So, I saw this being discussed on a forum for liberals again, and liberals just don't get the appeal of Trump. Many of them are in their own little world or are super stuffy and honestly...don't get it. So I'm going to try to explain the appeal of Trump to others on the left, so that we may analyze and even learn from it.
1) Many Americans are tired of politics as usual
This is probably the big one. Trump is appealing because we've spent our whole lives with politics being this nonsense civility theater with two candidates being polite and civil, while also kinda mudslinging each other. And after a while, it seems so fake. We know these guys don't really hate each other. We know that these guys are in bed with each other. We know that it's all an act. And what a lot of people want is for someone to get in there and shake things up. And that guy is Trump. Trump is the guy who "tells it like it is" and isn't afraid to say what he "really" (I put this in quotes because Trump's demeanor is also an act) thinks, and he will say things no politician would ever dare say before that on national TV. He isn't afraid to say "you're full of ####" or "you're a loser and no one actually likes you." If anything, Trump humiliating people actually is part of the appeal. People actually want that to some extent. They see it as "draining the swamp" and "taking on the washington elite" and crap like that. As long as Trump gives the appearance of taking on this very fake and sanitized vision of a corrupt washington, people will continue to cheer him on.
2) The humiliation is the point
Americans, especially conservative Americans, have this very hierarchical view of social relations. As we know, in America, we have capitalism, and people are forced to work. And the worker employer relationship is kind of hierarchical, regardless of what economic theory says in its own sanitized bubble. And we all know crap rolls downhill. You have to respect the boss, but the boss, if he gets pissed, can rip into you, and verbally abuse you, and humiliate you. Hell, Donald Trump himself had an entire show where he did just that called "The Apprentice." He would come in, be the big boss, yell at the workers, make them work harder, and tell them "YOU'RE FIRED!" And people got off on that crap. And Trump had fricking 15 seasons of that crap until he became president.
And honestly, consider the above point. A big thing about populism is this idea that someone new has to get in there and tell people how it's done. And for conservative populists, that person is donald trump. He's "self made" and "can't be bought" and they think what we really need is a successful businessman who knows what he's doing to get in there and tell people how it's done. How this corrupt washington establishment needs THIS GUY to get in there and get on their ###es and if they don't perform, to tell them they're fired.
3) "Great man" theory isn't just a theory
Of course, Trump's demeanor all an act, but it is at least appealing to some extent on the surface. Even I have a little bit of this mindset in my politics. Hence why I tend to think Abraham Lincoln and FDR are the best presidents we ever had. In some ways, sometimes you DO need a dude who is tough, and won't take no for an answer, and will try to take on the establishment in order to get results. We won't get there through being nice and playing fake civility politics and blah blah blah. That's why I kind of have the politics that I do. I kinda think we need an FDR in there to get things done. Now, my idea of what this would look like differs a lot from what happens on the right with the Trump worship. I both understand that Trump's act is all for show and he's just as corrupt as anyone else, that he has no positive policies, and that at this point he's a giant manchild who is a threat to democracy itself, but honestly? I'd be lying if I said I didn't at least understand the appeal here. You gotta keep in mind many Americans aren't that smart, a lot of them don't know what they want, and a guy who can come in and promise to solve all of their problems while being an outright demagogue will appeal to those who lack....ahem...the intelligence and/or education to know better. They fall for the act. But it is what it is.
The fact is, for many, Trump actually is "that guy" who can come in, drain the swamp, and correct the course in washington. And the fact that he has this "tell it like it is" attitude and is so blunt and abrasive is part of the appeal. Trump is a showman. He's been so his whole life. He's spent his entire life marketing himself, and marketing the idea that he's this super successful businessman who knows how to get things done. And a lot of the country thinks that makes him qualified for president. Not saying he is. I hate the guy. I just understand the dude's appeal.
The fact is, while a lot of people on the left balk at "great man" theory, I think even in American politics there is evidence that it's always been a thing. Every political realignment, barring possibly the 1896 one, has had a "great man" kicking things off. Normally, our "great men" have actually been great. Men with great character and great ideals, who did what they had to do to save and improve the state of the country, but also knew when to stop short of being a dictator. Look no further than George Washington. He was our first "great man". And the big thing he did was value putting limits on his own power, and establishing the precedent of serving only two terms. America wanted him to be a king or a dictator, but he said no, putting the ideals of the country above his own gain. We need more leaders like that.
Andrew Jackson was a bit of a "great man". He wasn't that great. I cant remember a good thing he did. But he was the last of the revolution's generation, and had tales to tell in his service to the country both in the revolution, and in the war of 1812. He was highly respected and brought a Trumpesque populist vibe to the white house. I think he was a crap president, but it wouldnt be the first time we elected someone of Trump's demeanor, nor is it the first time someone found him popular.
Abraham Lincoln was the next "great man." He was the dude who took on the mantle to fight the confederacy in the civil war, keep the union together, and free the slaves. He was often downright authoritarian. He suspended habeas corpus. He established a draft and ended up quelling riots in the north. But at the end of the day, his actions did save the country and keep it together.
