IRL, I hunt bad guys for a living. From murderers to petty thieves, drug dealers to gang members to con artists, grifters and scammers who’ve bilked grandmas out of their life savings. I’ve found them all over the world.
That’s also the reason I use a nom de plume on Twitter and on my blog, by the way. Never a good idea to let felons know you’re looking for them.
(It’s also why I have to chuckle when people make threatening “anonymous” comments on my blog or Twitter feed as though I can’t find out who and where they are. Right Dave?) But, I digress.
I know their MO like I know the back of my hand. Especially confidence men.
Maybe that’s why Trump bothers me so much. I had this charlatan pegged from the get go.
Like all con men, the Comboverlord’s biggest enemy is time. The longer a con lasts, the more chance that the mark has to spot it. Their usual modus operandi is to make a big splash and get out with the cash and do so quickly before their victims find out what’s going on.
Whether the Emperor Hiro-Cheeto has figured out that the jig is up or if he’s so arrogant that he’s determined to ride this thing through to the bitter end is a question best left for others, but he is displaying all of the classic moves that I’ve seen in my twenty-plus years of tracking.
First, he chose his marks wisely – an angry group of people looking for a tough guy to extract vengeance for them.
Second – he managed to drive a wedge between his marks and their support groups.
Third – he extracted unwavering fealty from them – so much so that they’d rush to his defense even for the indefensible.
Fourth – he’s claiming a need for more cash because of extenuating circumstances.
All that’s left is for him to abscond with their money.
A part of me wants to hold out hope for a delegate revolt. I’m leaning against it though.
1). DT’s band of merry miscreants has already proven that they are willing and capable of intimidating delegates into silence or at least acquiescence. One only has to witness the behavior of his internet army of trolls to see the lengths to which they are willing to go.
2). The GOP has time and again proven their utter fecklessness in doing the right thing – even in what could be an act of self preservation. Far too many of the party honchos have already cast their lots in with the Donald. I believe they’re committed to him in some sort of bizarre suicide pact and/or they’re content to reap the minority status they will inherit with him as the nominee. The ones who aren’t ousted will still have their cushy seats on committees with no real responsibilities, the ones who are ousted will land on their feet and slide into jobs as consultants or lobbyists.
But (worse) 3). It would give Trump the out he needs to save face. If the GOP delegates dump him, he can cry to his base that he was robbed, start TrumpTV with a built in audience of victims and continue on. If the nominee other than him goes on to lose, he could forever call in to Fox & Friends and cry how “I could have won this if not for the mean old Establishment”.
Same thing with a third party run. As much as I dearly long for someone to vote FOR, a third party taking votes from him would give him the same “I coulda been a contender” result.
No, gentle reader, I think I‘ve moved into the Give-Up-On-2016 altogether camp.
To me, the best outcome is if Trump is the nominee and loses. Not just loses, but gets horrifically, ignominiously, humiliatingly trounced. For the good of the conservative movement, totally vanquishing him and his ilk would provide the purge that has been long overdue.
To quote a radio personality I once admired – “I hope he fails”.
Reblogged this on I Am totlth.
“Emperor Hiro-Cheeto” Heh.