"How can Donald Trump be so popular?" asked an administrator at my college (she has a degree in political science) this morning. This is an excellent question, and one that requires many, many explanations converging to form the perfect opportunity for the presidential candidate I call "The Ego."
What are some of the factors? This is not an exhaustive list, but a good start at trying to untangle the Trump Phenomenon:
1. The merging of politics and entertainment is now mature. This has been developing for a long time (my best paper in grad school was one where I wrote about how as politics becomes entertainment, politicians will become entertainers), but has probably fully matured to the point where there is no longer any doubt that politics is entertainment.
2. Trump is using his acuity from both his area of business (cutting deals, which means selling dreams more than than actual products) and his experience as a reality star to control the flow of attention from other candidates to himself. I saw something recently that likened his behavior to some of the most despicable players in various reality shows (all but one of whom did not win, despite their ability to manipulate the others for a long period of time).
3. The collapse of FCC regulations that governed equal time and fairness allows Trump to give the media what they crave: easy access to sensational items that viewers desire. Ironically, the Republicans dismantled FCC regulation of political communication, which now allows CNN to interview Trump right after the debate ad then include him on a panel discussion with CNN commentators a few minutes later (nobody else was on it).
4. Trump knows how to fire up the subtle bigotry and racism that lies dormant with a significant segment of our public until it is activated by a demagogue like Trump. This is a long an complicated explanation, and so I will defer details for now and instead point you here.
5. The socioeconomic reality we face right now. A study of the equality gap by zip code was recently released that drives home the problem of white, non-college graduate males face in the current economy. They are hurting, and Trump's message seems almost tailor made to heighten fear about China, Mexico and the rest of the world that makes it hard for what political scientist Michael Hrrington referred to as "working people of the middle class" to have a lifestyle like the ones they remembered growing up.
I could go on, but yes, Trump is a surprise and it is distressing. I think the Republicans changed some rules four years ago thinking it would help the frontrunner (they thought it would be Bush or someone like him) that also help Trump.
My immediate thoughts...
What are some of the factors? This is not an exhaustive list, but a good start at trying to untangle the Trump Phenomenon:
1. The merging of politics and entertainment is now mature. This has been developing for a long time (my best paper in grad school was one where I wrote about how as politics becomes entertainment, politicians will become entertainers), but has probably fully matured to the point where there is no longer any doubt that politics is entertainment.
2. Trump is using his acuity from both his area of business (cutting deals, which means selling dreams more than than actual products) and his experience as a reality star to control the flow of attention from other candidates to himself. I saw something recently that likened his behavior to some of the most despicable players in various reality shows (all but one of whom did not win, despite their ability to manipulate the others for a long period of time).
3. The collapse of FCC regulations that governed equal time and fairness allows Trump to give the media what they crave: easy access to sensational items that viewers desire. Ironically, the Republicans dismantled FCC regulation of political communication, which now allows CNN to interview Trump right after the debate ad then include him on a panel discussion with CNN commentators a few minutes later (nobody else was on it).
4. Trump knows how to fire up the subtle bigotry and racism that lies dormant with a significant segment of our public until it is activated by a demagogue like Trump. This is a long an complicated explanation, and so I will defer details for now and instead point you here.
5. The socioeconomic reality we face right now. A study of the equality gap by zip code was recently released that drives home the problem of white, non-college graduate males face in the current economy. They are hurting, and Trump's message seems almost tailor made to heighten fear about China, Mexico and the rest of the world that makes it hard for what political scientist Michael Hrrington referred to as "working people of the middle class" to have a lifestyle like the ones they remembered growing up.
I could go on, but yes, Trump is a surprise and it is distressing. I think the Republicans changed some rules four years ago thinking it would help the frontrunner (they thought it would be Bush or someone like him) that also help Trump.
My immediate thoughts...
