Twice in recent days I saw Ivanka Trump on TV saying that her father would be "incredible" and "amazing" for women as President.
She didn't offer details, and guess what? There aren't any, because as TIME reports, you won't find plans for dealing with paid family leave, equal pay, or sexual harassment outlined on his website.
Maybe his plans are as "secret" as he said his strategy would be to win states people didn't think he could win. But she's apparently become the power behind the Louis Quatorze-style throne in his campaign.
So who is this daughter of his first wife? She has an undergraduate degree in economics from Wharton. She's been a model. She once hosted the Miss Teen USA Pageant. She has her own fashion line that Wikipedia says includes "clothes, handbags, shoes, and accessories" most of which is not made in the U.S. (like father, like daughter). She has a connection to Putin, though not as deep as her father's. Lastly, she works for her father, and her political experience is nil.
On the other hand, she's not a loose cannon, but that seems a pretty low bar for an eminence grise. Politico puts it this way: "She is the softer, more refined side of the Trump brand and an antidote to the candidate's abrasiveness."
Journalists and talking heads seem to have been working over-time to say something nice about the Trump kids because their Father is so irascible, irresponsible, and potentially even disturbed. But nothing anyone's reported about Ivanka inspires real confidence in her role as major advisor.
In fact, the opposite is true. She sadly echoes his vague promises of greatness. And she's apparently led the failed "interventions" to get him to act more presidential.
So there you have it: an amateur candidate running a slapdash, disaster-prone campaign which is a family affair, despite the GOP's repeated efforts to put it on a more solid, professional footing.
Great bizarro TV, but lousy politics.
Lev Raphael is the author of 25 books in genres from mystery to memoir that you can find on Amazon.