Here’s something: a lefty post from the trenchant scholar Corey Robin on the provocative fact that mainstream proof of Trump’s unseriousness as a presidential candidate has now devolved on his lack of funds. The post is no defense or promotion of Trump: Robin is a close, critical student of conservative ideology from Burke to the Tea Party. He’s noting how fundraising skills now equate, in traditional politics, with political competence:
I take it as a given that Trump is a con man and a grifter, who is more than likely in this just for the money (never underestimate the grifter’s appetite for the buck.) But notice what he is saying: I don’t need money to speak. I can communicate directly with the media. Not just communicate, but have an actual back and forth, where reporters get to ask me questions and I get to answer them.
And notice this journalist’s response to that claim: That kind of communication with the media is not the mark of a serious candidate in a democratic election. . .
More here.
In at The End of The World 
Have been meaning to comment on this post. Yes, xx’s observation is fascinating. If any other candidate had proposed to run a campaign that didn’t require them to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to be credible, we’d be hailing the candidate as bold. And, well, certainly Trump is that. Of course, Trump has the financial resources to give $50 million to his campaign and the celebrity status that earned him so much free media.
This cycle could end up being an almost laboratory condition test for the effectiveness of television advertising in a national campaign. At this point, Trump’s ceding the airwaves to Hillary, who has made major media buys in seven battle ground states between now and the conventions. I’m sure that between now and November Trump or a Trump Super PAC (if it’s functioning) will start to run some ads. But, the disparity between the media buys is likely to be enormous.
It’s one thing when both sides spend equally the same amount of money on traditional advertising. Absent a smash hit like the Dukakis tank ad or the Swift Boat stuff, all those television messages just cancel each other out. Will there be a measurable difference this year if Hillary vastly outspends Trump on traditional media?
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