Initially I could not imagine what the mutual attraction is between Donald Trump and Sarah Palin. At first blush they have virtually nothing in common. Trump is the ultimate pragmatist, Palin the ultimate ideologue. But then it all became clear to me!

So think about this scenario: Trump is a rude, obnoxious bully who has tapped into the political unrest in this country.  But he’s a smart businessman who wants to win the Republican nomination for President. He has been doing pretty well with his anti-American rhetoric so far but realizes he still has a problem with evangelicals and the extreme right wing who aren’t sure he is conservative enough. What to do?

Trump looks around and sees Palin. He knows she is both an extremist right wing nut and an equally extreme evangelical. So he makes a secret call to her. He says “I want to hire you! I need you to publicly endorse my candidacy over the other Republicans and actively campaign for me through the primary season. If you do that I will pay you say $10M once the nominee is chosen. But to earn the money you have to keep the deal between us totally secret”.

Now this a windfall for Palin. She is unemployed and her celebrity status is dimming more everyday. So with an opportunity for her to get back in the spotlight and make some money they quickly strike a deal. She might even think she could be his running mate as well.

Of course Trump didn’t get to be a billionaire by being that stupid. He is out to win! He recognizes that she will be useful at manipulating the political and religious extremists in the Party. But he also knows that she is a loudmouthed airhead who would actually drag him down in a general election. After the primaries she is toast!

So what do you think? Is Trump/Palin a partnership made in Heaven? Or is it just the machiavellian behavior of two totally self-centered individuals?

Mark