Don’t call it a comeback. He’s been here for years.

According to NBC, Michael Avenatti is thinking about getting back into the presidential race:

Avenatti, who in the past represented porn star Stormy Daniels against the likes of President Donald Trump and his then fixer Michael Cohen, told CNBC late on Friday that he is yet again contemplating entering the expansive 2020 arena.

“Never say never,” he said when asked if he’s going to get into the race. “The Dems need a non-traditional fighter. They have a lot of talent but not a lot of fighters.” He later noted that the odds of him getting into the race are at 50/50 and he could make his decision in a few months.

“I don’t think I need to make a final decision for a number of months. I have the name ID and everyone knows I’m one of the few effective fighters that the Dems have,” he said…

“I am increasingly concerned that the Dems don’t have the right fighter to go toe to toe with Trump,” he said. “And the future of the republic and our way of life is on the line. He is a brawler who has no bounds. The Dems need a guy who can match him punch for punch. I may be that guy.”

Is this just about satisfying his desperate need for attention? I mean, he can’t be serious about this, can he? He’s facing multiple felony charges including bank fraud and attempted extortion. He can’t possibly think he has a chance. So what is this about?

I think it’s probably best to view Avenatti the way you would a child actor. He had a shining moment in the sun when CNN decided to make him a household name by having him on television every day. Avenatti became such a star that he started talking about a run for the White House. But the good times didn’t last. After his shoddy handling of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, his appearances on TV dried up. A few months after Kavanaugh was confirmed, Avenatti announced he was not running for president. His celebrity career was on the rocks.

And then came the charges.

Again, it’s not a perfect parallel, but you can probably think of a few child actors who wound up addicted to drugs and in and out of jail. In Avenatti’s case, the charges were attempted extortion of Nike. Alleged embezzlement from a disabled client. His private jet was seized. California moved to suspend his law license. And yet, some truly pathetic part of him still thinks he’s going to be a star again. In his mind, he’s not on the brink of going to prison, he’s still the golden child making his decision about the White House. It’s just sad at this point.

Even if Avenatti were miraculously cleared of all charges tomorrow, he’s never going to have the resistance at his back the way he did when CNN made him a star. Even if he really were innocent, there would still be the disaster of Julie Swetnick. And he would still have been abandoned by his most famous client. If Stormy Daniels can’t trust you, how can anyone else?

It’s been over for a while. Avenatti just doesn’t seem to know it yet.