“My Way or the Highway” 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Jeremy Sherman suggests that the motivations for members of right-wing “populist” movements may be simpler than many theorists believe. In that context, he opines that Donald Trump’s behavior during this week’s “debate” was not to be unexpected.
Methinks his comments are worth consideration; here’s a tiny bit:
Trump is the perfect embodiment of that proud stance and this week’s debate was the first test of that stance in four years, Trump’s first public moment in four years as an equal to others, not the dominant leader granting audience to respectful supplicating subordinates.
. . . His best and only remaining strategy is simple: Continue to pose as indomitable; imply inevitable and absolute dominance with ever-louder dog-whistles.
All he had to do was demonstrate continued unflappable dominance and he pulled it off brilliantly running roughshod over every social norm. He didn’t blow the debate; he nailed it.
Sherman, I think, makes a telling point. I suspect that Donald Trump does indeed believe that he nailed it.
Follow the link to put that little bit I quoted in context. It’s worth the five minutes.
Aside:
I put quotations around the word “populist” because the usage of the term has morphed significantly. Initially, it denoted a progressive movement, rather than, as it does today, a regressive one.
