Quote from LianaDavid on October 23, 2015, 21:45
This seems to be a growing trend due to mainstream culture and social media. Whether he is "seductive to his admirers" or contrastingly made out to be a "racist pig" depicted in the media, the fact that Trump has more familiarity with this kind of pop culture has been giving him even more exposure, more leverage. We could go along with this idea that "there is no such thing as bad publicity." A new scandalous comment from him would garner negative reactions, but in turn would likely receive some support due to varied perceptions of his words and actions. And even with the controversy, Trump at the end of the day, is the most known out of all the candidates to date, and many people who do not care to pay much attention to in-depth details in politics sway towards the name with which they are more familiar with. Trump is not oblivious to the videos, internet memes, and trending tags and articles being made - and he seems to be working with many of them to his favour.
This, I find, is the most worrying thing and likely the biggest flaw in the 'democratic system'. It is only reasonable to give the power of the vote to the people, so that those elected are determined by the masses. The problem is, who is to ensure that the masses are truly capable of making reasonable and educated decisions? Ronald Reagan was well known for being an actor before being elected as president, so his presidency was likely influenced by his per-established recognition in the nation. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger enjoyed a career as governor of California. For Trump, his establishment as an economic powerhouse and TV personality already gives him an edge over all candidates. He is easily the most recognizable because he is so freely marketed, and the common voter will likely already be familiar with him as an image and not as a candidate - for I believe the "common voter" is not usually an informed voter.
It is entirely possible, and in many cases treated as such, for an election to be a popularity contest first and a political system second, or even third after being treated like a sporting event. When the worry is over voter turnout, they are only looking at those who have no initiative to participate in their democratic duty - but I believe a great deal of voting is done with little basis on political platform. Voters have too many variables - such as whether voters focus on a single issue or whether they vote on trivial reasons. There is no way to regulate how voters vote or are educated on elections, and thus I feel come election time, the vote is a very dangerous power wielded -- and I'll quote Jeff Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park as inappropriate as it is for current political climates -- "like a kid that's found their dad's gun."
As ridiculous as Trump gets, it's always a political game. His views will appeal to someone, but for the most part he will always have the image - the recognition. Fans of The Apprentice may vote for him - admirers of 'The American Dream' may vote for him, or rather the idea of him. Ultimately, Trump's wealth separates him from his reputation, so he has little to fear from a backlash as no one's pulling their investments over racial remarks or misogynistic quips. He has little to lose, and much to gain, for even if he does go to election and loses, he'll still be a rich businessman who can retract any losses as alternative forms of national (or even international) advertising. He really doesn't have any bad publicity, so the real worry is - will people vote for him?
You can put a fool on stage to entertain an audience, the real question is will people pay to see it?
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