I, as a human being cannot stop trying to make sense of the non-sensical. It's what I do. I can't help it.
Trump's campaign is a perfect example of the non-sensical. Why would he run for an office he doesn't apparently want? If his brand is so important to him, why is he doing it such irrevocable damage? These things make no sense.
Here's one thing I've learned. If you ask someone "Why do you think Trump is running for President?", you're going to get different answers from different people. It's sort of like "Why did we go to war in Iraq?", or "What's your favorite ice cream?", or "Ginger or Mary Ann?"
I've been keeping a tally. Some are things I've heard in person, some are things I've seen in the news, and some in online comments. They fall into three categories.
I also throw in my pet theory, which I know is false, but it just fits the data too well. More on that below.
Category 1: Trump is running, and wants to win.
Category 2: Trump is running and does not want to win.
Category 3: The Presidential race and whether he wins is irrelevant.
Still with me? Let's fill in the categories. Please remember, these are all things I've encountered in the news and from some relatively reliable websites. Except for my pet theory, which explains it all (even though it's wrong, more below).
Category 1: Trump is running, and wants to win.
a) He really wants to be President
b) He wants to be a figurehead, and let someone else (VP?) do the real work.
c) He wants to be in a position to replace the Trump U judge
Category 2: Trump is running and does not want to win.
a) He's a Clinton plant, to ensure Hillary wins.
b) He's on an Ego trip, and just wanted to show he could have been President if he had wanted.
Category 3: The Presidential race and whether he wins is irrelevant.
a) The Walter White Scenario (my pet theory. See below)
b) This is an elaborite advertisement for a new reality show.
c) This is an introduction for Trump TV.
d) He just wanted to build his brand. (I heard this one from the President himself).
e) It's just Narcisism backed up by sociopathy and psychopathy. So of course it makes no sense.
f) He's just funnelling money to himself.
Which brings me to my theory, which fits all the data - The Walter White Scenario. He's got a terminal illness, and he's checking out soon. He won't live long enough to do the job, so who cares if he gets it. Who cares if he trashes his brand and makes himself out to be an awful man. Who cares if his businesses will lose a customer base if he's not there for the profit. He's just burning down everything around him and enjoying the ride and being at the center of the Maelstrom. Or, maybe he just wants to assassinate his opponent on the world's most public stage. Either way, he can only die once, so he's doing it in style. You heard it here first.
So, I think those categories cover the basic theories pretty well. I'm sure there are other explanations out there. And yes, I realize it doesn’t have to be just one of the above.
Any Others?