The Donald Trump train continues to roll, although some seem to believe – perhaps hope – a derailment is just around the bend.
Fivethirtyeight.com, Nate Silver’s brilliant pop culture and political website, led Wednesday morning’s breakdown of Super Tuesday with, “It was a Super night for Hillary Clinton. It was a semi-Super night for Donald Trump.”
Silver has been skeptical of Trump’s candidacy all along, and seems to be clinging to the belief that he may yet be proved right.
But let’s take a look at the math.
Trump won seven states on Super Tuesday, and Hillary Clinton won eight races if you count American Samoa.
Trump won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Massachusetts; Clinton won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts and American Samoa.
Yes, Hillary landing Texas was a nice boost to the delegate count. Still, has there ever been another election in history in which American Samoa provides the margin between “super” and “semi-super”? (Forget politics. Samoas are not even the most influential Girl Scouts cookie.)
Truth of the matter is the political pundits don’t want Trump to get the GOP nomination, while a plurality of the people doing the voting really like Trump.
People in the establishment wing of the Republican Party treat Trump as if he has a contagious disease.
Trump getting one endorsement from a fellow politician has become major news. Chris Christie has become an Internet punchline because he flipped to Trump’s side.
Christie stood behind Trump during Tuesday night’s victory speech looking like an overgrown Tattoo from “Fantasy Island” and with a fear in his eyes reserved for teenage boys standing at the door for a first date.
Christie’s support, while a switch in direction from a month ago, has been arguably the biggest mainstream backing for the ultimate outsider.
I don’t know of a single midsize to big-city newspaper that has endorsed Trump. The TV talking heads lead the first 10 minutes of every newscast with his “outrage” of the day.
Whether the establishment in Washington or the Fourth Estate want to admit it or not, Trump’s inexplicable rise and unbelievable staying power are the voting public’s message that what they see from their leaders and the messages they get in TV, radio and print are not acceptable.
Other than Christie, who is the most renowned or connected Trump supporter? Heck, New Jersey newspapers now have called for Christie to step down as governor after he endorsed Trump.
The list of notable Trump supporters – and the term “notable” has myriad meanings – ranges from Christie, Sarah Palin and U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee to the celebrity trio of Gary Busey, Kid Rock and one of the less-famous Baldwin brothers.
“While there are certainly things that I admire and respect in each of the remaining candidates, I believe Donald Trump is the candidate best poised to make America great again. As such, I was proud to cast my vote for Mr. Trump and look forward to supporting the eventual Republican nominee whomever that might be,” DesJarlais said in a statement this week.
Yes, according to some publications, DesJarlais is the worst person in Congress. And the Trump political bandwagon is happy to have him. (And without all of the big names in our state – Haslam, Alexander, Wamp, et al. – Trump won every county in Tennessee except Williamson. That’s overwhelming.)
Folks, whether you want to believe it or not, the groundswell of support that Trump has generated and sustained is staggering.
Trump vs. Hillary Clinton seems the most likely match-up – Vegas and oddsmakers have Clinton as a 5-to-19 favorite in her primary, meaning you’d have to bet about $200 to win $50, and Trump as a 1-to-2 favorite – whether anyone wants to admit it or not.
That admission, while painful for the GOP establishment, is democracy at work.
And it’s real. And, while it may be a bumpy ride, don’t look for the Trump train to jump the tracks any time soon.
My best advice: Buckle up.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com. His “Right to the Point” column runs on A2 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.