Could Trump Bow Out Rather Than Endure a Humiliating Defeat?
I haven't watched "Mornin Joe" with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezinski in quite some time. The last time I did watch, I recall Joe predicting (more like speculating) that if Trump is trailing badly in the polls and appears headed for an almost certain defeat; he may surprise everybody by announcing he's dropping out of the race and handing the Presidency over to Mike Pence. It has to be taken into account that Joe has an ax to grind as Trump has insulted his wife. (Apparently Trump's comments about Miki going to a plastic surgeon for a "nose job" weren't appreciated.) Be that as it may, there just may be a grain of truth in Scarborough's musings.
As I recall, Scarborough noted that Trump's ego is so fragile that he can't stomach the thought of being labelled a loser. The horror of Trump waking up to a New York Times headline:
"America to Trump: You're Fired!" would be too much. I'm paraphrasing, but Scarborough speculated that if it becomes increasingly apparent that this is where the train is headed, Trump may decide he's had enough and say to hell with it. Although quitting would automatically make him a loser, Trump would rationalize his decision by declaring that the country doesn't appreciate all the good things he has done for it, so it's time [for him] to move on and start his own [hard right] television network. (According to CNN's Brian Stelter in his bestselling book "Hoax," this is the great fear over at the Fox News Channel: That an angry and embittered ex-President Trump will start his own television network in direct competition with Fox. Considering the great job Trump did bankrupting several casinos, the fear of Trump being a dreaded competitor may be overwrought.) For all us libs, it would be great fun watching Fox and "The Trump Network" trashing each other. For Trump, starting his own network in direct competition against Fox would be perfect revenge. It would be payback for his perception [belief] that Fox didn't do enough to support him.
If Trump does bow out he would, in effect, be saying: "The country doesn't deserve me. After all the things I've done to make America great again, people are not appreciative - they're not worthy of me." (In effect Trump would be giving the country his middle finger.) Psychologically, it might be more tolerable on his fragile ego to bow out and start his own network rather than expose himself to a crushing defeat in November.
The odds of such a scenario actually playing out may not be that great, but they're certainly greater than zero. Trump suddenly announcing, two weeks before the election, that he's bowing out would create the one thing Trump loves: Chaos. It might also create a nightmare for Democrats and liberals: President Pence.
P.S. I wonder if any of the betting sites are giving odds on Trump dropping out? (End of my daily masterpiece.)