Donald Trump for President: Serious or Celebrity?

The specter of Donald Trump running for President must have caught the pundits by surprise. Polls of the early primary states are now finding that the businessman extraordinaire is no longer idle celebrity chatter, he means business. Consistently, "The Donald" has been ranking among the top three, right there along with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. With the murmurings of his seriousness mounting, the political world is scrambling to play catch up. Like it or not, President Trump is not just a wild fantasy anymore. Here are three reasons why you should not discount a Trump candidacy.

1) The Intelligence of the Electorate - While academics, pundits, and political insiders scoff at the notion of a President Trump, the average American voter is a whole different story. The average Joe does not care about Ivy-league credentials or policy wonk proposals. It was not all that long ago that a not so intellectual Governor from Texas managed to win two terms in the nation's highest office. Average voters want the straight unvarnished talk that they are used to dealing with in their everyday lives. Trump has a tendency to shoot from the hip, but he does have an outsider appeal. In a time of unparalleled fear of government, a non-academic candidate with zero governing experience may just be the winning ticket.

2) Money, Money, Money - Whether or not Donald Trump actually has enough liquid cash to self-finance a campaign is questionable. While possessing a vast net worth, accessing that wealth to oil the wheels of the campaign machinery will be imperative, especially to an outsider candidate. Where Trump does have the advantage is in his ability to network among the rich and famous. The shear number and size of wallets he has the potential to tap could be decisive. What is more, he could solicit from many nontraditional sources unconnected with the existing political fund-raising networks. Especially in a crowded race with no clear front-runner, cash should be considered king. In this regard, Trump could deliver impressively.

3) Celebrity Factor - The fact that Donald Trump is a celebrity is both a blessing and a curse. The downside is that he will not be taken seriously, but that does not mean there are not steps Trump can take to establish credibility. Remember, if Arnold Schwarzenegger can become Governor of one of the largest and most complex states in the Union, Donald Trump still has excellent prospects. What is more, the prime appeal factor for a celebrity converting to politics is name recognition! Trump is a household name in America. This helps explain why he rocketed from a speculative candidate to the top three contenders for the GOP nomination. When competent candidates like Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota have to spend millions to get their name out, Donald Trump comes out of the starting gate with a treasure trove of free name identification.

It is easy to dismiss Donald Trump as a non-serious "joke" candidate, but do not be too swift to discount his very real appeal. In a loose and vacillating Republican field, he simply cannot be disregarded. He has the name recognition, fund-raising ability, and outsider status to be a real contender. On these merits alone he should be taken seriously no matter how easily he is dismissed by the establishment voices.