There are two things to know about con artists: One, they’re having fun; two, once a bluffer tastes the sweet satisfaction of scamming a sucker — one’s born every minute, you know — he can’t stop. Once The Donald realized people would buy his brand of unction, he couldn’t resist. No matter what he said or did, people of good (and not so good) faith donned their protective glasses and refused to see.

Trump was never ideologically driven, though he did surround himself with ideologues as helpmates. Or were they the biggest suckers of all?