BY B. JAY COOPER
SEP 8 | Reprinted from The Screaming Moderate (bjaycooper.com)

The Republican Party asked all its presidential candidates to sign a loyalty oath pledging them to support whoever the eventual candidate is, and not to lead a third party against that candidate. This idea was spurred by Donald Trump’s candidacy and his threat to run as a third-party candidate if he fails to win the GOP nomination, a move that likely would tank a GOP win. Trump, and his 16 competitors, all signed. And, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus traveled to the mountain, I mean Trump Towers, in New York City to get Trump’s signature.

Oy. A few thoughts:

The loyalty oath is not legally binding. Based on what we’ve seen of Trump, he could easily break that oath if he doesn’t win the nomination. It wouldn’t hurt him in the least and likely would help him among that minority of voters that actually might cast ballots for him.

Why did the GOP national chairman – the leader of the party – have to travel to New York to get the signature? It was one more example of how the bully Trump is using his “power” to get leaders of the party to kowtow to him. “You want my pledge, come and get it,” you can almost hear the bully say. And Chairman Preibus just asked how high. I didn’t read that the chairman traveled to any other candidate’s headquarters to get their signature.

The other 16 candidates now are bound, though not legally, to support Trump if by some shock to the space-time continuum, he wins the nomination. I expect, and hope, that pledge to be broken if that eventuality occurs. As hardened as an observer as I may think I am, don’t think I could stomach as someone like Jeb Bush endorses Donald Trump for president. It would break my heart, and 41’s too, I imagine.

It gives Trump an out when he doesn’t win the nomination and he can go not-so-softly into that good night and not have to spend the millions trying to get on the ballot if every state, which he would have to do to run on a third-party ticket. He can walk out a “statesman,” in his perverted mind, and still command press attention as he comments on the campaign as it goes on. I cannot imagine. Personally, I never thought Trump really wanted to be the president. I think he got in on a lark and, through one of those moments of the universe’s timing, he is way ahead – the summer before the summer the conventions are held – shocking even himself and his overblown ego.

Remember the movie “The Candidate” with Robert Redford? Redford’s character, Bill McKay, is a guy who is drafted as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in California because the incumbent is seen as someone who can’t lose. The Democratic party needs a token to put on the ticket (not unlike the plot of “Fiorello” the musical about Mayor LaGuardia of New York City, but I digress), whose dad had been governor, so name ID was on his side, McKay easily wins the nomination. There are other plot turns, but McKay winds up winning the election! The movie closes with a scene of celebration and McKay says to his key political adviser, “Marvin…what do we do now?” as the film fades to black and no answer is given.

I don’t see yet an exit strategy for Trump to leave the campaign now that he is ahead. Who quits then? Certainly not The Donald. If, as I expect, his popularity wanes in time, can Donald Trump get out of something so high profile while he’s losing? Not sure it’s in his makeup to be a “loser” like the rest of us, in his bloated mind.

This ending can be better than “The Candidate” ending. But I pray life doesn’t imitate art.

Editor’s Note: B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired Senior Vice President of APCO Worldwide’s Washington, D.C., office.