R i g h t a r d i a: Opinion: Do you want a school yard bully in the bully pulpit?

Donald Trump is well-known for being an eccentric blow hard. He is a successful real estate developer, but hardly the most successful in NYC. The Durst organization, for example, is several times larger.

Trump pledged to Republicans in the first GOP debate Thursday night that he would run third party of he doesn't get the nomination.

He also mishandled Megyn Kelly's question about derogatory comments Trump has made about women. Trump knew the question was coming and fumbled it. He deflected the "fat pig" quote with a one liner about Rosie O'Donnel,

He could have responded to the other inappropriate comments he's made about women with an apology, but that not "The Donald's style.

Donald Trump is a good example of what Lawrence Kohberg would describe as pre-conventional. Looks at Trumps' comment his refusal to pledge to support the GOP nominee:

“Why should I give up that leverage? If they don’t treat me well, you know, you’re talking about the establishment Republicans. If they don’t treat me well Sean, why should I make that pledge?

This is an example of what Lawrence Kohlberg would call pre-conventiaonl thinking. In other words, you rub my back and I rub yours. This is tit for tat thinking or what attorneys call quid pro quo.

Wikipedia described it this way:

The pre-conventional level of moral reasoning is especially common in children, although adults can also exhibit this level of reasoning. Reasoners at this level judge the morality of an action by its direct consequences. The pre-conventional . . . is solely concerned with the self in an egocentric manner. A child with pre-conventional morality has not yet adopted or internalized society's conventions regarding what is right or wrong, but instead focuses largely on external consequences that certain actions may bring.

Pre-conventionals think right action consists of what instrumentally satisfies one's own needs. Vengeance is considered a moral duty. People are valued in terms of their utility. It's "An eye for an eye" philosophy. Kohlberg referred to such people as instrumental egoists.

Here is another example. Trump explains his donations to the Clintons. Trump invites them to come to his wedding as a joke,

“they (the Clintons) did come to the wedding, but they came because I’m a donor. If I wanted something, I’ve never wanted anything, but if I wanted something — and I’ve contributed.

Here is a third example of pre-conventional thinking:

"Honestly, Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you, although I could probably not be based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn't do that."

Pre-conventional thinkers use prid quo pro thinking. You do something for me and I do something for you, Kohlberg called this simple reciprocity.

The Donald could have retained low tones after the debate, but he called Megyn Kelly a "bimbo and a lightweight. Trump also said her questions were very unfair. He added injury to insult by saying on CNN:

You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.

Trump later slammed Erick Erickson of the RedState Gathering for disinviting him. The event features GOP presidential hopefuls this weekend in Atlanta. Trump was scheduled to give the keynote speech Saturday night.

As for Erickson -- who is also a Fox News contributor -- Trump called him a "total loser" who "has a history of supporting establishment losers in failed campaigns so it is an honor to be uninvited from his event."

This is a typical pre-conventioanl repsonse.

When Erickson told the gathering Saturday morning that Trump would not be attending, the news was greeted with a mix of applause and boos.

Folks, I've given Donald Trump a lot of latitude because he's not a professional politician. He's been a very blunt talker. I've said some dumb things in my life, then I've apologized for them,

Erickson continued. "I've got my wife here, I've got my daughter here, I've got 800 friends of mine here. It's a family-friendly program, and if he's not going to clarify that this isn't what he meant, I don't think I want him at my event."

Does Trump have a problem with women? Penny Young Nance, the CEO and president of the conservative group Concerned Women for America, told CNN that Trump's "tantrum was even more enlightening than his original remarks she questioned."

Every presidential election since 1964 has been carried by women. Women don't like mean and we certainly won't vote for men or women we don't trust. Trump's biggest woman problem is how does he convince women to trust him. . .

Trump does have a problem with women, who are 53 per cent of the electorate. In Trumps' first divorce, his wife refused to have sexual relations with him for 16 months and it was alleged in the divorce proceedings that Trump raped her while pulling out her hair, Later Ivana said the rape "was not in the criminal sense.

Give thanks to Megyn Kelly for outing a man who is unfit to be president. We don't need a bully in the bully pulpit. We do not need to a President who makes rash decisions because he is offended by someone or something in the international community.

source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/27/ex-wife-donald-trump-made-feel-violated-during-sex.html