Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Killing Camelot: How Trump is Smashing the Style of the Political Elite with his Character & Honesty
9/20/2016 | Pocono Pundit

Posted on 09/20/2016 7:16:46 PM PDT by poconopundit

For over a year now, the mainstream press has attacked Trump for not being "presidential". 

Even still, citizens are genuinely concerned that their president look the part of a president and carry themselves in a way that makes us proud. 

So what exactly is meant when someone says a candidate looks or is "presidential"?  And why should we care?  This is the subject I'm going to explore and discuss in this vanity.

JFK, Jackie and the Royalty of Camelot

Well, to begin, I think our current notion of a "presidential" style was strongly influenced by JFK in the 1960s.  It was Kennedy and his wife Jackie who first brought a royalty-like style to the White House and presidency.  JFK's predecessors, Eisenhower and Truman, were rather plain guys by comparison.  And so the press glorified the JFK style to the point where the Kennedy era was given the name: Camelot.

Now presidents like the Bushes, Carter and Nixon -- by and large -- did not project this Camelot presidential image.  But I think Reagan, Obama, and candidate Romney have.  To me the Camelot image projects a couple things: 1) a detached and diplomatic manner; and 2) lofty, well-rehearsed speeches delivered with the head held high.  The clothes reinforce the Camelot image too: Obama's perfectly creased pants and Romney's prep-school blazers with that gleam in the eye. 

Is There Substance Behind the Presidential Style?

Now the trouble with Camelot is that a candidate or president can measure up on the style side, but lack the substance. 

Obama is a certainly a creature of style.  He's a celebrity and community organizer raised the level of his incompetence.  Most of us have figured out that Obama is not a man of strengthen in character or accomplishments.  He's really a puppet of the invisible donors and globalists who support him.

And what does he do out on the campaign trail?  He jumps onto the podium with his sunglasses on as if to say, "Look at me.  I'm Mr.  Cool.  I'm President of the United States." Not a lot of humility in this man.

But Obama does know Camelot.  He does know the look of being presidential.  But since he's not a true leader, Putin and Iran can run circles around him.  On the airport runway in Shanghai a couple weeks ago, the Chinese didn't even bother to roll out a stairway for Obama to get off the plane.  On the same trip to Asia, the president of the Philippines called Obama's mother a whore.  And what did Obama do?  He just shrugged it all off. 

Mitt Romney, too, wins on style, but loses on character.  Remember the last debate in 2012 when Romney caved over Benghazi and more or less quit the last month of his campaign?  Romney looks the part, but he's really only a moderately successful venture capitalist and lacks the backbone to push a true conservative agenda.  He's too busy pleasing his globalist donors.

But Romney's mastery of the Camelot speaking style is probably why the GOPe bigwigs and donors selected him to take potshots at Trump before the Utah primary.  Trouble is: the elite stylist Romney lacked the solid virtues.  That's why your average Republican instantly recognized Romney's attacks as pitiful and dishonest — even if he did deliver them like JFK.

The Presidential Substance of George Washington and Reagan

George Washington, of course, is legendary for his leadership and presidential qualities.  Ralph Waldo Emerson studied Washington and painted one of the most compelling images of our first President:

    We cannot find the smallest part of the personal weight of Washington, in the narrative of his exploits.  The largest part of his power was latent.  This is that which we call Character...

    What others effect by talent or by eloquence, this man accomplishes by some magnetism.  "Half his strength he put not forth." His victories are by demonstration of superiority, and not by crossing of bayonets.  He conquers, because his arrival alters the face of affairs.

      Ralph W.  Emerson, Character from Essays: Second Series (1844)

Reagan had a similar magnetism.  And his gravity came both from his leadership style and his gravity as a man.  Reagan had a long an accomplished career as a Hollywood actor, radio sportscaster, and California governor.  And the toughness of his character could be easily seen during his "I paid for this microphone!" campaign. 

And yet, Reagan could fit the Camelot presidential style too.  His oratory at critical moments was memorable such as his poetry after the Challenger space shuttle disaster:

    We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

How Trump is Changing our Notion of Presidential Style

Now Reagan's Camelot style worked for him, but that doesn't mean we should expect Trump to follow that same model. 

Trump's personal experience grew out of the business world, so his style is bound to be quite different from someone who's spent most of their adult life in politics.

Perhaps Trump's son Eric said it best when he said his Dad is kind of billionaire blue collar guy. 

p>Sure, Trump's definitely rough around the edges and he tells us how Clinton got "schlonged" by Obama in 2008.  But to Trump supporters, that kind of language doesn't turn us off: it telegraphs Trump's humanity and honesty!

When Trump steps into one his rallies, he electrifies the room.  He proves he's one of us!  So Trump very much has his own populist style and will never fit into the Camelot cookie cutter.  Besides, a president doesn't need to be "presidential" all the time. 

And yet, when it's time to get more serious, Trump's delivery of major speeches on immigration, the economy, and foreign policy proves he can communicate in a very "presidential" when the occasion calls for it. 

 

Daddy Trump

Breitbart's Milo Yiannopoulos calls Trump "Daddy", and he's got a point.  Trump reminds me a lot of my own Dad: tough, fair, protective and nurturing. 

Clearly Trump's way of communicating is more open and direct — more attuned to the way people talk in a family at home.  Family members argue with each other!  They get angry, curse, cry, and eventually make up.  But along the way, bad habits are corrected, long repressed feelings are brought out into the open, and family peace/solidity is restored. 

