Thursday 11th August

At first we laughed at him (mind you we laughed at Ronald Reagan too), nobody could take him seriously surely – not with that wig of blonde hair flapping about (but then wig-wearing Berlusconi got elected time after time too).  He entered the race to be nominated the Presidential Candidate for the Republican Party.  He wasn’t a Senator or a Governor or a Congressman even; in fact who knew he was actually a member of the Republican Party?  There was a huge field, actually possibly too large; and no-one stood out (except Donald the Clown).  Most commentators expected Jeb Bush to prevail; we were all set up for a Dynastic Showdown, Clinton versus Bush.

In the early hustings it was fairly even, but one by one the weaker ones fell by the wayside, even Jeb Bush, who patently failed to stir anyone’s enthusiasm.  Trump started to make outrageous comments; actually he has always made outrageous comments – that is why he was so popular in the American version of The Apprentice.  But whereas to all thinking people the idea of building a wall to keep out Mexicans was ridiculous, to a growing number of Republicans it was manna from heaven; at last someone was saying it as it was.  And so he slowly prevailed, making more and more ‘stupid statements’ until he was the only man standing.  He was hated by the Washington Elite of the party, but this was his secret weapon; despite being a multi-billionaire and ruthless businessman he presented himself somehow as the outsider, the friend of the working man even.

And he still could win.  He has had a bad couple of weeks, but somehow no matter how many self-inflicted wounds he suffers he still carries on regardless.  And public opinion is so fickle.  There are still three months until the election, and Hilary could make mistakes too, or her supporters simply assume she will win and not turn out to vote.

We should take nothing for granted.  In Greece they voted for Syriza, and in Italy for a former clown, and over here (well over there in Britain) the Boris and Nigel show won the day against the weight of the Establishment and all three major parties.  Do not underestimate the stupidity if the electorate.  There is a long way to go and Donald could still Trump that.