While watching the State of the Union address tonight, be sure to imagine how it would look if it was Donald Trump, not Barack Obama, standing on the floor of the House of Representatives. Why? Because if Mr. Trump has his way, he’ll be the next president of the United States. Yes, that’s right, the man who is famous for building skyscrapers and luxury hotels, having really bad hair and telling prospective employees that they’re fired is now looking to get into politics.
During last week’s “”Situation Room”” with Wolf Blitzer, the real estate mogul said he was giving the idea “”very serious thought,”” but does he actually have a chance of winning? Probably not. Trump’s confrontational style may be good for reality television ratings, but won’t likely sit well with the American people. His blunt language, while effective in the business world, will presumably get him into trouble with some voters early on in the campaign season. In addition, Trump would inevitably have to earn the support of the social conservatives, running as a Republican, and this would be difficult. After all, Trump is now on his third wife and is known to be quite the New York socialite. Both of which may be aspects that deviate from the “”family values”” of voters from the Deep South.
It’s pretty safe to say that Trump would never earn the Republican nomination for president, but that doesn’t mean he should be written off completely. Don’t forget that Trump is a billionaire and has made clear that he would be willing to invest a considerable amount of his own money into a presidential bid. He certainly has the funds to run an effective campaign as an Independent. While Trump isn’t exactly Independent when it comes to his political views (he’s a staunch conservative), freeing himself from the grips of either party might attract millions of voters that feel disenchanted with both the Democrats and Republicans.
However, the chances of him winning are still rather slim. Keep in mind that the last serious third party candidate (Ross Perot in 1992) was also a savvy billionaire, and he only received 19 percent of the popular vote. Regardless, the prospect of an Independent Trump campaign isn’t something to laugh at and should worry some Republicans, as he would inevitably steal some of the votes that would have gone to the Republican nominee.
With the chances of winning being so slim, one has to wonder: Is Trump actually serious, or is this a publicity stunt? Trump’s show, “”The Apprentice,”” has seen a huge fall in ratings over the past few years and the prospect of his run for presidency may just entice people back to his show. This is, however, unlikely. Trump has a huge ego and probably believes his run for president could become another potential success.
Over the course of his career, he’s proven himself to be a brilliant businessman. He started out with just a few small properties and built his company into a real estate empire. He’s a man that anybody would worry about having to deal with, but he’s not fit for politics. Running for president would turn out to be both a waste of time and a terrible investment. It would be wise for Mr. Trump to run up to the board room of Trump Tower and tell any staff member hired to support a presidential run exactly what they need to hear: “”You’re fired.””
— Andrew Shepherd is a political science senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
