Leadership Rhetoric, Trump’s Audience Abuse, and a Solution to Middle American Debasement
Leaders almost always appeal to voters, their voters, by emphasizing how great they are. People want to hear that. Obama extolled Americans who could overcome their differences. By voting for him, you were being a better person. George W. Bush told people they had strong characters and shared values, which is nice to hear. Bill Clinton told Americans they all could achieve better lives together, because they were generous people. Opponents claim these leaders mouth hypocritical platitudes, but go on to enjoy the nice things their preferred candidates say about them. Bob Dole told supporters it was true-blooded patriotism to appreciate a good car race. That’s what some want to hear.
Trump tells people they’re great, but he barely hides contempt. It’s his secret: he’ll make middle America great, not because they deserve it, but because they want it. He doesn’t tell his voters they have character, integrity, or generous spirits. He commends them for their enthusiasm. In return, he’ll make their competition disappear, immigrants and foreign trade. Not exactly a big compliment, saying they can’t do well against others. But that’s Trump’s secret: he lies like crazy, but is actually crudely honest with his supporters.
That’s why they swallow his obvious New York manners, the gilded lifestyle. He doesn’t pretend he’s an every-man, talking as an equal. Trump talks down to his supporters, though he’s even more dismissive of others. His supporters, many of whom feel left behind, don’t mind. They wore Hillary Clinton’s deplorables comment with pride. They may thrill at Trump’s cruelty to minorities or immigrants, but they also believe him when he says it’s a zero-sum world. Don’t expect to prosper believing in fair trade or fairness. Losers need to lie, cheat, and steal to win.
Recently, there’s been an uproar over bad speech. People respond to Trump with expletives, while his followers double down on slurs. There’s a big question of high road or low road. Do you have to stoop to conquer Trump?
I think this misses the point. Trump’s language works with his base, not just because it debases their enemies, but because it debases them. Samantha Bee didn’t stoop to Trump’s level, when she called Melania Trump a c**t. Being Trump, she’d have told her audience they have lots of wrinkles, so they should hate Melania. It’s very unfair that she gets facelifts, not them.
When Joe Biden said that Trump was the kid you’d beat up, because of his crude bullying, it was deemed highly inappropriate. In fact, Biden has a better feel for middle America than most pundits. He understands that Trump is like a high school bully, the kid who thinks he can get away with anything because his dad owns the car dealership. The bully insults you and you still want to be his friend. The bully says you need his protection, because you can’t do it on your own. But Biden didn’t get this point across.
Democrats need to tell Trump supporters they’re not deplorable. They don’t deserve to be the world’s laughing stock. Trump tells them they’re losers, and says he’ll rig the system to get them more stuff. But they have greatness within, even if they don’t think so.
The thing that distinguishes so many middle Americans is their religiousness. Unlike Europeans, and many Americans, a big chunk of this country is religious. Here’s the thing: as problematic as this may be, spiritualism isn’t wrong, it’s human. Despite their stated disbelief in evolution, middle Americans aren’t Luddites. They appreciate biomedical sciences and powerful engines. So they have, in their own way, combined spirituality and science.
You’ve got to start with small steps. Those who understand the scientific tradition, its philosophy, the nature of evidence and disproof, may find it hard to swallow. But spirituality, a belief that something larger than what we can see matters, can help guide reasonable ethics. Instead of focusing on middle America’s denial of climate science, emphasize their appreciation of chemistry, which enables farmers to grow so much. They are special people, because they have both religious and scientific world-views.
When Kennedy told Americans they were heroes who defeated fascism, so it was their lot to get to the moon, it wasn’t completely true. America didn’t defeat Germany and Japan on it’s own, just ask Russia. But Kennedy told them what they wanted to believe, so they’d try for new heights. Americans aren’t as noble as Obama said they were, but many wanted to believe it, so that helped them try harder.
Democrats shouldn’t be shy about telling middle Americans they’re already great, because they’re saving their souls, while embracing scientific advance. That makes them great, because its a better worldview than our competitors have. It doesn’t mean denying climate science, but place it context of many scientific fields. It certainly won’t improve outcomes if Democrats tell Republican voters they’re ignorant fools. Democrats shouldn’t lie, they shouldn’t say they doubt evolution. They should just point out that they and their audiences agree on most science, whether it’s about materials that make things, or plants that resist bugs, or water purity. And middle Americans are less likely to believe vaccines are bad than coastal voters.
Democrats need to remind people that religion can be a force for good, if it can harness all human knowledge. It’s useless to attack someone’s belief system, and no better to be obsequious about it. They should emphasize that the American instinct to look for spiritual purity is profound, and in combination with American scientific ingenuity, can lead the world to a better future.
Trump’s victory was a sad one, because it showed how little self-esteem middle America has. Republicans don’t have anything to lift them up, they appeal to their debasement. Democrats need to step up and turn this around. Give middle Americans a special honor, and they’ll respond.
