I had a close friend who became a hardcore Trump guy (we quietly drifted apart). Before that happened, he had gotten really into Dick Masterson, the misogynist shtick comic and author of "Men Are Better Than Women."

I never understood what was funny about the guy. His only bit was that he was just an outward piece of shit.

Eventually I realized that my friend didn't so much think this guy was funny as much as he actively admired him for being a piece of shit.

The fact that so many people voted for Trump has proven that Trumpism is alive and well, and that's terrifying. But the question is, whether any politician besides Trump can harness it. Trump's appeal wasn't just his style, his politics, or his positions.

Sure, some Trump voters were in it for the politics, and may or may not have liked the man personally. But for a whole lot of people, the appeal was that he was genuinely an unhinged antisocial narcissist who truly and honestly didn't care about a single human being in the world.

I think I understand it, in a way. It's freeing, not having to care about anything or anyone. That's what Trump unlocked. Can someone who isn't Trump, someone who has even a little self-respect or competence, fake it enough to do what he did? I don't know. I hope not.

Trump, to our great misfortune, is not a grifter. He's the real deal. That's genuinely who he is. I can tell you this, if there is Trump after Trump, it won't be a politician or even a pundit.