I know that some may think me mostly a cynic, and I am, but my society is a cynical one too.

And I wonder how that is working into our elections this year.

I think one reason Trump gets such a reaction is that he knows how to work in the year 2016. So many of the other candidates seem to be lost somewhere in the past. They can’t play the game of rapid social media. They can’t really grasp how to get way ahead of the media steam rollers.

When Trump criticizes Jeb! for being “low energy” what Trump is really saying is that Jeb! has failed to know how to manipulate the system in the year 2016. Jeb!’s strategies now seem a couple of decades out of date, as he does personally.

It’s takes a lot of skill to maneuver around our cynical society. A sharp tongue and quick wit are necessary. The good ol’ boy network can put one on stage, but they can’t make one be a contemporary shaker on that stage, in our world of weekly trends.

And that is the story of this year’s campaign, so far, I gather.