Why Donald Trump Isn't As Fringe As You Think
As silly as Donald Trump’s presidential bid has proven thus far, and as indefensible as some of his recent remarks have been, there is a sanctimonious tone to the criticism leveled at both that would be far less grating if it weren’t so hypocritical.
When The Huffington Post announced that it would place all of Trump’s campaign coverage under the banner of “entertainment,” I found their reasoning—“Trump’s campaign is a sideshow”—to be a little too convenient. Yes, Trump campaigns in ways that don’t read as serious, and no, I can’t envision him actually winning, but how is that different than Herman Cain or Michele Bachmann? Like Trump, each topped the polls and gained national media attention only to crash and burn.
Like many that have come before him, he’s another flash-in-the-pan candidate who is performing well in presidential polls not only because it’s early—but because he hits a nerve for (and therefore exposes truths about) American voters, especially conservatives.
Trump’s celebrity should draw suspicion, but it’s not unprecedented. Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California in a race that included Gary Coleman and a porn star. At one point, there was even talk of amending the constitution so that he could run for president. He was compared to the party’s patron saint—another thespian-turned-politician—Ronald Reagan. The GOP has no problem exploiting celebrity for political gain when convenient and the media has no problem generating clicks and ratings over a celebrity’s entrance into the world of politics.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/donald-trump-monster-gop-helped-create
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