"The" Narcissus

When it comes to politics, either serious or humorous, our national attention is captive to what the media offer. In the much needed humor department the usual entertainers, Sarah, Michelle, Rush and the Foxhounds may be as good as ever. But we haven’t been hearing much of them lately, like the conundrum about the sound of a tree falling in the forest. 

The obvious explanation is that master comedian Donald Trump is on a really hot roll. While announcing a possible presidential bid he allowed that he didn’t know how many members there were in the House of Representatives. When a “smart” man, as he claims to be, admits to this sort of ignorance, there has to be a motive and what better than the urge to entertain. There are few stunts more entertaining than a good pratfall.

His humor sounds like Stephen Colbert panning a point of view by making absurd statements promoting it. Obama’s place of birth is an example. I have a suspicion he knew the whole time that the release of the president’s extended birth certificate was on the way, a perfect setup for proclaiming the monumental historical impact of his previous skepticism.

He had to be making fun of himself in boasting that he had mastered the art of bankruptcy, a tool that worked well with four of his corporations. This is the sort of thing a serious candidate would try to keep quiet. People from the other end of the political spectrum who know him say he’s good company. I might even enjoy having a beer with him. But if it comes to champagne I’d like to see some money up front.

“But seriously folks” what makes Donny run personifies the old saw, “I don’t care what you say about me as long as you spell my name right.” In this he’s been remarkably successful. It’s hard to travel an hour or two in any direction without seeing his name. Until recently I was certain he wasn’t going to run. But if NBC doesn’t renew his comedy show this month, all bets are off. What is a performer without an audience?

Some of my best friends have, like Trump, been married at least three times. That by itself shouldn’t preclude a run for the presidency. This is just a guess, but I think that his marital problems had something to do with calling out the wrong name at the moment of climax, his own.