Is Donald Trump a closet President Obama supporter? That’s the only logical conclusion to draw from the Donald’s recent foray into presidential politics. If he keeps up his kooky bid for the GOP nomination, he’ll damage the party and its chances to win the White House in 2012. And if he’s seriously considering running as an Independent — as he’s hinted he would if he fails to win the Republican nomination — he virtually guarantees Obama’s re-election.

Trump may be entertaining — millions of fans of his reality television shows seem to think so, though the appeal eludes me. But it’s one thing for Trump to play rich bully for ratings and another to use his celebrity status to peddle wacky conspiracy theories that harm political discourse.