Many years ago, I met a former mayor (selectman) of a small New England township whose brief political career had amazing similarities to that of the man who would become president in 2017.  His story is in many ways a microcosm of the present.  I shall partly fictionalize the account for obvious reasons, but the relevant facts remain, as best as I can remember them. Mister Smith (as I shall call him) owned a small business.  He was concerned that his business, and others in the township, were being stifled due to a number of local political factors, including cronyism, incompetence, and even some outright corruption. Smith was able to get some of his fellow businessmen to raise a little money (a pittance by normal standards) for his run at the top office in the township.  Then, to the shock and dismay of the establishment, he won the election.  Nobody saw it coming, except, of course, for the voters, who not only liked Smith's message, but liked his...(Read Full Post)