PRESIDENT TRUMP? – AT 10:14 A.M. ET:   Is it possible?  Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?  There is talk in political circles, talk we haven't heard before.  From Breitbart: 

Bloomberg Politics Managing Editor Mark Halperin stated that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has “reached a turning point” where the “establishment candidates” think he can win Iowa, “most” believe he can win the nomination, and “a significant number think he could win the White House” on Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Halperin was asked about his writing that “Most importantly, we’ve reached a turning point with Trump, the major establishment campaigns of both parties now think Trump could win Iowa, and most of them think he could win the nomination, and a significant number think he could win the White House.” And that the campaigns were in “full freak out mode.”

He said, “Trump may not end up as the nominee, but right now, he’s changed the race, not just leading in the Fox poll, but coming to the fair. I’ve been to the fair with Barack Obama at his peak, Sarah Palin at her peak, with other candidates, George Bush. The reception Trump got here was not just about celebrity. I walked with him for 45 minutes after the helicopter ride, he came to the fair, and people were yelling things to him with passion. ‘Save us,’ ‘You’re the only one who can stop Hillary,’ ‘Thank you for making America great again.’ The other campaigns — the other leading Republican campaigns, monitored Trump’s behavior here. And that was part, along with the Fox poll, and along with the developments of the last couple of weeks, of them saying, as you just quoted, they now believe Trump can win Iowa.”

Host Joe Scarborough then remarked, “that really changes everything in this campaign about how they react to him.” Halperin agreed with this point.

COMMENT:  Well, I have to say that I've been one of those who's believed, and really still does believe, that Trump is going to flame out.  But now maybe it's time for some of us to hedge our bets.

I believe Trump's greatest problem is also his greatest asset – his bull-headed personality.  Now, Churchill had a bull-headed personality, but he knew how to shape it into the weapon of a statesman.  When asked if he were the lion of Britain, he replied that it was the British people who were the lion, and that he simply supplied the roar.  The problem with Trump is that he's all lion, no statesman, and some of the roughness has to be moderated, but not entirely eliminated. 

Trump must realize that the American people have a kind of unspoken standard about the president:  Would I want him, or her, representing my country?  Trump has got to learn to "be" president, while still a campaigner.  It's a tough order.

August 17, 2015