Last night on Fox Business Channel, Neil Cavuto wanted to talk about how outsider-type candidates who find themselves atop the polls can stay there. So he invited me on, because I was once an outsider-type candidate who found himself atop the polls.
But Herman, you didn't stay there!
No kidding. But did you ever learn anything from failing? It's actually a fantastic teacher, and it's taught me a lot. So sure, I absolutely have thoughts on this, and I was glad to share them: (scroll down for video)
Trump and Carson are often categorized by the media as "dalliances" that the voters are having, which they will soon get over and return to a more conventional choice. And I guess my candidacy is supposed to serve as some sort of template for how and why this happens. But that's not the way I see it.
For one thing, the electorate is different this time around. Trump and Carson have been at or near the top of the polls pretty much this entire primary season, and at least at the moment that shows no signs of changing. The reason, I think, is that Republican primary voters no longer have confidence that the "conventional" choices will a) win; or b) really make a difference if they do. They were somewhat open to the idea of an unconventional candidate when I ran. They're more open to it now, because what did they get in 2012 for their retreat to the "conventional" choice? Nothing.
I'm not presuming to predict who the GOP nominee will be, but I don't think it's necessarily true that the outsiders will flame out as the political class assumes they must. The political class's own candidates need to make a case for themselves first.
Last night on Fox Business Channel, Neil Cavuto wanted to talk about how outsider-type candidates who find themselves atop the polls can stay there. So he invited me on, because I was once an outsider-type candidate who found himself atop the polls.
But Herman, you didn't stay there!
