With Donald Trump's impressive poll numbers, political pundits repeatedly echo that he's "Connecting with a large segment of the population." Then again, so does Kim Kardashian. In fact, you could say the Donald and Kim are the poster children of our national epidemic, unbridled narcissism. (And replacing Trump on Celebrity Apprentice is Arnold Schwarzenegger, another world-class egoist.)
Everyone says the Donald is "entertaining." I admit that I tuned into the GOP presidential debate from the Reagan Library in Simi Valley because of him. Much like a car wreck, I can't help but watch Trump. But his act is starting to wear thin, which is more than I can say about the rest of him. With all due respect, even in a $3,000 suit, he reminds me of a stuffed sausage.
But it's his complete ignorance on a variety of subjects that astounds me. Trump brags how he will bring Ford Motors to their knees for moving a plant to Mexico by charging them a 35 percent tariff. Has he forgotten a thing called NAFTA, which specifically forbids that? Plus he doesn't seem to realize a president can't levy a tariff. Good grief.
Ever pompous, Trump is a cross between the "Ugly American," and "The emperor's new clothes." Speaking of pomposity, in the online edition of this column at www.www.smdp.com I've compared photos of Mussolini and Trump that you've got to see. The similarity is uncanny.
For me, the Donald's misogynous remarks about Carly Fiorina in Rolling Stone were the last straw. "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?" (And I say, imagine a president who trolls the Internet with mean-spirited tweets like a lonely teenager.)
The irony is who is Trump to talk about appearance? If you think a shirtless Putin on a horse looks revolting, imagine the Donald sans shirt. Yikes! Meanwhile, I'd pity the poor horse.
Many admire Trump because he "just says what he thinks." Except he doesn't. Trump first said he was referring to Fiorina's "persona" not her face. Huh? Like a schoolboy who didn't do his homework, Trump obviously just made up the "persona" excuse.
Realizing no one was buying it, Trump inexplicably said his remarks were those of an entertainer. Settling the score, Fiorina stole the debate and got a rousing ovation when she observed, "I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said."
While he's stuck in the junior varsity debates, perhaps Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal summed up the Donald best. "Trump is full of bluster but no substance. He believes in nothing other than himself. Like all narcissists, Trump is insecure and weak. You know why he hasn't read the Bible? Because he's not in it."
So Trump lied rather than owning up to his hideous remarks about Fiorina, much as he lied about tweets he made about Megyn Kelly. Notice how he didn't attack Chris Wallace or Brett Baier who also asked him tough questions? It's so low level and it's also cowardly.
A bully who's actually a coward is no stranger to American politics. Joe McCarthy, the late junior U.S. senator from Wisconsin, was the face of the "red scare" witch hunts in the late 1940's through the early 1950's.
For those too young to remember, McCarthy bullied the country trying to root out Communists. He never actually found any, but that didn't stop him from ruining untold numbers of innocent lives. He personified one of the darkest periods in American political history.
But on March 9, 1954, famed CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow courageously changed all that. Murrow devoted his entire show to exposing McCarthy. And yet, in the end, McCarthy buried himself.
On June 9, 1954, during the televised Army-McCarthy hearings, 80,000,000 Americans watched McCarthy's bombastic bullying. Joseph Welch, chief counsel for the Army, pleaded, "At long last, have you no sense of decency, sir?" ("Have You No Sense of Decency?" was going to be the title of this column.")
Because of his many flagrant transgressions, on Dec. 2, 1954, senate republicans led the censure of McCarthy. Disgraced, he proceeded to drown himself in booze. On May 2, 1957, he died of cirrhosis of the liver at the shockingly young age of 48.
As for Trump at his creepiest, Google his 2006 appearance on 'The View' along with daughter, Ivanka. Commenting on how attractive she was, Trump disgusted the panel, "I've said if Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her." Ew! That's just gross.
I admit I've been wrong about Trump before. But, like his fellow-bully Joe McCarthy, I predict he will eventually crash and burn. And given he can't ever admit losing, when Trump drops out it'll be ugly. When that happens that's what I'll call entertaining.
Jack is at facebook.com/jackneworth, twitter.com/jackneworth and jnsmdp@aol.com.
