I have a theory. It’s a bit far out, but it is not entirely implausible. So I thought I would put it “out there” to see if anyone could refute or confirm it. At the very least, it’s food for thought. It has to do with The Donald. I think he is sabotaging his own candidacy — on purpose. We know he didn’t really want to run for president; it was just a bit of a joke for him at the outset. Get a few delegates but, more importantly, get his name before the public and draw attention to himself, which we know he loves to do. This is the man who names everything he owns, even his helicopter, after himself.
My theory rests on the assumption that he is not as stupid as he appears. (No one can be as stupid as this man appears — except, perhaps, those who follow his lead blindly.) Given that assumption, and given the possibility that he knows pretty much what he is doing and why he is doing it, my theory isn’t that far-fetched. It may, in his mind, be simply a game he is playing, or an experiment to see how stupid those around him truly are. If that’s so, then he discovered — as did we all — that there are a great many more stupid, bigoted, angry people out there that any of us thought was the case, sad to say. However, I may be giving him far too much credit. The entire urge to scuttle his own campaign may well be unconscious.
In any event, his behavior of late is even more difficult to explain than it was a month ago. He is turning people against himself in increasing numbers, even Republican members of Congress and former Republican luminaries (and the V.F.W. and mothers of crying babies), as he expands the range of his hatred and fear of those who differ from himself. He seems to be aware that he is losing ground and he attributes that to the “fact” that the election is “rigged.” That is to say, he knows he is going to lose and is preparing himself and his mindless minions for the inevitable — perhaps to get them brooding about the “fix” that’s taking place as he loses ground on Hillary. It’s his way of maintaining control. Given the volatile nature of his followers I dare say he will go out with a bang.
But I take it one step further: I think he wants his campaign to be unsuccessful because the thought of being the president of the United States, with all that this implies, scares him to death. In spite of his huge ego, he has very little real confidence in himself. His behavior has all the earmarks of psychological compensation. That’s why he brags as he does and struts his bully self before the public, threatening to hit people and mimicking the infirm, belittling those who appear unfit in his eyes. He has created a public persona that appears larger than life while behind that facade hides a frightened little man.
That’s my theory. Take it or leave it. But think about it. The man is a living contradiction. Thus it is not far-fetched to think that he would want to undermine his own campaign. In the event he can look back (and write a book) in the conviction that he would have won if the campaign hadn’t been “rigged”(his invention) — and if he hadn’t sabotaged it himself. That is to say, ultimately, he’s the one in control.
hughcurtler 
Hugh, this is not dissimilar from the belief stated ten months ago asking if he was a Manchurian Candidate. I wrote a post which laid out as you did how easy it would be to be a Manchurian Candidate with such a braggart as a candidate and a hugely uninformed electorate. Yet, I dismissed it then as his ego has always been large and his skin thin, where he cannot take criticism. The ability to dish it out, but not be able to take it, is in his history long before he ran for office. Biographers say he holds grudges for a long time and won’t let anything go.
Coupling that large, but fragile ego with a Twitter feed is a disaster, as the filter between whether he should say something or not seems to be not present. Even thinking on his feet, he shows poor judgment, first saying “let the baby cry” and then one minute later saying to audible gasps, “Never mind, get the baby out of here.” So, I don’t think he is purposefully sabotaging his campaign. Yet, I do agree he is using the “rigged system” play as both a marketing ploy and defense mechanism. He is painting a picture that he only is losing and may lose as the system is rigged. “It cannot be me,” he is thinking.
Since his brand is his name that he sells as a commodity, he is planning how can he lose without damaging it. I do think he will go more ballistic as other Republicans bail on him as Congressman Hanna did two days ago and Meg Whitman did yesterday, advocating Clinton. I see Pence eventually resigning from the campaign after he explains away the umpteenth inane and/ or hateful remark of his boss. And, Trump may just throw his hands up and quit. Truly stranger things have happened.
This is a very thoughtful post. Well done, Keith
As I say, it may not be a conscious effort on his part — possibly unconscious. But I do think that deep down he wants out — with, as you say, his name intact!
Inside reports say his staff is in a state of disarray and confusion. They cannot control him, as he does not take criticism well, says the story. Apparently, he watches TV and reacts immediately.
I can see him now, locked in the bathroom tweeting his little fingers off!
Perhaps he is sabotaging his own campaign, but I don’t believe it’s a conscious action. It’s not a matter of intelligence, or the lack of it. It’s a lack of self-awareness, a lack of empathy (as Khizr Khan said on CNN last night). He doesn’t realize that by acting so petty and vindictive in all directions he is not only torpedoing his election chances, but also killing his “brand”, the label his accomplished, poised children in business will also be stuck with after he loses. There probably is an unconscious fear of having to do the governing if he wins, but I doubt he realizes he is hurting himself and his family.
I mentioned in the post that it might be unconscious. I doubt that he planned things this way. But one never knows with this man. Thanks for stopping and commenting.