Why Trump Has a Chance to Win the 2020 Election
What Democrats Don’t Understand and Why Trump Might Win
The Democrats haven’t even finished their primary season, yet, which is a long way off, and they seem woeful and painfully oblivious to the difficult path that awaits whoever may arrive at the finish line victorious. That path, of course, is the one that leads to winning the 2020 election. Despite our sensibilities and rationalizations, the reality is, the Trump brand has withstood the test of time and the test of pretty much every scandal one can think of, brushing them all of unscathed. Trump brandishes a tolerance for the perpetual onslaught of very deserved criticism he receives with seeming impunity, immune to the very basic outrage the would have sunk any other president long ago. Democrats and Independents, voters and pundits, everyone in America and around the globe have still yet to learn that no matter how outraged people become, Trump seems to be immune. His fervent base of supporters never seem to lose faith in him no matter which ethical lines he crosses, and, in fact, they seem to laud him for each and every one, as if they’re bestowing upon him a medal of honor. Trump pits outrage against outrage, stoking the flames of the fire burning within the bellies of each side, and then capitalizes on the ensuing chaos with a promise; and it is that promise that makes Trump such a difficult rival to face in an election. The hardest part about beating Trump in the 2020 election is going to be overcoming Trump’s one, sole message, which is generally this:
The whole system is corrupt and I, Donald J. Trump, am calling that out and will fight against it.
That’s all Donald Trump has, that’s his whole message summed up in one sentence. Whether it’s true or not is irrelevant to voters besieged by a system which has forgotten them. Of course, Trump doesn’t intend to actually fix the problems of the average American, because he believes that just the empty promises are enough to get him elected. Nonetheless, his message is promissory, every utterance a guarantee to fight against corruption and corporate greed, even if he’ll never actually do it. Once we brush aside all the hubris, all the showmanship, all the toxic behavior, and reality television antics, this is what every word he utters is laced with — and this is what the Democrats have to challenge, offering an effective alternative for voters who are confused and angry, one that isn’t washed up with fake, painted, plastic smiles and no delivery. The problem with this message is it's absolutely right.
If the Democrats want a realistic chance to win the 2020 election, they need to start asking themselves some very serious questions, here, starting with how they intend to offer an alternative to this that speaks to the anger and frustrations the voters feel deep inside.
Trump sews outrage, disconnect, unease, insecurity, confusion, and chaos in a voter base that’s already furious, discontented, losing their jobs, completely lost in debt, and living in the chaotic throes of unfettered capitalism. The Democrats don’t seem to have come up with a message that can resonate with these feelings in voters.
Their message seems to be, with a few exceptions, that Trump is corrupt and the system is just fine. If only they could remove Trump, everything could go back to normal and everyone could just be merry, right? Wrong. This is not true. Ergo, Trump will likely win until the Democrats can figure out a way to beat that very true message. Come to think of it, I think that Bernie has the only chance, here. The Democrats are smiling in the face of the struggling poor; laughing and making a mockery of their suffering, even if through sheer buffoonery and a lack of understanding of the problems that the poor and middle class of America truly face. That’s no way to win an election. How can you give people hope if you refuse to acknowledge their suffering?
A debate exchange about healthcare took place in front of the nation and the world in the past weeks and one memorable moment that stood out was an exchange between former HUD Secretary Julian Castro and former Vice President Joe Biden. Sparing you the details which you likely know, the shining moment went seemingly unnoticed, when in response to Castro, Biden said about his proposed healthcare plan, “If you lose your job, you can buy in…” The simple fact that he says this so flippantly and casually without thinking twice about the fact that for almost everyone in America, there’s a serious problem with this logic — losing your job…buy in…wait…if you lose your job, with what money are you going to “buy-in” to get the healthcare you need? These go beyond simple gaffes and missteps, these are actually fundamental misunderstandings of what it’s like to be an average American.
And who would vote for someone who doesn’t even understand them? I find it funny that Democrats are so afraid to criticize a system that’s failed so many people. If you want to win in politics, you need to tap into people’s anger, frustration, and despair. I’m not a Trump supporter. I support the Democratic Party, but I think they have a long way to go and when it comes to running a sensible campaign, Trump has the upper hand at this point. To not understand this is to not understand what populism means and how collective anger works.
