Another YouGov Poll shows Trump widening his lead amid the group of Presidential Candidates.

There is clearly a core group of registered voters who identify as Republicans that has coalesced around Trump’s tough talk and proposals. He is even more clearly in first place than he was two weeks ago when Republicans are asked to choose among the current candidates.

Two weeks ago, in the Economist/YouGov Poll, 27% of registered voters who identified as Republicans chose Trump as their first or second choice for the nomination. This week, 28% say he is their first choice, and another 10% rank him second, totaling 38%.

Meanwhile, seemingly intended to isolate, ridicule and marginalize 38% of his audience, and to the absolute glee of liberals/progressives, Glenn Beck announces he will no longer allow talk or discussion of Donald Trump to appear on his broadcasts:

[…]  “I’m sick of it, so we’re moving on. I just can’t do another show about it,” said Stu Burguiere, who is co-hosting the show while Beck deals with medical issues.

Co-host Pat Gray described the show as “Now with 100 percent less Donald Trump talk, other than saying we’re 100 percent Trump-free.”

Beck’s show joins the Huffington Post in casting doubt on Trump’s controversial campaign. The website announced last week it will categorize stories about Trump as entertainment, rather than politics.  (link)

~ TOP SHELF ~

Via Business Insider – The baseball hat Donald Trump wore on his mission to the Mexican border on Thursday quickly achieved meme status. And now, you can buy your own copy of the hat, which is emblazoned with Trump’s presidential campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

On Friday morning, a Trump campaign aide confirmed to Business Insider that the hats are on sale at Trump Tower in Manhattan and are “coming soon to DonaldJTrump.com.” The aide said all of the campaign merchandise was “made in the USA.”

Business Insider visited Trump Tower where the woman at the store in the lobby said the hats arrived on Friday morning. They are available in three colors: red, blue, and the white model Trump wore on his border trip. The hats cost $20.

We were informed that “Mr. Trump” wanted us “to have a hat.” It was given to us packaged in a gold foil bag that was tied with ribbon. Inside, the hat was wrapped in black tissue paper festooned with the “Trump Store” logo. Two other pieces of tissue paper were used to decorate the bag. We asked if the elaborate packaging was because Trump gave us the hat personally.

“We wrap everything like this,” the woman said.

Though she did not know how many hats were sold on Friday, the woman said there were “only two” white caps left when we arrived. Along with the hats, the store in Trump Tower is selling $15 Trump campaign t-shirts. They are also giving away Trump “Make America Great Again” bumper stickers for free.

While we were at Trump Tower, a man who said his name was “Bob” stopped by the store and took one of the free bumper stickers. Business Insider asked Bob if he planned on voting for Trump.

“I’ll tell you I like what he’s saying I really do,” Bob said.

We also asked Bob what he thought about the hats and t-shirts.

“I think he’s a great showman,” Bob said of Trump.

Check out pictures of the hats on sale and their impressive packaging (at link)

Reading the experience of the reporters -and the well presented hat in the story above- it reminded me of a shoe repair store, a cobbler, I visited many years before.

When my father passed away, his closet contained a pair of magnificently hand-made alligator skin dress shoes which he owned for several years.  The polished uppers and care I noted in the dutifully replaced leather soles reminded me of how Dad never saw much in life as disposable.  He saved up to get the best, and when he afforded it he took great pride in maintaining simple but magnificent possessions.

Apropos of something, I suppose, that it would make me feel connected to him as I walked many, many business miles in those shoes, his shoes – my shoes.  Numerous people often remarked about them, they were quite special for many reasons.

It was well over two decades later when I took them for another re-soling to a small Italian fellow who did incredible hand made cobbler repairs and the most magnificent clothing manufacturing.  It was an annual trip, and we had grown quite familiar.

The Master’s Hand – During this visit I noticed him working upon his meticulously clean, yet well worn, counter with a wooden box, ribbons and some silk cloth.  As we chatted he wrapped a pair of newly polished ox blood shoes in the silk cloth, and tied a perfectly crossed bow to hold them together.  He then placed the shoes in the box with a hand written note on stiff card stock along with two small beautifully foiled chocolates.

I said to him, “wow, those must be some pretty amazing shoes“.  He smiled and replied “actually, they are, and unfortunately due to the decades of wear they simply can no longer be repaired“. Thoughtfully, he continued: “so I am awaiting the owner visit to let him know the bad news“.  He closed the box, wrapped a wider ribbon again in a perfectly crossed bow, and set the box on a shelf behind him.

He turned, still smiling, and as he began to write my ticket he said:

“Even something not worth doing, is worth not doing well”…

As I watched the care he put into the presentation, and later thought about his words, it struck a cord inside me rather remarkably.

Here was a man so dedicated to his craft he was putting incredible effort into something he couldn’t do, these are shoes he couldn’t repair.   And he did it with such amazing attention to detail.

This, I understood, was a master’s hand.   So committed to doing things well, that even business he would never profit from was tendered back to the customer in better form.  In a splendor and care befitting his dedication to his craft.

What an amazing reputation to cultivate, and how fortunate was I to have born witness to it in such a simple exchange.

In various forms I’ve told that story to hundreds of former associates, colleagues and peers as an example of delivering our very best, with humility, even when we knew from the outset there would be no gain, no profit, no actuarial benefit, no recaptured cost except the immeasurable pride we can feel by reflecting our very best.

In rather conspicuous terms, and obviously with a great deal more pomp, for some reason Trump reminds me of that cobbler.

Yeah, “Make America Great Again” – I can go for a good dose of that…..