Why Is Donald Trump So Popular...And So Dangerous?

Ask a complicated question, expect a complicated answer.

I'm going to take a break from examining the Bernie vs. Hillary dynamic to look at the other team.

When Trump entered the field last year the whole spectacle was taken pretty lightly. It was revealed that he had paid to have a crowd at his announcement. He is a showman and celebrity who appeared to be looking for attention. It was even a bit of a surprise that he was running as a right wing republican, as his public persona seemed centrist, or even a bit left of center. His lifestyle seemed completely at odds with the evangelicals who dominate the right wing.

I was afraid from the start, but not for many of the ugly reasons which have surfaced.

First, how the hell did an arrogant, elitist billionaire become so popular. Many people have proposed answers to explain his popularity, and I agree with many of them, even though they can contradict each other.

He is an authoritarian

Indeed, there is streak of people looking for authoritarian leadership. We live in a dangerous world and there is an appeal to someone who says with authority that he has the answers, even when they are ludicrous. One poll suggests that this is the single trait which crosses all of his support.

He is racist

Racism is very much alive in America. We see it in the most overt ways (murder of young black males) and the most institutional (people of color have a harder time getting job interviews, let alone jobs). The many ways of racism are not just another blog post, they are entire books. I recommend Ta-Nehisi Coates Between The World and Me. For all the racism in our country, it had become socially unacceptable in most places to be openly racist. This is a good thing, of course. However, Trump is giving these people a voice.

He is Xenophobic

One need to point no further than his two famous policy proposals: Building the big beautiful wall which Mexico will pay for, and banning muslims from entering the US.

He is Islamaphobic

See above, as well as his database of Muslims and mosques. In spite of all evidence to the contrary, many Americans still want to blame 9/11 and all other terrorist threats on the entire Islamic faith.

He is a Celebrity

This has to be mentioned. Many Americans regularly choose not to vote. However, Trump crosses over from the world of politics to the world of popular culture.

He rails against government

There is (rightly) a huge frustration with government on all levels. From an obstructionist do-nothing legislature to local governments whose revenue has dried up (starved by state and local governments) and unable to provide some of the most basic infrastructure.

He is a Demagogue

This word gets thrown around a lot. Its meaning is pretty simple. A demagogue tells the people whatever they want to hear. The worst part of this is that it signals a lack of principle. A demagogue tends to be someone who wants power at any cost.

If all of these seem rather ugly...well...I agree. In fact, this list is not only why he is so popular, but why he is so dangerous. He puts forward very few actual policy suggestions. Rather he speaks to peoples fears and anger. If those fears and anger were to actually be transformed into policy blacks, gays, transgendered, muslims, latins, and more would be marginalized.

Would they become policy? As Jimmy Carter noted, he is malleable. As long as there are checks and balances a demagogue is more concerned about holding and assimilating power than any particular policy. That can mean he could be anything from a ineffectual president, to a tyrant. I say, why take the chance?

There is one more thing about him that is profoundly concerning to me. And this concerned me from the moment of his announcement.

He is a businessman who thinks government is just another business.

We, in Michigan, have seen how well that works out. Here's what happens with almost every government function:

• Cuts take place in the name of "balancing the budget", because that's what businessmen do.
• After you starve an entity (city, schools, mental health, etc.) that entity fails.
• You declare the failure and proclaim that private enterprise can do the job better.
• Because you made the entity fail, it is a persuasive argument.

And before you know it you have charter schools, Flint water systems, crumbling roads, and a pathetic mental health system.

Government's mission is not to make a profit. Government's mission is to

• Provide necessary services and infrastructure. 
• Keep us safe (fire, police, and military).
• Regulate for the public safety and welfare.
• Protect the civil rights of all.

Businessmen make terrible leaders in government. The combination of Trump in the White House and a conservative majority in the House and Senate would become a nightmare of privatization.