James R. Leutze: How it could play

No one can dispute at least two things about GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump: “The Donald” is greedy and not stupid. So, what’s he up to?

Trump will continue to run on the Republican ticket until he has completed several debates, or the other candidates are insulted and he has solidified 20 percent to 25 percent of the conservative base.

Then he announces the Republican Party establishment doesn’t appreciate him, so he is going to form his own party. The GOP bigwigs go bananas because with 20 percent of the vote that would have gone to the Republicans headed Trump’s way, Democrat Hillary Clinton is a shoe-in.

Trump runs for a month or so enjoying the chaos he created. He then he cuts a deal with the Koch-types and allows himself to be bought out – say $1 billion invested in one of his many enterprises ought to do it – a cheap price to assure a Republican in the Oval Office.

Or, he puts himself up for bid. If the Democrats offer the most, he stays in the race; if the Republicans offer the most, he gets out.

That, friends, is how politics works in the post-Citizens United 21st century.

This story was originally published August 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "James R. Leutze: How it could play."