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Something about the presidential politics has just not been adding up for me. The recurring root question is, “Why does anybody fall for the obvious con that is the substance of Trump?” All those lies, the divisive, self-serving rhetoric, the complete absence of ethics and honesty.
Apparently, the answer is charisma, which functions independently of facts and rational thinking. That’s why FARTs (facts and rational thinking) are like the proverbial farts in the wind when it comes to analyzing the enigma that is Trump.
There are many forms of charisma, and varying levels. Obama has a good measure of the good kind, I think. Reagan had quite a bit, good mixed with bad (in my opinion). The Bush boys were near zero, but their opponents were were charismatic black holes of policy wonkery. B. Clinton had it, H. Clinton did not. It has been said here that the masses vote for who they like emotionally, but most of us here are of the wonkish and intellectual breed (elitists, according to the charismatics?) and while we can acknowledge the power of charisma, we don’t really believe it.
Summing up this election, I’d say that the only reason Biden is narrowly on top is that he has a bit of fatherly and nice charisma, doing battle against Trump’s dark and fearful kind. I’ll go out on a limb here (but not far enough to engage in argument) and speculate that Bernie may have done better against Trump because he has more charisma and wields it with some power.
I’ll post a couple of links when I get on my real computer.
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete. R. Buckminster Fuller
His language, stoking anger before allowing his audience to discharge their emotions in a release of indignation, liberating them to break taboos for themselves, was potent. It reflected his now well-established affective bond over his supporters. For them, Trump is seen as no ordinary politician. Whereas others are corrupt or get bogged down in procedure and detail, he projects a bigger picture. While others prevaricate and make excuses, he battles established elites and, if you believe the hype, even gets things done.
In other words Trump is a populist, as he claims to be the voice of the long-ignored people. He is also a nativist, as he speaks only for certain sections of American society while assuming others are, somehow, not American. This is a far cry from Republican presidents such as Ronald Reagan, whose final speech in office powerfully articulated the idea that anyone could become American. Trump is also a charismatic leader. His appeal comes from the vision. It is mythic, not rational. While this does not make him a fascist, it certainly makes him a far-right leader.
Charisma, according to Weber, is a quality of the individual personality that sets them aside from ordinary men and women, so that they are ‘treated as endowed with ... exceptional powers or qualities’. Charisma supplements other forms of political power such as bureaucracy (Trump’s ‘deep state’), plutocracy and aristocracy (strong in Weber’s time and perpetuated in the US in the legacy practices of elite universities). Writing in Germany during the First World War, Weber did not believe that traditional democratic values, such as equality and inclusion, could explain the politics of what he called ‘mass-states’ or ‘leader-democracies’, such as Germany, Britain, France and the United States. Rather, such states generate charismatic leaders capable of strong and independent direction, both to allow mass democracy to flourish, and to fulfil their geopolitical role. According to Weber, the charismatic leader has three qualities, all of which Trump exemplifies, and all of which the Democrats misunderstand.
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete. R. Buckminster Fuller
Ya gotta admit, our culture has been channeled and streamlined to respond to emotion and impulse when making decisions. It's what marketing is all about. And Trump is the quintessential image of the modern major marketing man - no substance, no ethics, no morals - all greed, emotion, and impulse. And people have been buying it in bulk. The top product he sells is fear of "The Other".
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that emotion and impulse.
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete. R. Buckminster Fuller
Who would have thought Trump would make gains among minorities while Biden gained among whites.
I saw those numbers being reported last night. I wonder if they are %’s of votes cast in person or have they been updated with the mail-in’s? Not that it’s unreasonable given the Democrats taking their votes for granted over the years. Just wondering if the numbers are being updated with the ballots being counted.
I don't know, this is what the BBC was reporting. I'll wait until CNN conducts all its exit polling as they poll over 25,000 people.
It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.
As you can see the shift in blacks and Latino's. This isn't the final, but it is interesting to compare the shifts from 2016 to 2020.
It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.
The charisma thing is exactly why I said the Democrats should have run George Cloony, back in 2016. He has way more raw charisma than Trump, and is actually a very successful businessman with no history of bankruptcies, ripping off people working with him, association with pedophiles, lawsuits or payoffs for sexual offences, etc.
He also has a lovely, very intelligent wife with no history of nude modelling.
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete. R. Buckminster Fuller
I get laughed at a lot whenever I bring up the charisma thing on another site. But look at some history. 1976 Carter was the down home boy, that's good. Both Jimmy and Ford didn't really have much charisma. Carter won' 1980 Reagan had charisma up the ying yang, he won big over the down home boy who didn't have charisma. 1984 Again it was the charismatic Reagan over the non charismatic Mondale. 1988 Neither Bush nor Dukakis had any charisma. Dukakis might have won if he'd stayed out of that tank. He looked plain silly. 1992 Our boy Bill Clinton was very charismatic, he won easily over the non-charismatic Bush. 1996 Charismatic Bill all the way of a dour Dole. 2000 Once again a down home boy was pitted against a statue. The Statue lost. 2004 Statue number II lost to down home boy II. Bush over Kerry 2008 Obama once again brought charima to the fore front winning easily over a not very charismatic McCain. 2012 Charismatic Obama once again wins over a not charismatic Romney. 2016 I don't call Trump charismatic. Others do, I call him an obnoxious, egotistical opportunist. but he did win over an aloof, elitist Hillary. I suppose one could say Trump had a bit more charisma than Hillary being a TV reality show personality. 2020 Obnoxious vs. adult. The adult will soon be declared the winner. This election was all about Trump, I'm shocked he did so good. He made it close when I thought it would be an easy 5-8 point win.
It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.
I don't call Trump charismatic. Others do, I call him an obnoxious, egotistical opportunist.
Of course narcissists (please type it as it is .... he is a narcissist, far more noxious than an egotistical opportunist) are obnoxious, but that doesn't mean they can not be charismatic. I mean have to seen his rallys??? He is the leader of a cult. Of course he is charismatic. If he told them to die for him, they would. Check out their covid response. Higher rates in counties which went Trump.
ignorance is the enemy without equality there is no liberty America can survive bad policy, but not destruction of our Democratic institutions
