Despite a successful “Dump Trump” effort, the polarizing presidential candidate is rising in the polls.
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The Donald.
Like Madonna, Cher and Oprah, Mr. Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, is identified in the marketplace by just his first name.
Mr. Trump is a major brand by all measures, particularly in the category of name recognition, which is arguably the most important measurement, especially in politics.
And I assume it was his awareness of stardom and belief in his invincibility as a brand that led the real estate mogul to think he could articulate any point he pleased, no matter how visceral or offensive to the listener, and continue business as usual.
That belief was quickly shattered as several of Mr. Trump’s business partners, prompted by public pressure, put an end their profitable relationship due to his inflammatory remarks about immigrants, for which he remains unapologetic.
Despite Univision, NBC and, as of today, Macy’s severing ties with Mr. Trump, and a considerable amount of backlash directed towards him on social media, he nears the top of a CNN/ORC poll released today, just behind Mr. Jed Bush. In terms of support, according to CNN, Mr. Trump currently stands at 12%, up from the 3% marker which he stood prior to his announcement.
CNN looked at how Mr. Trump and Mr. Bush, the top two GOP candidates, fared among subgroups:
Conservatives split their support between Bush and Trump, 12% back each. Likewise, among voters age 50 or older, 14% support Bush and 14% back Trump. By contrast, among Republicans under age 50, Bush is the only candidate in double-digits with 23%, Trump has just 9% support. And moderate or liberal Republicans back Bush over Trump 27% to 10%.
Ironically, CNN notes that Mr. Trump is seen as the best candidate to handle immigration, but it was his comments regarding the issue that set off the controversy that led to significant de-scaling of his market reach.
A character the world loves to watch, Mr. Trump has become, at the moment, the living definition of polarizing, as he rises in the political world while declining in the marketplace.
The poll numbers and public outcry ignited an inquiry in my mind: Is Donald Trump a patriot of bigot?
The answer to that inquiry varies depending which tweet you read or who you talk to. Mr. Trump’s perceived racist remarks, even the ones about President Barack Obama and his place of birth, seem to stem from his love for America and desire to see America actually be a superpower, and not just say it is. But his candor is often seen by many as crass, and in the moment, un-presidential.
I happen to love watching Mr. Trump on television, but usually when I know the scenes to follow are a boardroom brawl and a firing. But thinking of Mr. Trump and his remarks about immigrants and young African-Americans, I, too, question whether he’s presidential material.
Regarding Mr. Trump being a patriot or bigot, though many, on any given day, assign him either title, I think he’s neither. I perceive him to be a branded man who thinks controversy creates cash and who has adopted the thinking that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
And maybe in the marketplace those rules are true, but as a presidential candidate, controversy and bad publicity are actually indicators of a high-risk candidate who may see an impeachment trial before a Nobel peace prize ceremony.
Mr. Trump, despite his shortcomings and loose lips, is a hard worker who has earned a seat at the table. The table, however, should be in the boardroom and not the Oval Office.
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Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
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Photo: Getty Images
In what sense is demonizing fellow Americans (black “youths”) a patriotic gesture?