I remember when it became clear that Hillary Clinton was going to win the 2016 election.

I'm reading "It’s becoming clear that Trump won’t run in 2020" by Joe Scarborough. I mean, I'm reading the headline and laughing. It's on the most-read list at The Washington Post. It's what people want to read, and isn't that what fake news is all about, giving the people what they want (and getting them to want what you want them to want)?

Okay, now I've read the article for you. Isn't that what blogging is all about? I'll give you what I think is the most substantive paragraph in support of the proposition in the headline:

Now, even Trump’s most steadfast allies are quietly admitting that the Southern District of New York’s investigation poses an existential threat to his future, both politically and legally. Trump allies are telling the president his “fixer” could flip for the feds, just like Michael Flynn, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos. In Washington and across the country, Republicans are sensing the president is a wounded political figure, leading them to withhold their future support or — in one high-profile case — to challenge the president directly.

Allies are quietly admitting... Republicans are sensing... and Joe Scarborough is picking up the message. It seems to me Trump has faced vicious opposition all along, and he keeps winning in spite of/because of it. I remember believing — back in October 2016 — that Trump would drop out. I had a tag, Trump drops out....

"I'd never withdraw. I've never withdrawn in my life. No, I'm not quitting. I have tremendous support."

"Zero chance I'll quit."

I'm picturing Trump using the debate as his forum for revealing that he is withdrawing.

It could be very dramatic. The ultimate in showmanship.

Let us look back and say: Nothing in his campaign became him like the leaving it; he withdrew as one that had been studied in withdrawing; to throw away the dearest thing he owned, as 'twere a careless trifle.

Shakespeare reference: here.

Let's assume that Trump is actually flexible enough to get out of the race while the getting is good.

He got out of Atlantic City at the right time, didn't he? He likes to win, and winning can be defined as getting out at a high point and not being there for the big loss. And — as the post title jogs you to think — Trump likes to be flexible. He believes in surprises.

So I'd like to assume that he'd consider the ploy of dropping out and letting someone else take the race to the finish line. The question I want to focus on is: Where is the high point? It's not right now, obviously. He shouldn't be bullied and humiliated out of the race. So where, down the road, can we see a high?

He should think about how to do the most damage to Hillary and then jumping out and making it irrelevant that he was the one who did the damage. Someone else — somebody clean — will be slotted in, and then how can Hillary fight back? She'll have to redo everything and deal with this new person, this Mr. Clean — maybe Pence, but how about Scott Walker? Pick someone hard to attack, someone who'll look just completely normal. That would flummox her after she'd premised so much of her campaign on the idea that she's normal compared to Trump and normal is what we want. If not Trump was so desirable in August, then not Hillary (and not Trump) could be the relief we're all dying for by October.

I'd say he should stay in through at least the first debate. Only he will know that he's planning or considering dropping out. She will waste effort attacking him, her ultimate non-opponent. And he can be as cruel as he thinks could be effective — and as showy and outrageous as will serve his interest going forward in his media career. He's been attacking the media, but he is media, and he will be media in the future (unless he's stuck being President, slogging away in that humble abode, the White House, and getting brutalized by absolutely everyone for 4 years).

What freedom he has right now! What power!