TRUMP'S PRO-JESSE JACKSON CAMPAIGN MUSIC -- PLUS: THE GUY TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN REALLY SCREWS (IF HE'S REALLY RUNNING)

So Donald Trump is actually running for president -- or is he? Today he said he is, but Politico notes this:

... Federal Elections Commission records show that, as of noon on Tuesday, Trump has not yet filed any paperwork regarding his candidacy or finances. He has 15 days to do so.

Before Trump's announcement, I was thinking he'd find a way not to run, but this time he'd blame other people for sabotaging him. I suppose this paperwork requirement could be his way of claiming he was forced out of the race. We'll see.

(Please note: In order to appear in the first GOP debate, according to Fox a candidate must be formally registered with the Federal Election Commission and must have paid all state and local filing fees. We'll see if Trump manages that.)

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For his announcement, Trump made his entrance on a Trump Tower escalator to the sound of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World."


ABC US News | World News

The song, first performed in 1989, contains the line "Got a man of the people says keep hope alive" -- a reference to Jesse Jackson's 1988 campaign slogan. So we have a 2016 Republican presidential candidate introducing himself to pro-Jesse Jackson campaign music. The song also contains unpleasant references to then-president George H.W. Bush's rhetoric ("We got a thousand points of light / For the homeless man / We got a kinder, gentler / Machine gun hand").

Trump's Neil Young fandom is as cringe-inducing, and as sincere, as Chris Christie's Bruce Springsteen fandom. Trump praised Young lavishly in Rolling Stone in 2008:

"He's got something very special," Trump says. "I've listened to his music for years and I've seen him before that, but I went to the concert where they were honoring Bob Dylan years ago at Madison Square Garden [Bob Fest 10/16/92] and Neil got up and totally brought the house down. There was nobody close. He's performed for me at my casinos over the years and he just brings it down. I've met him on occasions and he's a terrific guy."

The love affair continues:

.@Neilyoung- one of my favorite musicians- in my office. http://t.co/PaAIZCxUXA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 4, 2014

Go figure.

UPDATE: Young is smiling in the photo above, but the smile in the photo above doesn't indicate political support:

A statement issued to Mother Jones for Young by his longtime manager Elliot Roberts suggests Young was not pleased by Trump's use of the song:

Donald Trump's use of "Rockin' in the Free World" was not authorized. Mr. Young is a longtime supporter of Bernie Sanders.

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And speaking of Chris Christie, he's the guy who should just hang it up if Trump really does file all the necessary paperwork. I mean, obviously Christie should hang it up no matter what -- but serious people have made the not completely credulity-straining argument that the debates offer an opportunity for a back-of-the-pack candidate to break through, and that Christie, being a telegenic blowhard, is just the sort of guy who could have a breakthrough debate moment. Christie could, in other words, be this cycle's Newt Gingrich -- recall Gingrich crowd-delighting attack on CNN's John King in a January 2012 debate.

Well, Christie can forget about that if Trump's in the race. Without Trump, Christie would be the only mouthy Northeasterner in the field. But Trump does Christie's act in a more lapel-grabbing way than Christie does. If Trump's in the debates, there's just no niche for Christie to fill. He should just stay home.