FDR was a "great man." He came into the country during the great depression and established the new deal. He then fought and won WWII. He took on the corrupt powers that be within the democratic party and established a generational attitude of not taking crap off of anyone. Had future democratic leaders learned from FDR, it would not be in the sorry place it is today. But alas, like every realignment, following the "great man" comes a string of mediocre leaders who end up killing the movement over time. And yes, yes, Im aware FDR was a bit of a dictator who fought the supreme court as well to get the new deal passed, threatened to pack the court, and interned the japanese in WWII. I'm not saying any of these figures are necessarily PERFECT. But I'm saying that their actions often saved the country in great crisis and realigned the parties in a positive way.
And then there was Ronald Reagan. He was, himself, a "great man". Being on the left, I HATE the guy, but let's try to frame it another way. The country was in the toilet since the late 1960s. The civil rights an anti war protests. Stagflation. Vietnam. Iran hostage crisis. And it all came down to Carter and well, Carter kinda failed. But Reagan came in and it was all "morning in America" again. He brought inflation back down, he freed the hostages, he push the narrative of small government. Honestly, a lot of it is a load of crap under scrutiny. But I cant deny that he was "that guy" for the previous generation, and that his effect on politics was still monumental all the way into the 2010s when the the GOP was still worshipping the guy.
Which brings us to Trump. Trump is, for conservative populists, the next "great man", he's the dude to drain the swamp, and "fix the economy" after democrats "ruined it", and build the wall (while making mexico pay for it), and save the country after decades of neoliberalism. And his appeal...works. A lot of people love him. A lot of people also hate him.
And that's the thing. This is looking like the second (Jackson) realignment all over again. You had half the country who loved the guy and his populism, and the other half of the country (the whigs) HATED HIM. And the whigs sound a lot like the democrats. Stuffy, centrist, calling for a return to normalcy and decorum. And no one really liked them. And they kinds don't exist as a party any more since when the next realignment came along the republicans with lincoln flat out replaced them.
Which is why I'm freaking out so much. I wanted Bernie to be that "great man". Because Bernie was, much like the great men of previous generations of American heroes, a person a great character. A person who had a strong and consistent sense of morality and right and wrong, and who would fight to make the country work for the little guy again, and take on the rich, the elites, and the establishment. Bernie was a much more positive figure than Trump is. Trump is a demagogue, but it wouldnt be the first time one of those set the course of American policy. We cannot allow Trump to be the next "great man", because that dude would not only screw over the left for the next generation, but he would have a negative effect on American democracy itself, as his negative qualities have already inspired people to try to overturn it once. And we wanna give this dude another 4 years? Seriously, this guy is American hitler in the making.
4) His demeanor is a rebuke of the left
But back to the topic at hand and Donald Trump himself, and why people like his appeal. We gotta go back to the whole owning the libs mentality. Remember "What's the matter with kansas", remember how a lot of conservatives would cut off their nose to spite their face? Remember how they like to piss off liberals intentionally? yeah. And Donald Trump does that. Hell, at this point, donald trump is the embodiment of it. When Trump says awful things, half of america is cheering. because again, theyre fed up with civility, and fake smiles, and hand shakes, and controlled opposition.
And liberals, well I've been discussing this at length of late, but liberals REALLY make themselves unattractive to people. And Donald Trump kind of brings in that WWE "steel chair to the head" charm to the conversation. If the left tells you to not say racist things because it offends someone, Trump will be that guy to get even MORE racist in response, because F U for telling people what to do. If you try to force people to be politically correct, and have cancel culture and blah blah blah, these guys will lean into this as being anti that.
And again, even I have a bit of this in my politics. I've never been one for political correctness. During my atheist phase I was the dude who would basically embody your typical r/atheist edgelord of being antagonistic toward believers. And I'd even be antagonistic toward conservatives. I hate the stuffy liberal mindset too. I believe in fighting fire with fire, and i welcome a good flame war once in a while. I would get down in the mud with someone like Trump and use their own tactics against them.
But the left...they wont do that. because they believe in, as Kyle Kulinski would say, "civiliteh!" "How dare you, good suh!" "I take offense to that". And they actually lean into it, and they get worse with the stuff in the face of Trump, which is making the problem worse. Hillary's whole appeal was that she was the sane option who wasnt a racist POS and that trump and his supporters were "deplorables". And she didn't become president, now did she? And while Biden did, look at where he is now in the polls.
I keep saying it, the alt right-SJW continuum has been the worst thing about this modern realignment. because i want to focus on things that are...not this. And this is sucking up all the energy in the room. And the left is learning all the wrong lessons from this, doubling down on civiliteh and identity politics and social justice political correctness nonsense.
And while I've been kinda backing off of my normal populist abrasive personality myself in the past few years, it's basically because I'm reading the room and understanding that the trumpers are overdoing it and it is getting to the point that this is dangerous and that people are going to (and already have, looking at you, jan 6th) get hurt. It's all fun and games until the orange one starts a riot. And of course the left's anti populist streak is getting too much for me too. So yeah.
