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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Hitting the books — and bikes ... Ashland Kiwanis honors AHS student ... Ashland seeks community input on next superintendent ... Hitting the books — and bikes ... Ashland Kiwanis honors AHS student ... Ashland seeks community input on next superintendent ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: It's time to take Trump seriously Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News There's an old saying from everyone's favorite fakir, Mohandas K. Gandhi, which goes as follows: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Gandhi himself was something of a spin-doctor; one of the lesser known facts about him is that when his wife was stricken with pneumonia, he allowed her to die because he didn't believe in penicillin. When he himself came down with malaria, he was all too happy to use the stuff. Many of the luminaries of world history have been pious in public and problematic at home. Interestingly, Donald J. Trump is approaching his own legend from the opposite angle. The supposedly crass and unsophisticated billionaire has made a name for himself by bullying, cajoling, manipulating and out-negotiating a wide swath of adversaries as diverse as Rosie O'Donnell, Fox News and the Chicago Tribune. His brusque style has made him the laughingstock of the Republican political establishment, who up until now have been incapable of believing that Trump may actually win the presidency. New York Times commentator and conservative columnist David Brooks has been the ever more rumple-faced poster boy of mainline Republican puzzlement, declaring over and over again that Trump won't be the 2016 GOP nominee. All the while, Trump has been making massive gains, has been the reliable front-runner, and at this stage, has won more votes than either Mitt Romney in 2012 or John McCain in 2008. He has built his particular juggernaut by doing the exact opposite of what most public figures do; instead of appearing virtuous and being exposed as problematic, he is overtly and publicly problematic, which allows him the latitude to periodically appear virtuous. He also understands that the vagaries of his policy outlook can be outmatched by his capacity for showmanship. In spite of his presentation as a vulgar, racist, misogynist thug, Trump has emerged as the shrewdest political operative in the current race for the White House; there is every likelihood that he could outmaneuver even the vaunted Clinton political machine, because he has less to lose. What makes Trump uniquely dangerous is the fact that he would carry his particular brand of megalomania onto the global stage as a kind of Anglospheric Idi Amin. While he promotes himself as a great deal-maker, he is, in fact, not interested in making a deal at all. He is interested in winning. Aggressive tactics based in fear and intimidation are surely marginally effective in New York real estate, but Trump v. Putin is not a prize fight in Vegas, it's a geopolitical peril involving 15,000 nuclear warheads, and two hotheads besides. While it is tempting to picture the Trump West Wing as a sort of "Real Housewives of Washington, D.C.", with Melania Trump as the Vanna White of first ladies and Dog the bounty hunter for secretary of defense, the truth remains that America and the world are now in an extremely dangerous position, and it's time that we stopped laughing at the antics of the red-haired real estate baron and started working — every single one of us who have not fallen under his spell — to bring down the inflated presidential campaign that has long since metamorphosed into a genuine national security threat. It's also time for the media to stop sacrificing substance for spin by reporting on Trump's various deranged public performances and focusing on the vapid content of his pitiful policy platform. If that's not done soon, there is every possibility that our beloved People's House will shortly become the Mar-A-Lago of Pennsylvania Avenue. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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