It’s become clear that, with respect to the American Presidential Campaign, this has become the Year of the Asshole. Donald Trump is obviously exhibit #1, but he’s hardly the only one. On the Republican side, the other candidates who have gotten some traction are Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz, and with the exception of Carson, that group is (with Trump) an assortment of assholes if there ever was one.

Ben Carson, more than being an asshole, just seems to be a liar. And bizarre. And medicated. In any case, it doesn’t really matter, because it appears that his moment has come and gone.

Carly Fiorina’s moment may also have come and gone. So far Carly has been an equal opportunity asshole. Whatever a man can do, she can do better. Except for being as big an asshole as Donald Trump. I don’t think she can quite match Trump.

Ted Cruz is on the ascendancy, and he appears to be the “establishment” choice other than Trump. Too bad, because he is an asswipe of major proportions. If you don’t know that now, trust me, you’ll see. Cruz can keep up with anyone in the asshole department.

Even on the left, we have Bernie Sanders, who just won Time’s reader’s poll as “Man of the Year.” Bernie isn’t an asshole. He’s just . . . what’s the word we’re looking for here? . . . irascible.

And then there is Donald Trump. He just called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” Trump is the Captain of the Clown Car, and that was a load of red meat for his electorate.

The Republicans have been delivering red meat of this kind to their electorate for years. They’ve been feeding their electorate through Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter, and of course, Rush Limbaugh. And now the electorate can’t get enough red meat. Enter Donald Trump.

A few people on the left have been comparing Trump to Hitler after his latest outburst. That comparison is absurd. It’s reduction ad Hitlerium. Trump isn’t a fascist. He’s a clown. With Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

I don’t think Trump actually wants to be President, any more than Sarah Palin actually wanted to be the Governor of Alaska. He just wants to run for President. It’s feeding his massively outsized ego, and allowing him to think that he matters. Trump doesn’t matter. He’s going to be a footnote in history, just like Ross Perot and Admiral Stockdale.

But he might be taking the Republican party down with him. One can only hope, because this party of racists and idiots and born-again racists and idiots is not deserving of the name “the party of Lincoln.”