Anymore, politicians are so involved in playing politics that they seem to have become blind, deaf and mute. They seem to have become completely blind and deaf but they are only selectively mute; they still talk plenty. They still practice demagoguery and pontificate on all things political and otherwise but they seldom have a principled conversation with American voters. They do not even talk to one another but talk passed or through each other in their endless campaign to get reelected.

It is for all of these reasons and more that they do not really see Donald Trump. Instead, they see a buffoon who they feel is too stupid to even know that by running for president he is only embarrassing himself, the Republican Party and the country. They are too busy basking in the sunshine of their own resumes and their ‘oh, look at me and how great I am’ mentality to realize that they are like the frog in a cool pot of water that is being slowly turned up. By the time that it realizes that it is going to boil to death, it is too late because it no longer has the strength to hop out of the water.

I think that Mr. Trump might be immune to insults. I think maybe that he is just sitting back and watching these politicians, evaluating their reactions to his moves, calculating their next move and then out maneuvering them. Then, I think that after he considers what the public reaction will be and runs a risk analysis – even if it is just a mental one (it would not surprise me if it is much more than just mental), he makes his next move. I think that he is loving this stuff. Can’t you just see that patented Trump smile?

Our politicians are in a quandary whether they realize it or not. As a result, Donald Trump is a real threat; and not to just Republicans. It is starting to look like he could stand a real chance of becoming the Republican nominee to become President of the United States of America. That is a scary thought. I’m afraid to even put into words that he might even stand a snowball’s chance in h – – – of becoming the President of… That is just entirely to frightening to articulate!

All of the top political pundits said that he would not last as long as the blink of an eye in the whole scheme of the presidential election process; but he has. Then when he made his infamous comment about Mexicans they again said that he would not last; but he has. And later when he followed up his comment about Mexicans by bashing Senator John McCain and his war record they said he would not last for sure; but he has. And finally, when he attacked Fox News’ Megyn Kelly and all of the other Republican presidential candidates piled on and criticized him for it they thought, really for sure he is gone this time; but he is still in the race.

Not only is he still in the race but he is still at the top of the polls. He is capitalizing on all of the frustration and anger of the American voters at Washington politician for ignoring us for so long while cozying up to big money and other special interest groups. Yet even with all that is going on around them these politicians remain so hell-bent on playing by the political rules that they have become so accustomed to that they are unable to recognize the potential disaster that looms for both Parties; Donald Trump has the potential to actually become…

Perhaps he would not be any worse than any of them but the same as them only in a different way. Whereas they would continue to play politics and ignore us, continue to cater to big money and other special interest groups; Mr. Trump would likely listen to us – and if he did not like what we were saying, belittle us and call us a bunch of losers then do whatever he wanted to do anyway, the results would be the same. We would still be ignored and our collective voice as voters would remain without meaning until we implement effective election reform and make sure that we exercise our right to vote. Then when we vote, we could make them hear our voice instead of just those voices of big money and special interest groups.

In the meantime, Donald Trump marches on. According to an article in the Associated Press by Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey, Mr. Trump showed up at the Iowa State Fair in his helicopter while Hillary Clinton was being followed by a large crowd seeking to “get a photograph, a handshake or a quick hello.” While they were following her, Mr. Trump’s helicopter circled overhead. According to the article one man shouted, “There’s Trump!” His helicopter landed and he offered free rides to children before taking questions from reporters and working the crowd, the article said. Quite the showman, huh?

If Washington politicians do not wake up, shape up and straighten up and fly right, who knows, there just might be a big ‘T’ on the White House after the 2016 elections: scary thought, isn’t it?

Eulus Dennis