But back to Trump. Yes, a lot of people LIKE this stuff. It's entertainment for them. And it fits this weird great man theory approach to politics the GOP is going in on where they think trump is this big alpha male who knows how to assert dominance. He's tapping into something there and the left better learn how to appeal to that stuff too, or they're gonna get wrecked.
5) A return to strong man mindset for a minute
My final point is the fact that much like during the 1980 election, America is at a crossroads. And a lot of people believe we are reaching a point where things are becoming intolerable. We've dealt with significant national trauma over the past 16 years or so. We've had the great recession, which it took a whole 8 years of obama to remotely recover from. And then this guy comes out of nowhere and takes over the GOP while hillary clinton goes full centrist and stabs the working class in the back. And then we get these culture wars, and now then covid, and then these MFers started a riot, and the left is going insane, and it's like american politics is just one big nightmare.
But for many on the right, who have that authoritarian mindset that the state of the country is just intolerable and that things are going to hell in a handbasket, Trump gives these people comfort, and they believe he's the only guy who can right the ship. They buy into his authoritarianism. They buy into his take no crap off of others alpha male attitude. They like his anti political correctness, his populism, etc. He is exactly what these people want. It's scary because to any sane and educated person, he's a fraud and a demagogue, but he is, in fact, to these people, some sort of savior. Just...try not to think about it too hard, these people don't really...
6) The right wing echo chamber
And this brings me to my actual final point, the fact that the right literally lives in an alternate reality. They're not educated. They have mass dunning kruger syndrome, and they resent the educated liberal elites telling them they dont know anything. They're so certain that it's not them who are wrong, but the left, that they literally have gone full anti intellectual. This has been a trend of the GOP since the 80s. They merged with the religious right, and fundamentalist christianity kind of created an environment and a worldview to allow certain kinds of "alternative facts" to develop, like climate change not being real, the world being 6000 years old, etc. Combine that with them forming their own media networks on talk radio, fox, etc, and they now have an echo chamber telling them that the world is wrong and they alone know the truth, and the educated people are dumb, and they're the real smart ones. And that Dr Fauci is the devil for some reason, and vaccines are a threat to society, and asking people to wear a piece of cloth to not get sick is government tyranny, and blah blah blah. But these people are so in their own alternative reality at this point that it's like they're literally in a cult. They've been going this way all though the reagan alignment, and now they found a new dude to lead them, and that is trump. So it's no wonder they cultishly follow him.
Conclusion
And yeah. That's basically my take on Trump's appeal. Not only are people not put off on the guy, they love him, they think he's exactly what this country needs, and that only he can save us from...something. Idk.
I mean, I want to be clear. I DONT LIKE TRUMP. I HATE the guy. BUT...I understand his appeal somewhat and this is my no crap take on why people love the guy.
And honestly, my message to the left is this. LEARN FROM HIM. Like, at least a little. The fact is, the left has learned all the wrong lessons from the Trump era and are realigning in very dangerous terms themselves. not only do they offer no real solutions to the problems the populists point out, but they double down on there being no problem and end up being stuffy conservatives that anyone with at least a tiny bit of a populist inkling (like myself, I have enough of it to understand trump somewhat, but not enough of it to buy into what he's selling) end up HATING the alternative.
Because let's face it. We are at a crossroads. ANd we do need change. And I do think the current state of politics is intolerable. I admit, my politics take a much different direction than trump's, but honestly, we do need another FDR like figure to ultimately save the party. The next few years are gonna be make or break for the dems, if 2024 isn't it itself. We NEED a new way of doing politics, or the next 40 years are gonna be the left being stuffy conservatives hating on populism with the best we can hope for being relecting some 80 year old no one really likes because the alternative is a fascist. And we literally do have to worry about the GOP being fascist. Because right wing populism of the trump variety is dangerous. Historically, it has the same kind of appeal that led to the rise of hitler and mussolini in the 1930s. And the left is kind of learning the wrong lessons, making the mistakes of the left wing opposition parties of that era. Whereas America was successfully able to rebuff such appeals by having FDR basically lead us into a relative american golden age, the rest of the world...went in a much different, and dark, direction. We could see that happen again.
When discontentment builds up, party realignments are often our safety valve. We get a new crop of leaders who come in with a new way of thinking and they hopefully, leave the country better off than they find it. Realignments often come when america reaches a crisis point. And it can either rise to the challenge, or threaten to break the country apart. We are failing that test in our generation. The populist tides couldve either gone right, or left. Had they gone left, to bernie sanders, america would be on a much better path. But because they're going right, toward a "strong man" like Trump, we're kind of taking the bad path that at best has no productive resolution but becomes a continual nightmare for the next generation, and at worst could lead to the rise of fascism. And that's the direction we're going.
The left needs to either shape up, or we're screwed. That's all I'm going to say. But yeah, that's my take on that.
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