If you run in conservative circles these days, it seems you have one of those stories to tell. You know the one I am talking about. The one that keeps you up at night wondering “How the HELL does that happen?”. Like many of you, I too have many friends who have been seduced by a man I never would have thought capable of mass seduction. Yes, ladies and gentleman I am speaking of #DonaldTrump. That orange guy with the oddly pink lips, and the insane blonde comb-over? Yes, THAT guy.

Only in 2008 have we seen anything like it. When we all joked about the appearance of the Obambies on the political scene. You remember them, right? Screaming “YES WE CAN!!” at the tops of their lungs, fainting at his rallies and requiring medical intervention. Well, this year it is our turn to sit on the sidelines dumbfounded at what our previously “deep bench” this year has morphed into-the GOP version of “The Apprentice”. Only, no one is firing the Donald.

The way that he stumbles through debates, no hard policy in sight, would have knee capped a less talented Don Juan long before now. Did I just compare the obnoxious, bloviating Trump to the legendary lover? Why yes, yes I did.

As Virginia Hume pointed out in her NationalReview.com post entitled “Donald Trump: Master Seducer” he follows the playbook of author Robert Greene in his work “The Art of Seduction” to a tee.

When Donald first entered the race last summer I told my husband “Well the good thing is he will force the others to talk about things that matter and that they don’t want to discuss.” I sincerely doubted that he would actually file and continue into the primary season. I thought he would come in, make a splash by saying some crazy stuff, make others talk about the issues like immigration, entitlement reform and other hot topics politicos who are trying to win our favor studiously avoid. Do I hate it when I am wrong!

No, he stayed. He keeps on staying, and spreading his virus, like the Obambies of elections past. Jonah Goldberg pointed out that even people like him, who run in some of the most conservative circles around, are not immune to this years version of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

How does he do it? In four easy steps, evidently.

1. Locate the object of his seduction-Lets call these fed up GOP voters
2. Tell them what they want to hear-Greene recommends seducers “use the demonic power of words to sow confusion. . . . Say what they want to hear, fill their ears with whatever is pleasant to them. . . . Inflame people’s emotions with loaded phrases.”
3. Freedom from core beliefs-If you as the candidate don’t have any guiding principles it is easy not to be swayed by them.
4. Be well connected in the media-The useful idiots of the media will give you billions in free press, thus amplifying the reach of your insane rhetoric.

Is it really that easy? Sadly, it would seem so. If you thought Americans were peeved in 2008, just stop and consider what most middle class people you know have dealt with in these past eight years. Job loss, some not able to find new jobs, graduates who cannot find those coveted first jobs since older folks are not retiring, their savings wiped out by the housing bubble and stock crashes.

Now consider what Trump is selling. “Make America great again!”, “We will win so much when I am President, you will get sick of winning!”, “I will bring all the jobs back from China, from Mexico!”. Sounds great, right? Just like water to a man who has crawled through the desert.

Be strong my friends, and stay thirsty. Because if that swill is what Trump is selling I say #NeverTrump.