GOP Should Play Trump Card

GOP Should Play Trump Card

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

December 9, 2011

Donald Trump may be the modern day P.T. Barnum, but one thing that hasn’t changed is that when the circus comes to town the big top is typically standing room only.

What are Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney afraid of by rejecting an invitation to appear in a debate on December 27 in Iowa moderated by Trump and sponsored by Newsmax? Whose advice are they listening to in making this shortsighted decision?

In this age of reality television, more people would rather watch dancing with the nitwits and have some moron voted off some stinking sewer trap than pay attention to a political debate with candidates, of which one will be elected to the most powerful office in the free world.

The stiff-necked pundits and candidate advisors who have the sense of humor of a dead troglodyte are taking themselves way too seriously. Make no mistake, these candidates’ debates and forums are important, and this is a serious business, but in order to do business, there must be a clientele willing to buy the available product. The aforementioned troglodytes believe that the connection to Trump would depress viewership.

On the contrary; for the entertainment value alone people will tune in for what may be a capricious event where the candidates will castigate one another, possibly becoming cacophonous, all the while behaving in an obsequious manner toward their host. After all, five of the remaining seven GOP candidates have made the pilgrimage to Trump Towers to kiss his brass in hopes of securing his endorsement. Neither Huntsman nor Paul have been to Trump World.

While the candidates are busy falling all over themselves to appear on news programs with ratings so low they have to look up to see the bottom, why won’t they participate in what would be a ratings boon? They all need to increase their name recognition. A recent Pew Research poll indicated that 50 percent of American could not name even one of the then eight GOP candidates seeking their party’s nomination. (This poll was conducted prior to Herman Cain’s departure.)

The circus, to be sure, is coming to town. And it arrives one week before the Iowa caucus. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum will be there. The other five hopefuls would be perspicacious have their presence felt. Let’s see those three rings ebullient with candidate wisdom, not vacuous – for that is what emerges from the White House.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.