Let Trump Debate? Here’s How The 2016 Presidential Race Looks Right Now.

Please excuse my two-week absence from these hallowed pages. I snuck into Mexico to work illegally because I love irony. Good people, good food.

I will double back to The Donald just to make a quick point before going around the horn on the latest developments in the presidential race. He said repeatedly that he is really, really rich in his kick-off event. I don’t know who is advising him, but most political consultants will tell you that self-financed candidates usually lose, often spectacularly.

The reason is simple; no one else has a stake in their success. A donation to a candidate is an investment. When you invest you want that investment to pay off. You make calls, you knock on doors, and you pester your friends and relations to give their money and time. Trump of all people should understand that when a start-up, which is what a campaign essentially is, has no stake holders, it has no growth potential. He literally hired actors to pretend to be supporters at his launch. Even if he wasn’t an odious fool, he would still be a presidential nowhere man. Should he be in the debates? I’m back to not caring.

As for the rest of the field, there has been some interesting movement so let’s drill down on some of the non-carnival barkers. In the easiest political decision since opposing Jonathon Gruber, Rand Paul joined a chorus of everyone in calling for the Confederate battle flag to be removed from all Lynyrd Skynyrd albums. Bush and Walker found their footing after some poll slippage due to their saying things out loud. Marco Rubio has finally become the story we all knew the media would make sure he did, surging into third place nationally.

It looks like the total number of candidates will settle out around 16. Twelve are declared and Bobby Jindal is set to announce his intention to be a second tier candidate, drop out in December and go to work at FOX News later today. Chris Christie, John Kasich and Scott Walker aren’t officially in, but likely will be soon. It still wouldn’t surprise me if Christie decides there is no room in the field for him despite the lap band surgery. Really Don, fat jokes?

As we inch closer to the first debate, all of this poll movement has shaken up the bottom of the list of potential participants. As of this moment, Perry and Trump would join the 8 who have been in the top-tier for months while Fiorina, Kasich, Graham, Jindal, Santorum, and Pataki would be left drinking at the hotel bar. That would be disappointing for a number of reasons. Fiorina is really impressive on her feet and is a great spoil for Hillary. Kasich and Pataki are/were successful governors of large, important states. Jindal is whip smart, creative and unafraid to challenge GOP orthodoxy (See, I can be nice). Graham is a duller version of Donald Trump and Rick Santorum has the evocative personality of an apple snail, so whatever. Of course Santorum almost became the nominee last time so…soooooo…..I’m thinking that field sucked.

On the Democrat side, Bernie-mentum rolls on unabated as liberals continue to distract themselves on the way to Martin O’Malley’s nomination. Am I kidding? Am I? For her part Hillary was finally forced to say something about something. Apparently she was thinking about being inclined to maybeeeeeeee…..oppose? the trade deal…if that’s cool with you guys. #profilesincourage

RELATED: 10 Reasons Hillary Should Never Be President

Looking ahead, everyone is preparing for two Supreme Court rulings that could come as early as today. I expect the Court to uphold Obamacare subsidies in states without their own exchanges and nationalize gay marriage. Both decisions will charge up GOP voters and offer rhetorical red meat as well as messaging challenges for all of the candidates moving forward.

Finally with the passage of TPA/TAA/TPP/YMCA/MSNBC, let us remember that it was John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and company who enabled Obama’s extra-Constitutional, internationalist liberty grab. I don’t have a joke for that. I just want everyone to remember. There’s an election coming up.