"There have been several moments in which the course of history was permanently changed by a misstep or error made by someone who should have known better."- Ariela Simon
In 2004, while passionately delivering a speech after coming in third place in the Iowa caucus, Democrat presidential hopeful Howard Dean let out a loud yippee-type yell, later coined by the media “The Dean Scream”. From that point on, what might have been a successful presidential campaign collapsed on itself. The victor of the democratic primary, John Kerry, later went on to lose to George Bush, who became president for two terms.
There have been several moments in which the course of history was permanently changed by a misstep or error made by someone who should have known better. Especially after the 2016 elections, it is important to evaluate what contributes to a win or a loss, and especially why some people are immune to their own faults. An important question to ask ourselves is how exactly Donald Trump managed to win the presidency, after so many blunders and actions that would have lost any other candidate their career. Why is Donald Trump untouchable?
In 1988, during a presidential debate, Bernard Shaw, the moderator, asked Governor Mike Dukakis, "Governor, if Kitty Dukakis [his wife] were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?" Dukakis responded, "No, I don't, and I think you know that I've opposed the death penalty during all of my life.” The media jumped on Dukakis’ response as being cold and unemotional. That moment, that single sentence, is often credited with his defeat in the presidential race and the victory of George H.W. Bush. This blunder was all about heart and humanity. Dukakis became the stone cold and unrelatable to his constituents, while Bush painted himself as a more emotional and vengeful candidate, saying that crimes of that magnitude should be given a swift and immediate capital punishment.
Some bungles are funnier, embarrassments like 2016 California senate hopeful (and eventual loser) Loretta Sanchez dabbing or 1993 Vice President Dan Quayle mis-spelling potato at a school spelling bee, then blaming it on the cards given to him by the school.
There have been several moments in which the course of history was permanently changed by a misstep or error made by someone who should have known better. Especially after the 2016 elections, it is important to evaluate what contributes to a win or a loss, and especially why some people are immune to their own faults. An important question to ask ourselves is how exactly Donald Trump managed to win the presidency, after so many blunders and actions that would have lost any other candidate their career. Why is Donald Trump untouchable?
In 1988, during a presidential debate, Bernard Shaw, the moderator, asked Governor Mike Dukakis, "Governor, if Kitty Dukakis [his wife] were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?" Dukakis responded, "No, I don't, and I think you know that I've opposed the death penalty during all of my life.” The media jumped on Dukakis’ response as being cold and unemotional. That moment, that single sentence, is often credited with his defeat in the presidential race and the victory of George H.W. Bush. This blunder was all about heart and humanity. Dukakis became the stone cold and unrelatable to his constituents, while Bush painted himself as a more emotional and vengeful candidate, saying that crimes of that magnitude should be given a swift and immediate capital punishment.
Some bungles are funnier, embarrassments like 2016 California senate hopeful (and eventual loser) Loretta Sanchez dabbing or 1993 Vice President Dan Quayle mis-spelling potato at a school spelling bee, then blaming it on the cards given to him by the school.
These bungles only work when they confirm something the public already thinks. When Ben Carson missed his entrance during a 2016 republican primary debate, it reinforced the public’s view of him as an incapable, bumbling moron unfit to be president and unfit to be in the spotlight. However, Trump, who also missed the entrance in a similar fashion remained untouched.
The difference is clear. Donald Trump is a born and bred showman (literally), he is used to the spotlight in a way that most politicians strive to be. Donald Trump is unabashed by his mistakes, and owns his errors. When confronted with them he denies, he lies, and he smirks. It’s the smirk that is the most convincing. It says “ok, so what?”. Anything uncovered about his past, any horrific statement couldn’t hurt him. Trump has created his own brand, and all of the evidence against him contributes to it instead of damaging it.
During the 2016 primary elections we watched Donald Trump embarrass his republican opponents, he called his opponents “pussies”, he bashed both “lyin’” Ted Cruz and his wife, and over and over again his many faults were front page headlines. He bragged about assaulting women, incited violence against his opponents, proposed hate crimes as international policies, and yet nothing seemed to stick. Trump truly didn’t care what the public thought of him, and was able to bounce back even stronger after everything levied against him. There were no pathetic apologies, no signs of weakness, no admittance of messing up.
Holding politicians accountable is of the utmost importance. Vigilance and awareness are necessary qualities in active citizens, and we will all need to embody those qualities in these next four years. But instead of focusing on small details, remember what is truly bad and what is only made to look bad by the media, as the two don’t overlap nearly as much as they should.
The difference is clear. Donald Trump is a born and bred showman (literally), he is used to the spotlight in a way that most politicians strive to be. Donald Trump is unabashed by his mistakes, and owns his errors. When confronted with them he denies, he lies, and he smirks. It’s the smirk that is the most convincing. It says “ok, so what?”. Anything uncovered about his past, any horrific statement couldn’t hurt him. Trump has created his own brand, and all of the evidence against him contributes to it instead of damaging it.
During the 2016 primary elections we watched Donald Trump embarrass his republican opponents, he called his opponents “pussies”, he bashed both “lyin’” Ted Cruz and his wife, and over and over again his many faults were front page headlines. He bragged about assaulting women, incited violence against his opponents, proposed hate crimes as international policies, and yet nothing seemed to stick. Trump truly didn’t care what the public thought of him, and was able to bounce back even stronger after everything levied against him. There were no pathetic apologies, no signs of weakness, no admittance of messing up.
Holding politicians accountable is of the utmost importance. Vigilance and awareness are necessary qualities in active citizens, and we will all need to embody those qualities in these next four years. But instead of focusing on small details, remember what is truly bad and what is only made to look bad by the media, as the two don’t overlap nearly as much as they should.