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1 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 UPDATED: Thousands still without power after Sunday snow ... Mt. Ashland is open and the skiers couldn't be happier ... Film fest seeks volunteers ... UPDATED: Thousands still without power after Sunday snow ... Mt. Ashland is open and the skiers couldn't be happier ... Film fest seeks volunteers ... COMMENTARY Commentary: Will Trump ever jump the shark? Comment By Chris Honoré for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for the Tidings Posted Dec. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré for the Tidings Posted Dec. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News “Jump the Shark” is an idiom that originally referred to that moment in the evolution of a popular television series when it begins to decline. Case in point: “Happy Days.” The Fonze was waterskiing just off the coast of California when he spotted a shark and jumped over it. The stunt seemed desperate and gimmicky and, some thought, signaled the demise of the show. Not long after, “jump the shark” was broadened to include trends and brand names, and now, by extension, Donald Trump. The Republican illuminati are, jaws clenched, waiting for that moment when Trump jumps the shark, when his confrontational shtick, honed after years of appearing on his reality show, “The Apprentice,” will grow tiresome and his exit from the presidential primary will finally have arrived. Some tip-of-the-iceberg backstory regarding his run for the presidency: Trump declared his candidacy by referring to Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and criminals. He went on to propose that 11 million undocumented immigrants must be rounded up and transported across our southern border. And he would then build a wall, to be paid for by the Mexican government. He accused John McCain of not being a war hero because after his plane was shot down he was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. Being captured was a disqualifier. He shared a segment of “60 Minutes” with Russia’s Putin and declared him his new BFF. This is a man with whom he could do a deal. After the first Republican debate he implied that Fox News’ Megyn Kelly asked him hard questions because it was her … and so on. He criticized Carly Fiorina’s looks, ditto Rosie O’Donnell. After the Paris shootings he told the press that he had witnessed thousands of Muslims in New Jersey, cheering as the Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11. When New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has a disability, questioned this story, Trump, in a televised speech, mocked and mimicked Kovaleski and his handicap. He had a Telemundo reporter ejected from a press conference for asking a question, and encouraged the roughing up of a black protester (“Get him outta here!”). Given the above, if there is a group that is hopeful that Trump will jump the shark, it’s the newly hand-wringing Republican establishment. They loved him as a “birther,” but now not so much. Initially, they were convinced that Trump would quickly lose interest, lose his base, or just miss building another T-Tower. But to their surprise and consternation, he has led in the polls, week after week, month after month. His lack of civility and decorum, even his crudeness (“I’d kick the s*** outta ISIS”), seem only to endear him to Republican voters. Suddenly GOP leaders and donors have begun to worry (panic?) that he might win the party’s nomination, which they are convinced would end in an election train wreck, losing them the White House and their majority in the Senate. “It would be an utter and complete disaster,” said Republican Senator and primary candidate Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, who referred to Trump as a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.” Top tier Republicans are wondering, very quietly, if there is any way to stop Trump’s momentum or if they should even try. Many in the GOP are convinced that if he’s the party’s nominee, they might just as well Fed Ex the presidency to Hillary and save themselves the trouble of a nominating convention and campaign. They tremble at the thought of Trump, untethered, wearing his red “Make America Great Again” hat, explaining that sending 11 million Mexicans back to Mexico will simply require good management. Or suggesting that all Muslim-Americans be registered and required to carry religious affiliation papers. I was convinced that long ago Trump would be back in Hawaii looking for Obama’s “real” birth certificate. But he has tapped into an angry Republican vein of discontent, and his supporters are doing more than romancing demagoguery. He’s their guy. Never mind the Constitution or Congress or separation of powers. He’ll get stuff done. And if the GOP primary thus far is indeed prologue, no shark will be jumped. At least not by Trump. He’s in this until he isn’t. Chris Honoré lives in Ashland. By Chris Honoré for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for the Tidings Posted Dec. 7, 2015 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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