[TheRealThing]

Trump is 70 years old and his basic personality is not going to change. I watched his endorsement of Ryan, Ayotte, and McCain tonight. I could tell that Trump was trying not to focus on himself and to project the image of a team player, but he just could not resist focusing on himself.

Trump does not seem to understand that taking shots at Republican candidates during a presidential campaign is like shooting at his his own feet because he doesn't like his shoes. Attacking Republican politicians running for re-election makes it less likely that the supporters of those candidates will support him.

Trump gave me the impression that his advisers had twisted his arm to get him to announce the endorsements. I also question how effective an endorsement is when it follows months of criticism. Trump's endorsements seemed devoid of genuine enthusiasm. Likewise, many of the endorsements Trump has received seem half-hearted.

Trump said a few things about McCain and Ryan, but both have been far more critically vocal about him. I mean, he had to stand up for himself. And I will agree that Trump shouldn't have slammed McCain's military record, which is sort of worn on his sleeve to the thinking of many, and stuck with policy or voting record or the like. But both McCain and Ryan are obviously impressed with their own greatness and their disdain for the upstart Trump has clearly shown through their snobbish members only arrogance when they made 'first strike' public comments about him.

Trump's reactions have been bluntly direct but then, he's no politician. And his truthful feelings are always out there while those of RINO's are concealed behind those ever so practiced façades. I'm not that impressed with McCain these days nor Ryan. Ayotte's involvement is a different matter and she's no idiot. She knows this was political theater, and she recognizes that though the circumstances surrounding the Khan family's performance at the DNC was a carefully orchestrated and elaborate set up, the perception produced by it for many Americans was none the less very productive. And the very real dignity and sensitivity of the Khan family, made any attempt on Trump's part to protect his honor seem self serving, as it was. Surrogates however, could have made the case in days following and been very successful in rendering an analysis that would have effectively extricated Mr Trump from blame and his polling numbers would be far better as we speak. So, as things stand, instead of a three day flap, we get a three week flap which is unfortunate and totally self inflicted. Trump knows he brought her criticism down on himself and he knows she handled his comments about the Khan deal the only way she could. I am not aware that he said anything bad about her.

Trump has handled things like this poorly because of the inflammatory prowess of an openly biased media, and because Republicans' continued fear of them makes them predictable targets. And yet straight talk can still put him in the White House and there is plenty of time to right the ship. The one criticism of yours toward Trump of which we are in total agreement is with his twitter account, which he uses like some sort of blog geek. That needs to go. Even when right, and he often is, the harsh back and forth is beneath any President. Let Hillary cloud the twittersphere with witless-isms, she's a natural.

Trump's endorsements were good enough and the best he could render and not have it look plastic.