'A Special Invitation from Donald Trump' is a commentary on Donald Trump's campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
A Special Invitation from Donald Trump
It was in mid-November 2007 that I with some surprise found a special invitation from Donald Trump in the mailbox of my residence in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. At the back of the envelope was printed his New York City address: 48 W. 37th St., 7th floor, New York, NY 10018.
‘Please be my personal guest to hear my real stories on wealth creation…’ Mr. Trump’s message began. ‘As my special VIP guest, I have enclosed two (2) personal guest tickets (for you) and you will receive a special gift: a complimentary edition of “TRUMP--Think Big & Kick Ass in Business and Life” at the conference.’
‘At this once in a lifetime financial conference, you will learn how to… I’ll Teach You How to Think Big & Kick Ass!’ the message went on. ‘Be there. Just one new investment idea of mine can make you rich.’
Venue of the conference: Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, Ballroom A, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia. Time: Saturday, December 1, 2007, 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. At the bottom of the invitation was this line: ‘Make Saturday December 1st the day you put your financial house in order. Donald will be here recorded live.’
Unfortunately, I missed the conference as I was just too lazy to rise early in the morning and rush all the way from Surrey to Vancouver, even though I knew Donald Trump was a great entertainer and would be fun to watch at his seminar. In the meantime, I wondered at the title of his book “Think Big & Kick Ass”. Why would a billionaire like Donald Trump choose to use the English language the way the man in the street would?
This question stuck in my mind until recently when his poll numbers started rising after he had declared the Donald Trump campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. I have come to realize that by speaking as if he were the man in the street, he derives political capital from a large number of everyday people deeply frustrated with the realities facing them.
While he seems to shoot off his mouth and occasionally put his foot in it, his blunt remarks appear to resonate with many ordinary people’s pent-up sentiments and emotions. His supporters apparently ignore his gaffes and the criticisms of him from the GOP establishment (as irrelevant) -- at least at this stage. What’s more, the fact that he is not part of the GOP establishment adds to his credibility in the eyes of the independents. Besides, he has a few things going for him.
First, he has an imposing personal presence that enhances his appeal. He is one of the most interesting men in America -- with the highest name recognition and TV exposure. As long as his presidential campaign continues, the public will stay tuned and even entertained Free-of-Charge. Should he eventually win the GOP nomination and the 2016 presidential election, he will be the first Entertainer-in-Chief in American history, which in turn would boost the ratings and earnings of the TV industry. After all, Donald Trump is the embodiment of TV reality show, and American politics is the mother of all reality shows!
In spirit, the White House is not far from Hollywood or TV studios. Hence, Ronald Reagan moved on from Hollywood to the White House with little difficulty but a lot of success. In addition, the Gipper brought quite a bit of prosperity and luck to America.
Secondly, Donald Trump apparently has had luck on his side since the day he was born. In politics, as in life and business, luck is an important factor. No one can achieve anything without luck. Couldn’t Trump too bring good luck if elected -- just as Ronald Reagan did?
Thirdly, there is no doubt that Donald Trump is a very shrewd businessman who, capable of seeing opportunities, knows how to seize them and then turn them to his advantage -- a clear indication that he has excellent judgment in business and is able to make winning bets and decisions. By logic, such a man ought to be able to make some big winning bets for America too. In fact, making winning bets is Donald Trump’s area of expertise. Life is a gamble, and America needs someone who can win and win big. Is Donald Trump the man? At least, to his supporters, he looks the part, and his message ‘I can make you rich’ is appealing.
Could he make the poor rich and the rich even richer? Based on what he said in his 2007 Special Invitation, Donald Trump certainly thinks that he can make the rich even richer, and I do believe he can. But to make the poor rich is a far more complicated matter. With sluggish economic growth, tens of millions of Americans have been out of work for so long that they no longer seek jobs and so no longer count as part of the labour force. Could Donald Trump help if elected? I would like to hear what he has to say on this crucial and relevant issue.
But for now, examine the fact that since the beginning of 2009, Obama has made a series of decisions. Ask yourself a simple question: Were they winning bets or losing bets for America? If you think they were winning bets, Donald Trump certainly is not your man. However, if you believe those Obama decisions were losing bets, then, Donald Trump surely is the very opposite of Obama. Maybe, it is time that some shrewd super-rich businessman made some winning bets for America!
Fourthly, the man is a true natural who speaks and responds without much calculation. Right or wrong, he appears to say what he thinks -- totally unlike most politicians who speak with so much reserve and deliberation that they strike the public as calculating and self-serving and who are always so politically correct that they have become predictable and therefore boring. As Donald Trump put it, ‘All they care about is to get elected.’ You can’t say that he is wrong on that one.
Nevertheless, the most important question is whether Donald Trump could kick ass, that is, Hillary’s ass, this time around, if nominated by the GOP. My guess is that given the opportunity, he probably could, for all the media have to say in the light of Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers -- especially if a Donald Trump-Jeb Bush ticket finally emerged. One under-estimates Donald Trump at one’s own peril, for anything is possible in America. In the meantime, have fun, thanks to Donald Trump!
-- By Robert M. Liu - author of ‘The Socialist Cuckooland’ (a political thriller) 28th July 2015
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