Seriously? "The Donald" for President? Eeyikes!!!

Donald Trump for President??? Seriously? Surely we are all living in cloud-cuckoo-land.

Talk about dysfunctional politics.  Is this the death knell of all commonsense in the political discourse? What about the practicalities of a "Trump for President" campaign? How would "The Donald" select a vice-presidential candidate?  Are we to see the ultimate reality show? I can just see the V.P. being selected "Apprentice" style by voter call-ins. "Text 8667 for Sarah Palin, or 8668 for Justin Bieber."

(Of course, that may be a better method than the vetting process used by John McCain in the last presidential sweepstakes.  The old codger was willing to put anyone a heartbeat away from the presidency, if only he could win the ultimate political prize.  Unsurprising blind ambition, from a washout of a well-connected Naval Academy midshipman desperately trying to live up to the legacy of a father and grandfather who were both Navy Admirals.)

Reuters reports that Trump, declaring himself a Republican, dipped his toe into the wacky world of GOP politics in a whirlwind of Sunday morning interviews.  "For the first time in my life," he told Fox News, "I'm actually thinking about it (running for president)."  Lord, help us all!

Yeah, right . . . The ego-maniacal Trump just woke up one day last week and thought, "Hey! I could do that." Yet, again, with the current slate of potential GOP candidates, why not? At least "The Donald" doesn't claim to be able to see Russia from the top of Trump Towers. Yet, Trump also apparently left open the option that he would run as a Tea Party candidate.  Talk about a grassroots movement. . . .

Reuters describes the thrice-married real estate mogul (and reality TV star) as "a larger-than-life figure in the United States, whose company operates a string of resorts and casinos."

What the heck, with Republicans, Democrats and the financial gurus of the Obama administration all handling the casino-operators at Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan etc., with kid gloves, why not elect a president with experience running a casino?

I can only shake my head, and stifle an expression somewhere between mirthful laughter and a groan.

Two Ways of Dealing with the Tea Partiers

Kudos to the New York Times' Jennifer Steinhauer and Kate Zernike for their complimentary takes on how the Democrats and G.O.P., respectively, should deal with the Tea Partiers. Both drew a muted chortle and a good shake of the head.

From the Democratic standpoint, Ms.Steinhauer writes that dealing with the would-be revolutionaries " is analogous to a family fracas over how to best get rid of your sister’s latest crummy boyfriend." Meanwhile, Ms. Zernike observes that the Republicans are unsure whether "you have to take a stand against masturbation or urge your supporters to gather their bayonets." Thank you, oh thank you, Christine O'Donnell, Sharon Angle and Sarah Palin!

"Do you repeatedly point out all the perceived flaws of the new suitor, hoping that they resonate?" asks Ms. Steinhauer, "Or do you insist that the new guy is just like the ex, and suggest that repeating the pattern will only lead to misery?" "The trick is to take advantage of the Tea Party passion and stay away from its extremes," writes Ms. Zernike. Yeah . . . Good luck on that one! That's like telling a bratty Eskimo kid to go stand in the corner of the igloo. The Tea Party is an extreme. Doh!!!

. . . . and on the Left Coast . . .  MSNBC reports a poll showing spaced-out, hash-brownied 70's California governor, Jerry Brown, in a dead heat with terminated, gazillionaire ex-Hewlitt Packard, Silicon-Valley CEO Meg Whittman, to replace the Terminator.

ROTFLMAO (and shaking my head)! . . . And all this over a mid-afternoon coffee. . . .Only in the new 21st-century America!