I’m going to offer a political conclusion. I think Donald Trump is going to run for president in 2012.
I know he’s waffling a bit on making the announcement. But if he makes it official now, I’m sure NBC would yank “The Apprentice,” citing equal time requirements.
Still, Trump looks presidential, acts it and has the swagger – and the bucks – to make it happen.
Not only that, he is attacking President Obama on a variety of fronts, including one particularly vulnerable area for the chief executive – the status of his birth certificate and the validity of his claim to US citizenship.
With that said, it will be interested to see what The Donald does and says when he comes to Boca Raton this weekend.
Dale M. King
According to a news release sent to me by Palm Beach County Republican Party Chairman Sid Dinerstein (thanks very much, Sid), Trump will be the keynote speaker for the 3rd Annual Tax Day Tea Party scheduled Saturday, April 16 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Sanborn Square in downtown Boca.
I really can’t connect Trump with the Tea Party folks. So, I’m wondering if he is coming to Boca to test the political waters in a large southern city in what has become America’s largest potential swing state.
At first, I thought Trump was just toying with us about running for president. Then I realized. Trump doesn’t toy. He manipulates, he sneers, he boasts, he is said to be worth nearly $3 billion and has no qualms about using it.
Trump appears ready to put his cards on the table. It would be interesting if he makes his candidacy official during his Boca visit.
I believe a lot of people in the world think Palm Beach and Boca are the same type of city when, in reality, they are worlds apart. And when you get down to it, Trump was born and raised in New York, and the Big Apple is still the hub of his empire. He is merely a part time Palm Beacher, and I’m sure he enjoys hanging out in South Florida.
So why did he accept an invitation from the South Florida Tea Party to speak at one of its gigs – and why Boca, when the organization appears to be based in West Palm Beach?
The news release said Trump is expected to offer his thoughts on how to get our country moving again and the need for further tax reduction. Could that be a prelude to a presidential bid?
Everett Wilkinson, chairman of the South Florida Tea Party and state coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, has gone so far as to say: “In every poll the tea party had, Donald Trump came out number one. America is tired of politicians giving speeches. We want to hear from people that have proven business experience. This should be an exciting day for America.”
I’m wondering what kind of an audience Trump will draw. I have a serious inkling that most people will show up to see Trump, the business mogul; Trump, the TV star and Trump, the billionaire, rather than Trump, the potential presidential candidate. When you have two irons in the fire, it’s hard to tell which one is your ace in the hole.
Say what you will, Trump is tenacious. He isn’t afraid to speak what he feels and thinks – not even in the face of a sitting president.
I’m hoping he decides to run. He certainly has more business acumen and is a master of the deal – as he has written in at least one book – than most other hopefuls. And he will give every other candidate a run for his or her money.