A brand is a promise. Trump has a brand.
He is faithful to his tribe.
You know what you get when you order a Big Mac. Wherever you are, day or night, a Big Mac is consistent. A brand isn't a statement of quality; it is a statement of reliability. Two beef patties, one slice of cheese, chopped lettuce, a bun with sesame seeds on top, dill pickle slices, and a special sauce.
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| It is what it is. |
Donald Trump surprised and disappointed some people with his squishy answer at the debate when he refused to denounce right wing paramilitary groups or urge them to avoid violent interventions in the upcoming election. Pundits called it a missed "easy lay-up shot" because they consider it obvious that a president and candidate would--should--denounce violence by White supremacist groups. He didn't miss. He nailed a three-pointer from deep.
Trump proved his brand. He turned the question into a denunciation of Antifa and leftists, addressed the Proud Boys and told them to "stand back and stand by" ready to monitor and engage in volunteer unregulated police actions. He didn't denounce them. He coached them. The Proud Boys, and unorganized people aligned with them, are White citizens with guns, standing against Black Lives Matter protests. They are in Trump's tribe.
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| Proud Boys, Portland |
The fundamental promise in the Trump political brand is tribal. He isn't a role model of virtue. Quite the opposite. Trump gets criticized by people who think he ought to have different values. Trump's brand isn't personal virtue, nor faithfulness to rules, norms, and the law, nor national uniter. His brand is that he takes the side of his tribe even if--especially if--when doing so is hard and unexpected.
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| Trump praised militia group at Governor's office in Michigan |
He was criticized for clearing a park of peaceful demonstrators with a chemical spray in order to stride to the nearby church to hold up a Bible. That action had all the perfect elements of brand reinforcement. The action offended the virtues of respect for peaceful protest. He offended the liberal Bishop of the church where he did the photo-op. He was mocked for having held the Bible upside down and for being unchurched and personally irreligious. He was widely called hypocritical and a phony, including in this blog.
He offended virtue, rules, laws, tradition, and national unity, all for a public demonstration to wave the flag of his tribe. Trump suffered for the sins of his people. The New York Times' disdain is his cross. His tribe noticed. Christ Trump.
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| Proud Boys |
Trump spoke of "good people on both sides" in Charlottesville. This was another proof of brand. He supported the White couple in the gated community in St. Louis who brandished guns in the face of Black and White protesters walking past their home. Their actions were provocative and illegal but Trump defended and showcased them. More proof of brand. A 17-year old traveled to Kenosha bringing an AR-15 to a protest as a self-appointed militia, got into some altercations and killed two people. Trump praises him. More proof.
If McDonalds changed its recipe for a Big Mac when the price of beef or cheese went up, or when spinach was more plentiful than lettuce, it might be more healthy food, but health isn't their promise. The promise is that a Big Mac is a Big Mac.
Trump's fights for his tribe, whether they are right or wrong. Not everyone is going to like what Trump is serving up, but this is still a White majority country, there are still more people without college diplomas than with them, and a great many--55%--of White Americans tell polls they believe Whites are discriminated against. Click Trump has his niche.
The Proud Boys look rough and dangerous in the eyes of that swing state suburban woman voter. The preppy-looking White boys in Charlottesville were another hard case; they looked so privileged and self-satisfied. A 17 year old with a machine gun has to make people nervous. Trump defends hard cases.
There may still be enough people to get him up and over 270 electoral votes, but polls suggest Trump's appeal has dropped. Trump could have tried calling himself "new and improved." Nixon did in 1968 and it worked for him, the "New Nixon."
In 2020 Trump chose to double down and be the same, only more. It isn't working. Brands get stale and sometimes customers are ready for something new.
6 comments:
Trump supporters have all told me when I have asked about it that they are not racist. I wonder if proud boys or kkk members think they are racist?
Inciting violence is exactly what Trump did in his "debate". We have a combination of Hitler and Neville Chamberlin. Hitler had his Brown Shirts to act out and cement his place in power. The world watched and appeased him. That is the Neville Chamberlin side of the comparison. The Republican Senate is Neville Chamberlin, never calling foul. Trump is allowed power grab after power grab by his "base". An aside, I've often thought the white supremacist groups and Senate Republicans are akin to Al Qeada, which of course means "The Base" in Arabic. Trump has become a dangerous wounded animal willing to do ANY THING to hold on to the title POTUS. In the Nation all of our guardrails are down and we keep acting like it's a normal presidential campaign just elect Joe Biden and we'll be fine. Not true - it is anything but a normal campaign. It is a war by Trump to hold on and take over as Dictator. The Presidency is Trump's only chance to survive the lawsuits, debts coming due and a multitude of crimes he has committed. To save himself he must destroy the United States of America. That is my opinion that I wish was more commonly held by said Republican Senators.
White supremacists are not a separate group from the MAGA hats. One can quibble about the degree of hate, certainly resorting to violence is a line some won't cross, but the level of hostility is sufficient that the difference between a MAGA rally and something more sinister is hard to distinguish. It occurs to me that the performance Tuesday, and I repeat, calling it a "debate" is a misnomer, was exactly like a rally; same rhetoric and delivery, but with the added element of having Biden there to harangue in person.
Don't do it again.
Suggesting that Republicans are White Supremacists is the same as Trump calling all Democrats Socialists or even antifa*. It takes the worst elements of the party and rounds out the narrative to a gross and stereotypical lie. I hate to even use the phrase 'fake news' but that's the current lexicon. This is just bad humanity, regardless of which side does it.
The divide will only get worse unless both sides show some respect for conflicting views, however repugnant they appear within our social bubble. And while Trump's horrible stage persona in the role of America's standard bearer (ouch!), calling mass groups of people you don't even know White Supremacists only fans the flames like Trump's ignorant rhetoric does.
I have good Republican friends who are probably no more racist than me; a liberal, snowflakey Democrat. Who's to judge? It takes two to tango as they say. Trump is using this tribal reflex to fire up his base to good effect. And many Dem's over-react, fall for the Don's con, and scream out in the media. This further helps Trump unless we libs channel our rage respectfully and truthfully. It sounds pollyannaish for sure but I don't see any other options that don't involve ballistic devices. The devil is in the details of our liberal media narratives. Aretha said it best.
If we don't offer some respect across the isle, our daily interactions with the other side are just like the presidential debates only quieter. Republicans, like Democrats, are good people, simply trying survive the best they know how with the values they hold dear. They are not all Donald Trump, thankfully, who is clearly off the rails mentally.
* If you don't capitalize it, its not an organization!
Peter - love the parallel to the branding. In his 2004 book The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers, Gary Atkins captures how ordinary people who see themselves as different from the masses in some way are drawn to cults. Atkins says that most cult members aren't stupid or unstable; they're just normal people searching for a sense of belonging, identity and meaning. As a marketing executive Atkins believes the same impulses can be leveraged for unwavering loyalty to a brand which is not about products, but ideas and identity.
Trump instinctively understands the power of his brand better than anyone. He doesn't need to have a coherent policy about anything to keep his base happy. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by discussing those in a serious debate.
And when they show up to your ballot drop box you will know Trumps gangster talk is working. I expect that in Josephine county we will see a presence in front of the Republican Headquarters on November 3rd and then a group will present themselves at the Clerks office to monitor the scantron machines. Democrats also better show up with flowers and beads and saffron robes and very high on a lot of pot. Hari Hari, Hari Krishna.....PEACE OUT.
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