Is Trump using the Art of the Deal to win the nomination?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Is he just saying what Republican voters want to hear to win the nomination and then swing hard center when he wins?

Setting aside my current hate for him for a second:

Notice that every time he takes a strong position on something - it's the strongest and the most extreme one he can take without actually getting totally stumped. Deportation of illegals, The Wall, China Muslim ban now serve as a few examples. By comparsion his moderate positions are barely ever mentioned even though they are bigger in number. Why does he do this? Several reasons:

1) To dominate the news cycle - He says something outrageous that puts him in the media spotlight for days.

2) The truthful hyperbole - Trump describes this oxymoron in The Art of the Deal - he has been using it for years - by friendly exaggeration you draw the attention to the issue at hand and force others to discuss it, making them realize that there is actually a problem, even if it is not as big as anyone presents it.

3) To appear as the leader on the issue so he can frame the discussion - the issue of problems of the Middle East is now firmly in Trump's hands, Trump is forcing everyone to react to him and it does not matter than most media and representatives don't support him.

4) To have a strong starting position so he can negotiate down later - Trump won't deport 12 million Mexicans and he won't ban Muslims from entering the country. However, he has put himself into a position to accomplish these goals at least partially once he is done negotiating about them. Do I believe he will try? That door is left to be open who knows what Trump honestly believes?

5) To lock down his base - not much to explain here even though I think it's only a secondary motive.

Trump is obsessed with deals and has been his whole life. This is the biggest one yet and he is playing by the same rules he has always played by... and he is winning.

Do I believe he actually believes all the hateful rhetoric he has been spewing in recent months? Yes, but I can be proven wrong and I'll be the first to admit it if I am.

Either he is the greatest politician in U.S history by trolling everyone or his true self has been revealed and will lead to his inevitable demise.

Now does this mean I will ever support him? No, he pretty much turned me off of him the moment he started making these claims.