What is the main appeal of Donald Trump? I am trying to see both sides of the argument and was interested to hear the opinions of people who consider themselves ardent conservatives. Hearing dissenting opinions is important and is why I am asking.
After seeing Trump’s post-defeat tantrum through the last week I think I finally
get him.
Follow along the bullet-points below. (Because, no matter whether you get anything substantive in my answers, you’ll get bullet points)
· In a hyper-capitalistic socio-economic framework
wealth is prized, and revered.
·
Wealth, in a most cases is accumulated through
o Ventures that need certain
skills.
o
Skills that need a certain level of
education.
o
Education that brings in a façade of
erudition,
o
Erudition that introduces
class.
· Donald Trump represents a niche genre of wealth — wealth without erudition or
class.
o Class — is
exclusionary. That is why
Bill Gates is
not the poster-boy of success according to
vox populi, despite being super-wealthy.
o Wealth — is
inclusive.
Wealth without class is even more so. That is why Donald Trump has the potential of being the poster-boy of wealth-without-class and prospective reverence from the masses.
· Donald Trump, exploited that potential with surgeon’s precision.
o No matter you like it or not, victimhood narrative is extremely popular, specially among some conservatives in USA.
§ I am being oppressed for being a man/
§ I am being oppressed for my faith/
[1]
§ I am being oppressed as a white man because there’s a black-mermaid movie/
§ I am being oppressed as a man because someone made a ghostbusters movie featuring girls.
[2]
§ I am being oppressed by the elites … big tech/ big corporate/ big media.
[3]
o He played the narrative of
I am being oppressed for lacking a certain class— exceptionally well. This narrative landed perfectly with his rural base, who thought — ‘
I relate with what he is saying’.
Summary of the above bullet points, in
two bullet points:
In conclusion:
· Trump’s appeal is— wealth without ‘class’
· Being able to play the perpetual victim, through the narrative of —
‘I am victimized for lacking ‘class’, by the elites (people with class)’ — something that would bode well with his rural base.