Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/612297
32 PalletCentral • November-December 2015 palletcentral.com Do not worry, I haven't forgotten about Mr. Donald Trump, the camera-loving frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Washington pundits have said for three months that "Donald Trump has peaked." He keeps proving them wrong. Mr. Trump's climb has been so unstoppable that even aggressively disrespectful comments about Senator John McCain, a war hero, has not slowed him down. Statements like these have actually helped to propel his numbers even higher. Washington insiders continue to be baffled by Mr. Trump's defiance of political gravity. Donald Trump is short on details, to say the least. When reporters try to pin him down regarding how he will build a wall along our southwest border, and deport 12 million illegal immigrants, he simply responds that we are going to do it and America is going to be great. Once again, Washington insiders claim that a lack of details will eventually sink him, but so far their predictions have yet to come true. Mr. Trump's appeal seems not to be his political views, but that he is resolute, tough, and unapologetic about them. Normally, the sort of arrogance, dismissiveness and personal invective marking Mr. Trump's campaign style would not indicate a serious presidential candidate, let alone the front-runner. That being said, a large portion of the Republican Party is fed up with the Washington establishment, and so far it seems that Donald Trump could very well be the Republican nominee for president. However, winning the nomination will not be easy, despite Mr. Trump having a "huge" lead in the major polls. One of the major variables in this is election is can Donald Trump build a political machine? He has never mobilized voters before — when it comes down to it, will people actually vote for him? For the first time in three months, he has lost frontrunner status in Iowa, ceding it to Ben Carson. Mr. Trump has continually touted his high poll numbers (one could almost say it is the most consistent part of his platform), but what happens if he slips in the polls like he has in Iowa? How will the not-so-humble Mr. Trump handle it? These questions remain unanswered. What is clear is that there is anti-establishment sentiment, as evidenced by Mr. Trump, and Dr. Carson currently claiming the support of over 45% of the Republican electorate. In a normal election, the field would eventually narrow and one or two establishment candidates will emerge. However, this doesn't appear to be a normal election. Currently, who will emerge as top contenders for the final stretch of the primaries is anyone's guess. What isn't a guess is that Mr. Trump appears to not be going away, at least not anytime soon. Come November, the outcome of this election is guaranteed to be "yuge!" PC POLITICAL INSIGHT Paul Kanitra is president of Lobbyit.com, part of the leading edge of nou- veau lobbyists in Washington, DC. He has been featured in national publi- cations such as The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com) and Worth magazine. You may contact him through Lobbyit.com. What is clear is that there is anti-establishment sentiment, as evidenced by Mr. Trump, and Dr. Carson currently claiming the suppor t of over 45% of the Republican electorate.