When you’re a politician, you wind up thinking of the entire country as a focus group.

Do they want this? Let’s get the legislative whip to get people on board. Do they want that? Let’s draft some more legislation. It’s not like most politicians actually care what’s GOOD for the country, they just care what will get them reelected.

So when you hear Trump say he’s not a politician, when you hear his supporters who would benefit from the exact OPPOSITE policies that he supports that they voted for him because he’s not a politician, you realize, they’re all missing what it means to be a politician.

It is quite literally just doing what it takes to be popular. Sure, it means “the study of government” or “activities that govern the people,” but you know the word “metropolis” because you know the suffix “polis,” or “city with a lot of people.” It just means keep people happy.

In that vein, Trump has been desperate to both tease his list of potential VP candidates and keep it close to the vest.

From Axios, we read of his statements about the various candidates for running mates where he triangulates like a mathematician:

• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — “His name is coming up a lot for vice president!”
• Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) — “As a candidate he did a good job, but as a surrogate he’s unbelievable.”
• Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) — “He wasn’t a supporter of mine at the very beginning… He was saying things like ‘the guy’s a total disaster’…any ways I got to know him a little bit… As a non politician, he’s become one of the great senators.”
• Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) — “I love your haircut! … And he’s a good man too.”
• Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) — “[When she ran in 2018] she was like the energizer bunny. She would go from stop to stop to stop.”
• North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum — “I didn’t know this: He was a supporter of my two campaigns. He’s a very rich man.”
• South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem — “Somebody that I love. She’s been with me, a supporter of mine and I’ve been a supporter of hers for a long time. “
• Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — “A very smart person. She was in upstate New York when I met her…little did we realize she would be such a big factor.”
• Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) — “Somebody who’s created something very special politically…I like diversity. Diversité as you would say. I like diversité. [Donors] worth millions of dollars…all want a piece of Byron.”
• Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Tex.) — “Another friend of mine… makes the best commercials…beautiful family.”
• Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) — “A man that knows more about the military. When I want to know about the military, I call him.”

In the end, Trump will likely land on whichever beautiful woman he thinks will make ticket arm candy, but he has to make it seem like he’s focus-grouping to determine a POLITICAL candidate, when in reality, he just wants someone who will help him win.