This year I’ve been slightly obsessed with the psychology behind Donald Trumps success. Recently Stephen Hawkins was asked in an interview if he could explain Trumps popularity. He said “I can’t. He’s a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator.”
While the second second sentence here is a blistering work of magnificence that pissed “The Donald” off no end, its the first I want to focus on here. Granted Hawkins communication style doesn’t exactly lend itself to nuance, and having one of the smartest men on earth baffled by Trumps appeal is hilarious in its own right, its not like there is no explanation for rise of such a figure.
There has already been a great deal said on this topic so my words here will be brief. I’ve instead collected some of the best videos that I’ve seen on this topic. These videos do not mock or ridicule Trump (an approach that I also enjoy a great deal and value with immense importance) but instead examine him as the terrifyingly successful candidate that he has become.
Linguistically talented
While we all want to believe that voting is a rational decision made by weighing up the pros and cons of each candidate and choosing that which will be best for you and the country as a whole, this could not be further from the truth. In voting your gut does the talking, and I hate to break it to you but your gut has shit for brains. Trump can exploit this beautifully as can be seen in this, bizarre but expertly crafted, answer on immigration designed to reinforce a very simple message:
The simplicity of Trumps messages does not just apply to opinion forming on issues. He is also particularly skilled at branding other candidates with simple name calling in a way that this next video outlines excellently. This may seem immature (and it is) but it is extremely seductive to our primitive, emotional, system 1 way of thinking. Just see how the angry man reacts to Ted Cruz when he attempts a rational discussion, and how Hillary Clinton has now finally been branded by Trump as “crooked”.
Tactical game player
The approach outlined in the above video is astonishing similarity to that of reality TV contestants as the next video outlines. We like to think we are able to separate out politics and entertainment in our lives but that is becoming less and less of the case. Trump appears to be one of the first candidates to explicitly exploit our love for high drama entertainment.
Authoritarian Strongman
Where does that leave Trump now? With 100 days until election how will he play the game to win and what kind of leader will he be if he wins the election in November? Well if the republication convention is anything to go on Trump has attempted to brand himself as the law and order candidate and as the only candidate that can keep america safe. Success using this approach will rely on a exaggerated perception of risk on behalf of the american people. Do they feel safe or do the feel threatened. Drumming up fear and branding himself as a Strongman would appear to be the best approach here, whether this will continue to be the case after the election is anyone’s guess.
Well hopefully all that wasn’t a cheery tour through the dystopian nightmare that awaits us all the the near future. If you managed to get through all 4 of these videos without punching your screen in anger or eating you own face in frustration, congratulations you’ve a far stronger will than me!
If you’re still wanting more a good place to get a nice social science analysis of whats occurring in the US at the moment I highly recommend listening to the fivethirtyeight podcast, they talk about poling, analysis and statistical modelling in relation to this election.
And good luck america, don’t be like us in the UK and politically shoot yourself in the foot by voting in a way which will no doubt lead to your own decline!