There are two options: (1) he ends up getting nothing done, in which case our system is fully capable of moving forward by inertia as it has under Obama, or (2) he ends up surprising people and being a far better President than they gave him credit for.

This makes voting Trump a far better proposition than choosing any of the alternatives - who are we to choose, a deranged old socialist who doesn't understand how money works, the most fundamentally corrupt and compromised person in US politics, a maniacal ideologue with no experience who has managed to alienate everyone he's ever worked with, or an empty suit of ambition who won't win anyway?

If either party had a truly compelling candidate Trump wouldn't be where he is. The reality is, however, that he is the most compelling candidate because he will correct course for all of Obama's faults. He is blunt and not politically correct, he wants to cut deals and knows how to, he projects power and will give Americans a sense of leadership. None of the other candidates can address all of Obama's failures in one person.

And as for what the rest of the world thinks of us, who cares? We aren't in a popularity contest. The people who hate us hate us even when Obama is kissing their ass and the people who like us will like us despite anything Trump might say. He's been effective in international trade and this isn't rocket science. People who want to get deals done find a way to work with their partners. People who are going to fight will fight even with the best and nicest people on the other side. 17 years of experience has convinced me of that much.