Every election cycle there is some element that defines it. In the 2016 election cycle, that element is Donald Trump. Trump's meessage seems to be so generically painted that he hasn't even bothered backing hmself with facts; he is rising simply because so many agree with his basic precepts. And that those can be just plain scary....
Trump is symbolic of so much that the American public actually feels when it comes to the political process as a whole. Between the legitimate issues and misinformation out there, Trump has managed to find himself a rather confortable niche, and he is happy as a clam in it. He is preaching isolationism to those who want America to stop importing new people and new ideas, familiarity to those tired of seeing something new every day, and conservative values to those tired and annoyed of liberal ones. He is also an outsider when all of the candidates are part of the politcal structure no one likes. It's that niche that makes him so welcome.
Some people are tred of what they see as a continual assualt on traditional values. I'd love to say that it's because they had some sort of advantage under traditional values, but they don't; it is just that it is the devil they know and the one they don't know scares them. Worse, some of them have taken the wrong message from dystopian literature and believe that anyone acting in their interest is just setting them up for something bad later on. Between the fear and the paranoia, it makes sense that someone who appeals to that is going to be their new leader.
People are also tired of the usual Washington insiders being in charge, and they want a change. Those seeking Sanders as a president can understand that, especially given his status as an outsider of the usual politics. However, Clinton and Sanders are still too ""inside" for them; Clinton's bonafides are obvious, while it needs to be remembered that Sanders has been in politics since the early 1960s. While Trump may be seen as a failed businessman on a number of levels, don't forget that "The Apprentice" has shown Trump to be a competent mentor and that he has a good management style; throw in that people assume businessmen to fail from time to time, and it's not that hard to see Trump as a great businessman who has just suffered a number of setbacks.
His message of isolationism is hardly new, but it has new relevance in an era when Muslims have become the new universal enemy; they are foreign to most people, and it is easy to be fearful of what you don't know. Throw in the fear of an imposition of an outside law (specifically Sharia law) and that foreigners of any stripe are feared in an era when anyone can be a terrorist, and any fears of the unknown can be intensified. It doesn't help that some need the influx of new ideas and concepts to slow down a little; we are in an age when ideas come quickly and rapidly.
All of this makes Trump a banner to be flocked to, a signal light in the perceived darkness. Some have a need for the values that they know, for someone to act against their fears, and to act as a bulwark against the invaders. People are looking for a Washington outside, and one that knows something about business is an added bonus. Combined with his ability to just pain insult anyone instead of trying to talk when people are tired of talk, and all of this makes Donald Trump a great looking president for the wrong people. He just happened to be the right person at the wrong time, and that makes him popular enough to be a presidential candidate. Hopefully, that's as far as he gets....
Trump is symbolic of so much that the American public actually feels when it comes to the political process as a whole. Between the legitimate issues and misinformation out there, Trump has managed to find himself a rather confortable niche, and he is happy as a clam in it. He is preaching isolationism to those who want America to stop importing new people and new ideas, familiarity to those tired of seeing something new every day, and conservative values to those tired and annoyed of liberal ones. He is also an outsider when all of the candidates are part of the politcal structure no one likes. It's that niche that makes him so welcome.
Some people are tred of what they see as a continual assualt on traditional values. I'd love to say that it's because they had some sort of advantage under traditional values, but they don't; it is just that it is the devil they know and the one they don't know scares them. Worse, some of them have taken the wrong message from dystopian literature and believe that anyone acting in their interest is just setting them up for something bad later on. Between the fear and the paranoia, it makes sense that someone who appeals to that is going to be their new leader.
People are also tired of the usual Washington insiders being in charge, and they want a change. Those seeking Sanders as a president can understand that, especially given his status as an outsider of the usual politics. However, Clinton and Sanders are still too ""inside" for them; Clinton's bonafides are obvious, while it needs to be remembered that Sanders has been in politics since the early 1960s. While Trump may be seen as a failed businessman on a number of levels, don't forget that "The Apprentice" has shown Trump to be a competent mentor and that he has a good management style; throw in that people assume businessmen to fail from time to time, and it's not that hard to see Trump as a great businessman who has just suffered a number of setbacks.
His message of isolationism is hardly new, but it has new relevance in an era when Muslims have become the new universal enemy; they are foreign to most people, and it is easy to be fearful of what you don't know. Throw in the fear of an imposition of an outside law (specifically Sharia law) and that foreigners of any stripe are feared in an era when anyone can be a terrorist, and any fears of the unknown can be intensified. It doesn't help that some need the influx of new ideas and concepts to slow down a little; we are in an age when ideas come quickly and rapidly.
All of this makes Trump a banner to be flocked to, a signal light in the perceived darkness. Some have a need for the values that they know, for someone to act against their fears, and to act as a bulwark against the invaders. People are looking for a Washington outside, and one that knows something about business is an added bonus. Combined with his ability to just pain insult anyone instead of trying to talk when people are tired of talk, and all of this makes Donald Trump a great looking president for the wrong people. He just happened to be the right person at the wrong time, and that makes him popular enough to be a presidential candidate. Hopefully, that's as far as he gets....
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