Donald Drumpf’s Presidential Run Began in an Effort to Gain Stature
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/us/politics/donald-trump-campaign.html
That evening of public abasement, rather than sending Mr. Trump away, accelerated his ferocious efforts to gain stature within the political world. And it captured the degree to which Mr. Trumps campaign is driven by a deep yearning sometimes obscured by his bluster and bragging: a desire to be taken seriously.
That desire has played out over the last several years within a Republican Party that placated and indulged him, and accepted his money and support, seemingly not grasping how fervently determined he was to become a major force in American politics. In the process, the party bestowed upon Mr. Trump the kind of legitimacy that he craved, which has helped him pursue a credible bid for the presidency.
Everybody has a little regret there, and everybody read it wrong, said David Keene, a former chairman of the American Conservative Union, an activist group Mr. Trump cultivated. Of Mr. Trumps rise, Mr. Keene said, Its almost comical, except its liable to end up with him as the nominee.
Repeatedly underestimated as a court jester or silly showman, Mr. Trump muscled his way into the Republican elite by force of will. He badgered a skittish Mitt Romney into accepting his endorsement on national television, and became a celebrity fixture at conservative gatherings. He abandoned his tightfisted inclinations and cut five- and six-figure checks in a bid for clout as a political donor. He courted conservative media leaders as deftly as he had the New York tabloids.
Stature? Is that the opposite of shrinkage?