Chump Change

My favorite story in recent weeks is how some in the GOP Establishment are trying to rally around their prospective nominee by saying that Donald Trump is now going to change and start being "presidential."

For the record, no, he isn't.

We hear all the time about a candidate changing after the primaries for the national election.  The thing is, that's a totally different fish entirely from saying Donald Trump will change to become "presidential."  What the first refers to is how a candidate has had to run on a platform that's far to the radical edge of his party, in order to appeal to the fringe base and get the nomination.  And then once the candidate has gotten that nomination, he'll try to maneuver himself back towards the center and flim-flam the electorate to become more palatable to the general public. That may be disingenuous, but it's not unheard of.  But that's about changing your political views.  It is something completely different from changing your personality.

Donald Trump is not about to start changing his personality.  Donald Trump is an egomaniacal, insecure, bullying, misogynistic, self-righteous, posturing, mean-spirited, borderline racist.  Someone with that personality trait is not going to change.  Even if he wanted to, there are far too many layers of caked-on detritus to peel away.

Further, Donald Trump has been chiding Bernie Sanders for being SO old, so ancient.  The thing is, if Donald Trump gets the GOP nomination, do you know what his age will be?  70 years old.  Bernie Sanders is just four years older.  Donald Trump is basically the same age as Bernie Sanders.  Which raises the question:  how many 70-year-olds do you know who changed who they are?  How many of them changed the time they like to have dinner?  Or changed their favorite toothpaste?  And the GOP Establishment thinks and is trying to convince others that Donald Trump is going to change his personality.  And become..."presidential."

Donald Trump has almost as much likelihood of changing as Mount Everest has of moving from the Himalayas.

Here's the thing, though.  Forget all that "he'll be 70 and can change" for a moment.  Just step back and consider how many people change their personality after they reach the age of 40?  Some do change, yes, but it's a very gradual process of introspection, recognizing their personal flaws and building a deep desire to grow, to become a better person.  It doesn't happen in a few years.  It takes years -- sometimes it takes therapy, sometimes it only happens with great personal determination and nobility of spirit, if it happens at all, which usually it doesn't,  And that's at a snappy 40. In fact, though, usually when someone completely changes their personality it's for another reason entirely --  because they either had a breakdown or mid-life crisis.

Now, to be fair, while a mental breakdown is certainly a possibility for Donald Trump, it's not a great selling point to the GOP Establishment and voting public.  And as for having a mid-life crisis, that's usually when a guy divorces his wife for a much younger woman and starts buying flashy, expensive vehicles to compensate for an emptiness inside.  Donald Trump has been having a mid-life crisis for the past 30 years.  So, been there, done that.

A 70-year-old, egomaniacal, mean-spirited, insecure, misogynistic bullying, borderline racist is not going to change who he is.  Not in a few weeks, not ever, not at least without divine intervention.  Change?  Change??!  Why on earth would Donald Trump -- being Donald Trump -- want to change??!!  Being an egomaniacal, bullying, misogynistic, mean-spirited, borderline racist is what got him here!  And it's about to carry him to the Republican Party nomination to be President of the United States?  So...change???

Change???!  If anything, when Donald Trump gets the GOP nomination, he is not even going to just double-down on who he is, with the intoxicating fumes of perhaps becoming The Most Powerful Man in the World, he's likely going to quadruple-down.

It is certainly possible that we'll see a few small changes in his speeches.  That's why God created speech writers.  I'm sure Donald Trump will be able to read an occasional speech well without choking on the adult maturity.  But that's just a skill of reading, it has nothing to do with changing who he is at the care, changing his personality to become "presidential."  At a certain point, all the reading ends, and the personality returns to the surface.  Water always do reach its level.  And sometimes that means it sinks to it.

And the thing is, even if God did get involved and made Donald Trump beatific, it would be a problem.  Because Donald Trump didn't get to this point of almost being anointed by the GOP by being beatific.  His base would feel betrayed and disavow him.  They adore the egomaniacal, bullying, mean-spirited, misogynistic racism. Lose that, and Donald Trump loses the core of his support.

Not to worry, there aren't enough high-powered air-blasters and abrasive detergents to scrub the baked-on crud off of Donald Trump.  He's monopolized the market on abrasive and crud.  Ted Cruz has only been able to grab the droppings.

Donald Trump is the man who demeaned war hero John McCain for having been captured, who slammed the looks of Carly Fiorina and Rosie O'Donnell, who ridiculed a disabled reporter, who joked about killing reporters, who quipped about being able to shoot anybody and getting away with it, who chided Megyn Kelly's menstrual cycle, who demeaned Mexicans as rapists, who wants all members of the Muslim faith kept out of the United States, who promotes beating up protesters, who...who...who on and on and on and on.

That's who he is.

That is who Donald Trump is.

And anyone who thinks Donald Trump is going to change -- forget changing to become presidential, just change, period -- is living in a fool's paradise.  Pretty much literally. 

And anyone who then thinks Donald Trump is not only going to change but become actually presidential -- presidential!!! --- has largely given up the concept of thinking.

When Richard Nixon ran for president in 1972, it was under the advertising banner of him now being "the New Nixon."  So, how did that one end up working out? 

Compared to Richard Nixon, Donald Trump has even less chance of changing to become presidential.  Richard Nixon at least had been Vice President.  And had been a Presidential nominee.  And was a U.S. Senator.  And U.S. Congressman.  And even with all that, the "New Nixon" ended up having to resign from office in disgrace for abuse of power.

Donald Trump will now suddenly be more "presidential"?  Now?  Finally?  At last?!!  Just curious what he's been running for the past half-year??

The New Trump.

​Change You Can't Believe In.