Donald J Trump: "Tell people your plan is to make the country great again, all the while aiming to line your own pockets."Twitter

“Victory deals humbling setback to Donald Trump” ran the New York Times headline after the Iowa caucuses and The Donald’s disappointing second place.

Iowa Republicans instead sent a strong signal on Monday night that they were not drinking the Trump Kool-Aid and were much more likely to side with Senator Marco Rubio or Senator Ted Cruz in the presidential race.

It must have been a crushing moment for Trump, who had lorded the polls since entering the presidential race in June. He barely held on to second place. Alas, the polls were false gods.

Celebrity is what drew so many to Trump rallies, yet celebrity is a double edged sword. Were people there to gape at one of America’s most famous men or vote for him? It seems for a lot of them it was the former.

Leading by as much as eleven points in some polls going into the Iowa caucuses. Trump could practically smell the fresh paint applied on the White House railings for every inauguration. A win in Iowa, a win in New Hampshire and he was unstoppable.

But Republicans – or at least Iowans – are not the extremists so many suspected they were. They were not voting for the grim vision of Donald Trump for America where nothing worked in a dystopian nightmare and the country was weak at home and abroad.

Every successful politician, such as JFK and Ronald Reagan, proved a president must have a sunny disposition and outlook and inspire rather than bully and entreat.

The Iowa Republicans also knew in their heart Trump had insulted his way into the pole position with a lapdog media covering every Trump speech livein the hope of new controversy. They also know they faced a very tough battle to win the White House back and that Trump was far too big a gamble to take.

Trump clearly erred badly in not taking part in the final debate which allowed the focus to shift to Cruz and Rubio.

Trump was gracious in his remarks on losing, but inside he must have felt he was kicked by a mule given how much he has focused on winning and coming first, endlessly reading his polls while on stage and dismaying his opponents with sharp personal attacks.

Trump, like everyone else, was sadly misled by the polls. He looks like a busted flush as a result.



Read more: Donald Trump reminds Holocaust survivors of Adolf Hitler