Famous rich guy Donald Trump was almost adorable when he announced his presidential campaign in June. It was his big "you never thought I'd do it!" moment. Pundits predicted that The Donald would soon find himself with poll numbers so small they'd be measured in people, not percentages.
But then he shot to the top of the charts for the Republican nomination, propelled in part by his media exposure.
Even Jon Stewart wished for his success -- at least in the short-term -- arguing that Trump is comedy gold
But here are 5 reasons why Donald Trump is no joke.
He will push the country more to the right
If Trump had announced his campaign and then sunk to the bottom of the Republican pile, other candidates could have ignored him. But his double-digit lead among Republicans in one prominent poll means that they will have to take notice -- and possibly amend their own positions so not to be outmaneuvered from the right.
Everything he says makes America look awful
Here are just some of the things Trump has said that should make anyone living in America curl into a ball of shame.
Mexico "are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems to us," Trump said as he announced his campaign in June. "They are bringing drugs, and bringing crime, and their rapists."
On the recent nuclear deal with Iran, Trump said: "You know the Iranians are going to cheat. They're great negotiators and you know they're going to cheat."
Most recently, he said that Sen. John McCain is no war hero." McCain spent more than five years as a prisoner during the Vietnam War. Trump's line? "I like people that weren’t captured."
He could create even more gridlock in an already stagnant Congress
For years, Congress has been locked in a battle with President Barack Obama over such issues as healthcare and immigration. Trump's positions on both subjects are diametrically opposed to the president's, and that can't be a good thing for a nation desperate for some type of political middle-ground -- especially as he could end up pushing other lawmakers to the right. (See the first point.)
He will overshadow legitimate candidates
On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced his run for the Republican presidential nomination and -- let's face it -- it didn't generate the kind of media palpitations as when Trump announced in June.
Kasich's resume, though, is arguably more relevant to the nation's top job as it includes 18 years in Congress. When Donald Trump talked about why he should be president during his announcement, he offered this: "I’m really rich."
Given that the first GOP debate will only include the 10 highest-polling candidates of the current 16 Republicans in the field, Kasich may not be heard as Trump will effectively take his place.
Which leads us to the final and biggest point:
He takes time away from substantial discussion
Presidential elections offer the rare chance of a national debate of the issues that matter. But instead of having a real conversation about how to govern the country, we end up focusing on a "toxic mix of demagoguery and nonsense."
You know it's bad when Sen. Lindsey Graham gets this upset.
Graham campaign manager statement: pic.twitter.com/ahtwyl0Jvl— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) July 21, 2015
Graham also referred to Trump as a "jackass".
For sure, he isn't joking.