Read Steve Kornacki's piece about why Donald Trump is not a serious candidate for the presidency. Kornacki not only believes this, he's willing to stake the entire contents of his savings account. I think his money's safe.
Years ago, a friend in the campaign business explained to me how lucrative it had been for Pat Buchanan to run for president the two or three times he did it. Buchanan did not get a single electoral vote and I don't see that his candidacy impacted legislation or the direction of this country in any way. But he apparently pocketed, via legal means, an awful lot of money that was donated to his cause, raised his speaking fees, sold more books, got jobs in broadcasting and so forth…all because he not only ran but had just enough credibility that the press took him seriously. You or I couldn't do it and he couldn't do it again…but back then, he was positioned for it, much as Sarah Palin is now.