A look inside the place where the conversation no one else is having happens. Today’s question: How Does Trump Do It?
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Today’s “Inside the Conversation” takes you inside a conversation about the presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States, Donald J. Trump in which we pondered why it is that ‘Teflon Trump’ seems to play by a different set of rules:
I have a political question that I would like someone to tackle if they can. How did Trump get so impervious to criticism? “Teflon Trump” as Michael Kasdan put it. His racism, sexism, xenophobia, making fun of the disabled—all of which are actually on video—get shrugged off as “Oh, Trump isn’t those things, it’s just the media spinning it that way.”
And as for actual policy? A quote: “Any one of a dozen Trump statements should be a disqualifier for the Oval Office. Purposely murdering the families of our enemies is a war crime. So is torture. Both would surrender U.S. moral authority in the world, not to mention putting Americans at greater risk of violence. Creating a database of American Muslims is the stuff of the Gestapo. Encouraging nuclear proliferation in the Pacific Rim is incomprehensibly dumb.”
I’m not asking for “why do his supporters support him” as much as—-this is not the way the world is supposed to work. I feel like I’ve been duped. Maybe someone can articulate this better than I can. Thank you in advance if you can.
Theory 1: He Resonates Emotionally with Voters
Doug: Logic versus emotion? The saying in sales goes that people decide on emotion and justify with logic. Except, once you decide, you are already biased. It is very baffling how people say he is the most honest politician, when logically, it simply isn’t true.
Susheela Menon We in India battle such confusion on a daily basis because of what our leaders say and how they are perceived. Blaming the media is just so easy. I feel logic and reason are thrown out the window when politicians learn to exploit hidden angst…that’s what i feel is happening in America.
Doug: The 5 Levels of Attachment, by Ruiz Jr. Find a level 4 or 5 belief, attach yours to it, and then they are blind to reason.
Theory 2: The Rise of Anti-Intellectualism
Theory 3: He is Shameless or ‘Shame-Resistant’
Luke Davis I could offer two options here, but not an article. Either he is shame resilient. Or he is a psychopath (or some form of it where the opinions of others don’t matter)
Theory 4: We Pine for Simpler Black and White Times; We Just Want to Win
Michael Kasdan I submit that people want very badly to believe that someone has the answer and that it’s simple. They are tired of the world being so complicated and having to take everyone else’s feelings into consideration. They don’t want to get people’s permission or consent. They just want to win. So when people criticize Trump the reaction is “you’re just criticizing because we’re gonna beat you and finally get ours.
Theory 5: The Masses Are Asses
Jackie Summers “As democracy is perfected, the office of President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” H.L. Mencken.
Stewart Halpern It is because, as F Scott Fitzgerald said, “the true test of a first-rate mind is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time.” Since first-rate minds are rare, and especially rare among Trump supporters, what they find appealing about Trump – for example, his promises to bring back manufacturing jobs, to make America “win” again, etc – crowds out from their consciousness those contradictory things which they should – and otherwise would – find horrifying.
Theory 6: It’s The Cultural Rift, Stupid
Theory 7: What Are You Talkin’ About? He’s Truthy.
Theory 8: He Plays The Media – and Us – Like a Violin
Theory 9: White Male Middle America Is Angry and Feels Abandoned
Theory 10: We Are Primed For An Authoritarian To Lead Us
Theory 11: Privilege Obscures The Racism, Sexism, and Bigotry
Theory 9 is pretty darn close. Of course you guys go off the rails with theories 10 and 11. Its simple- Trump appeals to people who are very much like the ones in the CNN article about Scioto. Progressives and (to a lesser extent) liberals run around calling people like this privileged because they’re white and male- these guys seem themselves living substantially the same lives and having the same struggles to make ends meet as their hispanic and black neighbors. Any wonder why they ignore Hilary and Bernie? The republican establishment had these people in their back pockets but… Read more »
I dunno…he hasn’t played everyone like a fiddle, because I’ve only seen or heard him by accident. Which is still a substantial amount of time… but I never considered voting for him because he’s been around for years and I’d already picked a candidate who met my requirements. If 37% of the republican party thinks history began at 6:00 AM this morning, or that their anger is unique and unprecedented because I can control and use mine (or even identify it’s cause)…then goody gumdrops. For trump to be a good president, he’ll have to not only stop doing everything he… Read more »