but, listen: i actually think that some people somewhere may have something on him. i know that sounds conspiratorial. and i have absolutely no evidence; it's just a hunch. but the reality is that this is actually how politics works, right. it's not just about buying influence. i mean, what's to stop trump from lying his way in to power and just not doing anything he said? i mean, this process works both ways, right. all we've ever seen is the obama-style politician that says they're going to do great things, then doesn't. this is likely what trump will end up as, too (if you think his proposals are "great things"). but there's really not any reason why the process couldn't work in reverse. there's been persistent mumbling for decades that reagan tried to reverse himself, and got shot as a result. and, the motives behind jfk's death remain unclear.
so, yes, there's influence buying. it's necessary, but not sufficient. you've also got these shady motherfuckers that sneak around in the shadows and find ways to make sure that the candidates can't get out of their control by blackmailing them into compliance.
i suspect - i have no evidence - that trump's expected compliance with the status quo will have everything to do with what are in his taxes. oops.
so, how this plays out is interesting to me. you could have both candidates facing charges. and, that might be exactly what the bastards actually want.