Donald Trump: Most Redeeming Quality

Donald Trump has taken over the global electronic marketplace. He is on every screen, his name constantly uttered by media pundits, talking heads, friends, enemies, sycophants,  and, most importantly, the man on the global street. Will all this attention get him elected? I think not. He is down in the polls and the subject of much criticism, especially of late, for his crude techniques for meeting women. Some describe the encounters as assaulting women. Like everything else Trump does, his methods for introducing himself is heavy-handed, self-absorbed, crass, blunt and direct. He moves forward until pushed back-- in business, in sex and on the campaign trail. It's often not a pretty picture.

In Hillary Clinton v. Donald Trump, Debate #2-- the town hall-style meeting, with citizens asking questions-- the final question was directed to both candidates. It went something like.... What is one trait you find admirable in your opponent?

Donald Trump answered the final question more successfully than Hillary Clinton. He described her tenacity, persistence and ability to keep moving forward under the most difficult circumstances. That compliment might be double-edged, implying Hillary is something of a plodder, going forward despite all the odds. But she does have the ability to fight with great intensity in the most grueling circumstances-- a key personality trait to achieving the lofty goals she has set for herself.

Hillary struggled to find a single positive thing about Donald. She settled on saying she admired his family. Trump's family is not really a personality trait. Having a good family reflects well on one's character and priorities. But it's almost the equivalent of saying you admire their car or their house. She was reducing her commitment to finding a specific trait she found admirable in Donald Trump and offering faint praise by shifting the subject to his children. Her daughter Chelsea Clinton is friends with Ivana Trump, Donald's daughter.

Though I'm a lifelong Democrat and self-declared liberal, I will find a trait in Donald Trump that is admirable-- and something we could all benefit from-- he does not sweat the small stuff.

I can hear the roars of anger rising from the throats of Trump haters. He doesn't fret over anything, including the prospect of pushing a button to start a nuclear war. Okay, that's a flaw. But most impressive to me is the way he has moved through life without a fear of committing a faux pas.

Most of us cower at the thought of offending any single person, never mind an entire ethnic group or President of the United States. And he knew the birther claim about Barack Obama was a flat-out lie. But, by contrast, the vast majority of people are light years away from the Donald Trump approach to life. We tiptoe through our lives,  jumping away nervously if a butterfly alights on our shoulder.

So, the Trump trait I admire is a willingness to not Be-Perfect. The fruitless attempt to Be-Perfect is a neurotic drive in most of us. We limit our embrace of life, or should I say... I have limited my embrace of life and all of its challenges-- by a huge timidity. Most of us, or maybe it's just me... get intimidated by the thought of not doing something perfectly well.

Trump cannot apologize under any circumstances-- but most of us fail at the other extreme-- we do not take life on with the vigor it deserves and miss out on many experiences as a result.

I was hesitant to write this piece-- knowing that the Trump name and behavior sparks a firestorm of reaction. But I decided to throw Be-Perfect to the winds and plunge ahead. For once!

Debate Tickets: getting a front row seat

The Clinton-Trump debate starts in a few hours.  Two New Yorkers go at it. Donald Trump, a native born New Yorker, moved from Queens to Manhattan as soon as he could get there. Hillary, a naturalized New Yorker, born in the Midwest, moved to New York as soon as she could get out of Arkansas. Both want to move to Washington, D.C..  To the Oval Office baby!

The debate, 1 1/2 hours of must see-TV, might include more than the usual dose of mudslinging, innuendo, gossip, and insults. Certain pressure points exist-- Hillary's health and Donald's demeanor. And this is where the psy-ops, psychological operations, come in. The Psy-Ops, psychological operations warfare, even concern the seating plan for  the front row of the debate.

Hillary has saved a seat for Mark Cuban, just to rattle the opponent. Cuban, a feisty billionaire, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, star of Shark Tank, a fondness for the glare of the spotlight is actually a recent arrival to Hillary Camp. He even considered signing up for Trump's vice presidential candidate. But that was months ago. And months ago feels like aeons in Infotainment World, our present home.

Trump countered strongly with suggestions he would bring in Gennifer Flowers, Bill Clinton's mistress for a dozen years.

This tactic recalls Godfather II-- where Frankie Pantangeli is about to testify in front of a Washington grand jury and name names. The Corleone family places an old school mafioso from Sicily in the back of the hearing room and  Frankie quickly reverts to "I don't know nothing." Frankie later takes his own life, the honorable route, rather than rat out his brothers. Clinton and Trump don't strike me as the fall on your sword type of individuals.

Cuban likes to be in the national discussion, whether baiting the refs at his team's NBA games or starring on a reality TV competition show. Who does that remind you of?

Gennifer spells her name with a "G"-- and is called a showgirl. Gennifer Flowers, we learn, has not actually been invited by Trump. Trump may see a downside to going too far with the adultery card. So she may not even be there. Too bad.

Ironically, the studio audience at Hofstra will be completely out of view. The audience is literally in the dark. Trump may not be able to see Cuban, unless Cuban charges the stage a la Kanye West.

The whole front row seating thing reminds me of the motley assemblage of celebrities reminds me of the Beatles high moment, and their memorable cover for the Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. I always liked the image of Sonny Liston. Where's Sonny when you need him?

The only image that matters will be the body language of the contestants, er, the candidates. If we've learned anything it is that how you comport yourself and how you feel on stage with 80-100 million watching is what really matters. The camera is an X-ray machine and the audience sees the candidates to the core of their being. That clarity seals the deal.