Opinion

Trump And The New Normal Of Presidential Politics

Brian Fox Freelance Writer
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Everyone is still scratching their heads on the gravity-defying appeal of Donald Trump. He leads most Republican polls despite his incendiary and often moronically boorish statements. Most political experts say that it is precisely because of his shoot from the hip attitude that he has jumped to the head of the pack.

People are frustrated with the intransigence of politics. And Trump has tapped into that disaffection — or so the narrative goes. There is some truth to that, but it may not be the defining factor of his success. Trump’s ascendance on the national political stage is not so much due to the fact that he is a straight shooter as that he possesses a certain celebrity stature wrapped up in an already established brand that transcends politics, and perhaps most importantly, comes with an already established fund source. We are really looking at a three way race since Trump will likely have to run as a third party candidate, as he does not have anywhere near the necessary backing of Republican party insiders to secure the nomination.

None of the three “frontrunners” currently holds an actual political position. Trump, of course, has never held political office. Jeb and Hillary have; Jeb as the governor of Florida and Hillary as the senator from New York and the secretary of state. But let’s be honest. Their political experience is not what defines any of them in the eyes of the public. What really defines Jeb and Hillary in the eyes of the public is that they are immediate family members of former presidents. Large segments of the public already have a vested interest in the brand that had been created by their familiar predecessors.

The general public sees Hillary and Jeb not so much as experienced political executives, but as part of Team Clinton and Team Bush respectively (perhaps the best part but a part just the same). You rarely hear Jeb or Hillary touting their respective political records. In fact, it is their respective opponents who like to highlight what they did (and failed to do) while in office. For Jeb and Hillary, it was always about their family name, and for Trump, his larger than life TV persona.

But an already established brand that transcends politics is not quite enough. One also needs an independent fund raising base or better yet an actual source. As a billionaire, Trump has the luxury of financing his own campaign. Jeb Bush has tapped into the fundraising network already established by his father and brother. Consequently, his campaign cash dwarfs the combined fundraising of his Republican rivals. Similarly, Hillary has been tapping into a fundraising network that she has been building since the nearly Nineties. It would be wrong (even sexist) to say that she has tapped into her husband’s fund raising network because it never was just about her husband. It was always about “the Clintons.”

To put this in better perspective, if Sean Penn were to enter the Democratic presidential race and did so, at least initially, with his own money, he would undoubtedly vault to the head of the Democratic pack. Because, just like Trump, he has an already recognized brand that transcends politics. The fact that he could start things up with his own money would be icing on the cake. And just like Trump, he would attract some considerable (and understandable) resistance from party insiders.

Perhaps it’s only fitting that this presidential election between Team Clinton, Team Bush, and The Donald will resemble a three-ring circus. Sadly, this may be this may be the new normal in presidential politics. One will have to have a larger than life brand with an independent, already established funding source. Policies, ideas, and even an actual political record that one can be proud of will count for nothing.