La Comedie Humaine, transition edition

Has there ever been a more entertaining transition than Donald Trump’s? I can’t recall one. Nor is it surprising that Trump has entertained us so thoroughly.

With the Mitt Romney saga ending (for the moment at least), we are now being treated to an episode featuring Carly Fiorina. The president-elect met with his female campaign-trail nemesis (the really tough one, not Hillary Clinton) at Trump Tower. Reportedly, she has interviewed to be Trump’s Director of National Intelligence.

You know, hacking by hostile foreign governments and all that.

After the meeting, Fiorina praised Trump and his sports memorabilia collection which she found “really cool.” Fiorina said:

I was particularly taken by Shaq O’Neil’s shoe. I guess it takes a champion to know a champion.

Not really. You just have to watch lots of sports on television. Trust me.

Fiorina was probably Trump’s fiercest critic among the Republican presidential contenders. As late as October of this year, she called on the tycoon to “step aside” and make way for Mike Pence.

The sudden Trump-Fiorina romance prompted Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal to tweet:

He called me ugly. He won. I kissed up. Carly Fiorina, setting a fine example for women everywhere.

Stephens’ shot prompted Kellyanne Conway to tweet:

This tweet is sexist & lacks the self-reflection of a NeverTrumper. But is it appropriate for an WSJ editorial writer @WSJ? @rupertmurdock.

As I said, there has never been a transition this entertaining.

As with much great entertainment, there is less here than meets the eye. Romney and Fiorina are trying to use Trump to obtain power that eluded them when they sought it electorally. Both are old, and this may be their last shot.

Trump is using Romney and Fiorina. But how?

To show that he’s magnanimous? Probably. To see them kiss the ring and do a little bowing? Probably. To see if they have anything to offer his administration? Quite possibly. To “torture” them? Maybe, but I doubt it.

It’s standard human comedy material being presented to us by a master entertainer in the Age of Twitter.

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