Did Donald Trump engage in a promotional ploy to gain publicity for his brand or was he seriously contemplating a 2012 run?
At one point, I believed Trump was a serious contender. He was making the rounds on the media circuits to talk about many serious issues and trying to push the not-so-serious issue of Obama’s birth certificate. The more meaningful subjects of the economy, the trade imbalance, and jobs he could get the attention of many. After all, with 9% unemployment, at least one in ten could related to the fact that jobs are getting outsourced overseas at about the same rate as products stamped with China on the bottom are coming into the country.
The Death of Bin Laden changed the political landscape. Obama’s approval ratings are soaring and The Country feels more at solidarity. Criticism and personal attacks on Obama would be unpopular. Donald Trump’s sword lost its point.
If Trump wanted to run for President, unless the economy took a real turn for the worse, he’d have little chance of winning.
But the real question remains. Did Donald Trump ever seriously consider running? This once believer has doubts. He made speeches, attacked Obama’s credibility, and “re-formed” his position on some conservative issues. However, when the backlash began to take its toll on his brand, he faded to the background. Bin Laden’s death gave him the chance to retreat under the cover of the media attention surrounding that event.