Trump comes to his senses

Like Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump feels the need to preface his withdrawal from consideration for the Presidency with a boast that he could have won had he chosen to run. By comparison with Huckabee's demurral, Trump's is more honest if not much more respectable. While Huckabee sighs that he never felt the tap of God's guiding finger, Trump affirms shamelessly that "business is my greatest passion" and that, after inflating the expectation of those yahoos to whom he projects the ideal of leadership, he would rather keep making money than serve his country.

The timing of the announcement isn't necessarily random. Hours earlier, NBC, which employs Trump as the "boss" of the Apprentice game show, issued a statement that the rabble's archetype of a businessman was "replaceable" in his role. It seems likely that Trump decided that it was better and more lucrative for him to perpetuate the myth of his decisive leadership by remaining a kind of game show host than it might be to risk his credibility dealing with elected officials and foreign powers that could not be scripted into submission to him. I certainly can't argue with the wisdom of his decision. In fact, I would consider rewarding him, had I the power, by helping him pitch a new spinoff to his network: The Republican Apprentice -- the ultimate convergence of politics and "reality" with unprecedented stakes. It's the format the Republican party deserves -- and if it goes over, Trump can do it for the Democrats as well in 2016. The Donald may yet perform some greater service for his country, but he's done plenty of good today.