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| Cartoon by Mike Luckovich. |
Lately some political pundits have been asserting that it's not Donald Trump the man but Trump's message that is appealing to Republican voters, at least as reflected in the polls. They're only partially right. It's the message but also the man.
Trump presents himself as a super dealmaker who can make America great again by making great deals with China, Mexico, and other rising competitors. He's not unlike Mussolini in the way he holds himself out as a strong man who can face down the rest of the world. His approach is grounded in a politics of personal charisma very different from Ronald Reagan's appeal. Reagan avowed the essential goodness of Americans and the American system and campaigned on a promise to get government out of people's way. By contrast, Trump sees the American people as dupes of greedy and incompetent politicians and offers himself as a strong leader with no need to enrich himself finacially from holding public office, someone who possesses the business skills to negotiate tough trade deals with tough foreign adversaries.
Of course, much of this rhetoric is Trump making extravagant promises without acknowledging -- or appreciating -- that making deals with foreign companies is not the same as making decisions as a president. Yet a certain percentage of likely voters think the two roles are identical and that a President Trump can save us. Far too many people underestimate the importance of political skills, which are not the same as those of a businessman. They may overlap, but there is still a distinctive difference. It may be why America has never elected a businessman who never held political office to the presidency.
(Victorious generals are another story -- it would appear that military command bears some resemblance to political leadership. But anyone who makes the quick but facile connection between military leaders-turned politician and fascism should bear in mind that American presidents who were previously generals have a record of being more hesitant to rely on the military than presidents with little or no military experience.)
A conservative politician must always cut the Gordian knot which requires him or her to espouse limited government while at the same time presenting him or herself as strong and competent, someone who can inspire yet does not encourage a cult of personal charisma.
Trump is certainly no fascist. But his own rather unique politics of personal charisma ought to concern us as his poll numbers continue to rise and his proposals for solving problems still bear closer scrutiny.
UPDATE -- 3/8/16:
On February 28th, candidate Trump quoted Mussolini in one of his early-morning tweets:
"It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep."
According to the New York Times, Trump was not aware that the quotation comes from Il Duce, but said he likes it anyway.
