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Will the real Donald Trump please stand up

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This was supposed to be "immigration week" for Donald Trump but it seems to have gotten off to a rocky start, cancelling rallies in Nevada, Colorado and Oregon, opting instead for Aspen and Lake Tahoe fund raisers.  Seems that the Donald wants to test his message on big money supporters first, who might be more receptive to his "really fair" plan.  It sounds suspiciously like the current immigration process, but hey Trump is good at putting his name on things that already exist.

The Donald is apparently anxious to lure back "moderate" Republicans behind the scenes while giving the illusion to his devoted masses that he is as tough as ever on immigration.  After all, he took on Stephen Bannon as his campaign CEO last week.  This kind of duplicity would usually undermine a candidate, but Donald seems particularly adept at playing an issue from both ends, largely because his devoted following simply doesn't read.

I'm not sure whether his base is illiterate or chooses to go through life with blinders on.  They've made up their minds and nothing is going to change it, not even Donald's mealy-mouthed own words on The O'Reilly Factor, where he unveiled his so-called plan.   However, I have to think that "moderate" Republicans will be more circumspect.

All this backpedaling should make any conscientious conservative wonder what Trump offers that Hillary hasn't already put on the table?  Is he re-re-branding himself as a "moderate" now that he realizes he doesn't have the numbers to win with the "Angry Patriot Movement?"  This looks like a desperation move on Trump's part to pull the Republican Party back together after being the one person who went out of his way to divide and conquer it.

It pretty much lays to rest any notion that Trump isn't in this election to win.  Thoughts had swirled the past month that his bombastic statements were actually a cry for help.  The Donald wanted out and was making himself as unsavory as possible so that the GOP would have no choice but to pull the plug on his campaign.  John Oliver even extended an invitation to come on his show to drop out, as it was the only way to save what was left of his dignity.  But, this "pivot" clearly shows that Trump is looking for a way to stay in the race, trying to convince big money conservatives that he is a serious candidate and help right his sinking ship before it is too late.

Rest assured, the wall will still go up, and Mexicans are still going to pay for it, but this came out like a sadly overused refrain in his interview with Baba O'Reilly.  Instead, Trump said he was going to "obey the existing laws" and "get rid of all the bad ones," in his aim to rid our country of all those "bad people" that sully our land.   Yet, he stopped short of evoking "Operation Wetback," again, offering a "kinder, gentler" approach to deportations.

Who in the "Angry Patriot Movement" is going to sit through a 40-minute interview?  They will wait to the next day to see the interview sliced and diced into 30 second chunks on their favorite blog to share on social media.  So, the Donald offers all the appropriate sound bites while making a plaintive appeal to "moderates" to stay with him in his time of need, and donate large sums of money if they can.


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