Random thoughts on the Trump phenomenon.

If you recall any juggernaut that upset as many political apple carts as Trump has please write. He brings to mind a famous short story you may have read. About a loose cannon on a sailing ship. Both were rolling in a storm. None of the crew knew which way the cannon would careen next. Those who dared to try to stop it were crushed.

He also makes me think of guys like Ted Turner, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Michael Dell, Richard Branson, Larry Ellison, maybe Michael Bloomberg. And other brilliant entrepreneurs. They think differently than nearly all of us. That is why their thinking created behemoth businesses.

If Turner or Branson ran for the White House they would be as unpredictable as Trump is. They are unpredictable in business. Just as Trump was and is. They think differently.

How many predictions about Trump have you seen fall flat? Politicians, candidates, ex-presidents, pundits from TV and print – they all throw rocks at him. They call him names. They predict he’ll go this direction. Or that one. He stumps them all. Because they think conventionally. He thinks another way.

He reminds me of Muhammad Ali. Everybody knew how he should fight. He ignored them and won. They thought conventionally. He thought and fought differently.

Here is Trump’s base: Millions of folks figure America’s politicians thumb their noses at them. They say they want an end to waves of illegals across our borders. “Right,” say the pols. “We’ll do something.” But they don’t.

Millions say put an end to Obamacare. “We will,” the pols promise. But they don’t. Millions say do something about ISIS. And Muslim extremists. “We will,” the pols promise. But they don’t. Millions say they want a simpler tax system. “We’ll get right on it,” the pols promise. But they don’t. I can list another twenty issues.

Result: Voters rate Congress alongside sewer rats. Fewer people identify with either party. Many millions don’t trust government to get anything right.

Along comes Trump. He voices the complaints of those millions. He tells them the entire political machine is corrupted by money. He says your pols are the purchased puppets of special interests. And that is why they thumb their noses at you. They serve special interests, not yours.

And how do all those pols react to his talk? They call him everything from Hitler to scumbag. So how do the millions react to that? They say well, what would you expect? These birds feel threatened by the guy who voices our complaints. So they attack him as if he’s the anti-Christ. He voices what’s on our minds. They tell us he is a Nazi. That sure tells us what they think of what’s on our minds.

By the way, Trump threatens Democrats as much as Republicans. Millions of his followers are Dems who are just as ticked off with their leaders.

Another thought: Our system is working. It is. Think about it.

Representative government is supposed to flex. It is supposed to respond to the will of the people. If a huge chunk of the populace is ticked off the government is supposed to adjust. To reflect that. Clearly ours has not flexed and adjusted. That is why so many Americans feel the pols don’t hear them.

And if you wonder why government has not flexed you need look no further than money. Special interest money gums up the works. It buys the votes of pols. It buys policies. To the benefit of those interests. If Trump is nominated Hillary beware. There is no bigger target in the land than you when it comes to taking money from special interests. You have to know Trump will trumpet this.

A final thought: Our elections always entertain. This one rocks. This one is circus, parade, brawl, pandemonium, zany, whacky and bizarre all in one. On LSD.

Enjoy it. I don’t think anyone alive has seen the likes of it. And you may never see anything so crazy for the rest of your years. Only in America. Or an asylum.

From Tom...as in Morgan.