The Donald for President? Got Any Hand Sanitzer?

Politico Arena Topic: Would Voters Say "You're Hired" to Trump?

In order to secure the GOP nomination, The Donald would have to overcome his hand-shaking fear. Voters in early primary calendar states such as Iowa and New Hampshire demand old-fashioned retail politicking. They expect candidates to actually be on the ground, in their home, at the fair, in the grocery store, doing things Trump would likely detest—shaking hands and kissing babies. His money could not buy those early states and he likely wouldn’t do well in some of the other early primary states such as South Carolina where his northern roots, accent, and lifestyle would be a huge turnoff.

Should a miracle happen and Trump were to secure the Republican nomination, his personal fortune would certainly come in handy. And his huge name recognition doesn’t hurt either. However, the fact that he has never held political office would raise serious questions for most voters. Ross Perot and Steve Forbes are examples of recent ultra-rich candidates who self-financed their presidential bids. Forbes was never a serious contender in two election cycles. Perot made an impact in 1992 as an independent candidate but fell far short of winning. However, the independent route is where Trump could stir things up should he choose to go that way. Of course, were he to go in that direction, it would likely help President Obama get reelected.

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