[Gothmog]

10. Trump may stay in until the convention

Trump will want a prime time speech at the convention

[patricia92243]

12. I agree 100%. They will probably offer to let him make a speach at the convention to hurry

his exit.

[spanone]

13. trump doesn't know the word 'gracefully'

[skip fox]

14. My money's on you.