I originally thought that was what he was up to too—a stocking horse to go third-party in order to help Hillary.
But I’m convinced now that he’s sincere and that he really believes what he is articulating. It’s not surprising for a businessman from NYC to have had to cuddle up to Dems, and also to have something of at least an economically conservative bent.
But he’s expressed enough of the pure Freeper view of the GOPe and their games, as well as the Dems’, for me to be convinced that he’s what he says he is. Is he narcissistic? Yeah, probably, but some of our most effective and charismatic leaders in all fields are.
He’s smart and he’s tapped into something. That he has flirted with some not totally conservative ideas in the past doesn’t bother me either, as long as his core philosophy and positions now are sound. I know he’s published a lot, which is why various statements from 15 or 20 years ago can be cherry-picked to make him look wobbly, but that too I think is the likely mix of a businessman in NYC who has always been interested in politics and long curious about running himself.
When his updated book comes out on Thursday, I’ll get a better idea of where he is on his positions. (E.g., he’s too amnesty-ish for me, as are all the candidates other than too-weird Santorum.) But right now he’s looking like the best bet we have.
*stalking*