![]() education system, right wing media sphere and the country's history have conspired to produce a tsunami of it. Loud, proud stupidity isn't unique to America, but the U.S. It turned out to be awfulness, which played right into his wheelhouse. He honed his act based on what got the most reaction. The presidential race gave him the audience, and he worked them like the evil vaudvillain that he is. Trump doesn't want to be president, he wants to stand in front of huge crowds and be worshipped. Donald Trump's one skill is that he's an idiot whisperer. The thing is, these are all characteristics of stupidity. Hatred of expertise - these people actually detest Dr. Distrust of media - pesky facts challenge their alternate universe, so just ignore the messenger. Bigotry - they hate everyone who isn't part of the base. Aggrievement - the base is addicted to being enraged in faux righteous indignation. What are the things that define the Trump base? Susceptibility to conspiracy theory - QAnon states that Democrats worship the devil and sacrifice babies. Nobody who already serves in public office and has taken a oath of office can credibly position himself, as Trump has done, to become king, a substitute all-powerful daddy figure who can move strongly to make everything all right in the twisted minds of his followers who seem to have a childlike need for a protector against a frightening, overwhelming world. None of the Republican pretenders to the Trump throne mentioned in the article has this magic combination that appeals so strongly to the fearful, angry, and racist base Trump cultivated. ![]() Trump had these things going for him: he was already famous, though known more as a semi-fictional tv character and as result of his own decades-long PR efforts than for anything substantive he was (or was believed to be) admirable because he was rich, allowing him to get away with anything he was shunned by most professional politicians, even Republicans he was white he was tall. ![]() Trump is no great original but he is, in US politics, sui generis: a big part of his appeal in 16 was that he was not a politician, not part of the political establishment, and that in politics, he represented himself as an outsider to appeal the very alienated and anger-ridden voters described in Edsel’s piece. ![]()
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