Trumping Trump: What Will It Take?

 The inherent message of "Let's Make America Great Again'' is the idea that we can go back in time to the 1950's or early 1980's when the U.S. dominated the economic playing fields and white Anglo-Saxon protestant men ruled.  Going backwards, instead of forward, is a provincial illusion which is massively appealing to many average, middle class Americans.  The rhetoric resonates. The John Wayne-ian foreign policy position of 'bombing the hell out of them' perpetrates a propaganda filled sense of protection.  The 'I'm not racist -- this is just using common sense' justification for constructing walls and registering religious affiliations is persuasive among those who view today's immigrants as interlopers and infidels.  Many envision an elected Trump selectively firing groups of Americans from being US citizens by propounding "it's not personal, it's just business!"  The religion of this electorate is old fashion capitalism in the extreme. It is referred to as "The Establishment." They believe in conformity, not diversity. These patriots want someone who looks like them and speaks their language -- a man who still wears a wide tie. So, who better to represent them than Donald Trump?

Donald Trump is unapologetically saying publicly what many have been thinking for a long time:  Why don't we go back to being isolationists?  Why is our country taking in and taking care of foreigners before taking care of their own?  Why is the US always trying to be politically correct and diplomatic instead of flexing our tough economic and military muscles over other countries?  Why
 are we allowing our American values to get diluted? Why doesn't the world admire us anymore?Unlike Europe, with a union of twenty-five countries sharing open borders for years, many Americans have limited experience with diversity.   The idea of being one part of a global community is an anathema to a large portion of Americans.  To many, there is no world of importance beyond US borders. Ours is basically a provincial society experiencing great change in its demographics. Those opposing such changes are Trump's followers.

But make no mistake, Trump's appeal is even greater.  Business makes sense to Americans.  Politics does not.  Trump applies the entrepreneurial spirit to his campaign for President.  Though insiders consider Trump an apprentice in politics, outsiders consider him the perfect antidote to politics. He is building his new business of being President in the same way he built his empire. Trump is beholden to no one, thus, he is able to say whatever he wants.  Whether or not what he says is true, in fact, is incidental to his purpose.  As long as he gets the voters' attentions, his 'people' can figure out the details later.

  After years on network television, Trump feels familiar to us.  We all can relate to this tough minded businessman who can manage people and build things. The average person cannot relate to 'quiet diplomacy' as a method for getting anything accomplished.  When Trump says something outrageous, his followers simply excuse it as an effective exaggeration in the course of making a point; all that matters is that Trump will get things done. Believe it or not, people trust Trump.

Face it, Trump is refreshing, whether you take him seriously or not.  Many thought he was just dabbling in politics, but he is damn serious about being President and the polls have only bolstered his prodigious confidence.  The fact that we already know from years of tabloids almost everything one could desire to know about a candidate's background, means there probably won't be any surprise revelations in the future about Donald Trump.  As he reminds us again and again, Trump is a very nice person with hard working, grounded children.  The shocking, extremist remedies to our nation's problems that come out of his mouth do not seem to reconcile with how he has lived his life.  One must be pragmatic in business, yet the Trump solutions are anything but realistic.  Is he equally serious about what he is saying or is it all just performance to get elected?  No one knows how to hawk a brand better than Trump, so he is an expert at knowing how to sell himself to people.

Quite frankly, I have no idea how to trump Trump. White America wants a Ronald Reagan back in the White House, and Trump is as close as it gets.  The rest of middle class America wants a major change from the over lobbied politicians coming out of Congress. Others want a celebrity. Everyone wants to see measurable action with results. Can Trump make America great again?  In my personal opinion, absolutely not.  But I am so confused about our country these days, I will never say never.