So America's new Dad is airing out our Nation's dirty laundry.  And the dining room table conversation he started is necessary if America is to remain a free republic, an economically sustainable nation, and a family of multi-cultural patriots. 

 

Conclusion

In short, Trump is replacing the Camelot invented by the political elite with something that's more relaxed, natural, and business-oriented.  He's also pushing communication that's more honest, more plain English, less PC and more conversational.  And it's ok to mix things up: we can joke around and laugh at rallies.  It doesn't have to be serious all the time like Hillary is. 

After all, isn't it fun when the future President of the United States can tell us:

Welcome...  to all of you...  deplorrrrables...  :- )



TOPICS: Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: 2016issues; camelot; elitists; gope; presidential; trump2016
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

1 posted on 09/20/2016 7:16:46 PM PDT by poconopundit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: HarleyLady27; Be Careful; Fiddlstix; JoSixChip; kanawa; Yaelle; SubMareener; Vision Thing; ...
FRriends. I've been meaning to write a vanity about what "presidential style" is all about for a long time.

Finally finished it up. Hope there's something here for you.

I spent zero time explaining why Hillary is not presidential, but I have a feeling we'll see a lot of comments on that vein. Cheers.

2 posted on 09/20/2016 7:23:03 PM PDT by poconopundit (When the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government. Franklin, Const. Conv.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

It should be noted that the “Camelot” label for the Kennedy years masked what was really a hard-core white trash family. The Clintons were a perfect successor to them.


3 posted on 09/20/2016 7:24:17 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

I have concluded as this is the reason the left calls Trump “deplorable”.

They have “conditioned” the people to accept a candidate that has been “accepted” by the 1%.

People are easy to fool as you see the masses vote Democrat regardless of who it is.

Trump is changing the race. Democrats rely on division and Trump relies on America.

Big Difference.


4 posted on 09/20/2016 7:24:27 PM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

This doesn’t look like a real “vanity” to me at all. It’s a well-written, interesting piece!


5 posted on 09/20/2016 7:25:19 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: eyedigress

Something else to consider is that Trump has never held public office before. The idea that someone would make his first serious foray into politics in a presidential run sounds outlandish to all of the career politicians who have run this country into the ground.


6 posted on 09/20/2016 7:27:53 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit
HEY POCO!

I just read the first paragraph, and am about to read the rest.

But until them, I have what is a very very lame comment, however it came to mind without my trying, so authenticity demands I say it.

Obama reminds me more of a-lot-of-camels than camelot. That is an aside to your point, does not negate it. OK back to reading, possibly with apologies for distracting from the point.

7 posted on 09/20/2016 7:29:55 PM PDT by tinyowl (A equals A)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

Trump is breaking the mold, that is for sure.

He has also broken the strangehold of the Cheap Labor Express on the GOP.


8 posted on 09/20/2016 7:31:52 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam , Know Peace)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit
That was great! I admired Jackie for how gracious she was, her smile, and with Nancy, when she looked at Ronnie, you could just tell she saw no one but him...

Trump and Melania are going to be so great for Our Country, her style and manners and speaking foreign languages, and Trump and his wit, he is very witty at times, but his strength, the way it is, the ‘street fighter’ attitude...

I watched him in Mexico, he has that look and then a smile and a hand shake, but don't under estimate him, he can bite like a ‘viper’ but give you all he has the next minute...

Do we HAVE to wait until Nov. 8th??? Can't we just go into the White House and jerk the twits out and clean and fumigate the place and put Trump in now??? Please tell me we can!!!

Thank you for your article...it was great!!!

9 posted on 09/20/2016 7:33:07 PM PDT by HarleyLady27 ('THE FORCE AWAKENS!!!' Trump/Pence; Trump/Pence; Trump/Pence 100%)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

The left always thinks of itself as the protectors of the “little guy” but they’re far from it. The deplorables are the white working class people of this country, traditionally the backbone of the Democratic Party. Today those people are hicks, rubes, “white” trash, Nazis, bigots, homophobes, people possessed of an IQ of less than 60, and living in flyover country. We talk about what Dems do and say about blacks who dare to leave their plantation. I guess we’re seeing what happens when white working class people decide to ditch them too. The Democrat Party of today is a disgrace to everything great that is American. They are dishonest, corrupt, intolerant and filled with hate and rage over any difference in opinion that doesn’t jive with their thinking.


10 posted on 09/20/2016 7:33:13 PM PDT by dowcaet (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

11 posted on 09/20/2016 7:36:05 PM PDT by Fiddlstix (Warning! This Is A Subliminal Tagline! Read it at your own risk!(Presented by TagLines R US))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Lurkinanloomin

Well-written article, right on the mark.


12 posted on 09/20/2016 7:37:34 PM PDT by Ciexyz (The Democratic ticket will continue to be bad for me and America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

JFK was very presidential and mostly herpes. By body weight, I mean


13 posted on 09/20/2016 7:37:40 PM PDT by brucedickinson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

good work. do some more. :0)


14 posted on 09/20/2016 7:38:15 PM PDT by ichabod1 (Make America Normal Again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tinyowl
You crazy bastid, tinyowl! Obama reminds you of a "lot of camels" because of what exactly?
15 posted on 09/20/2016 7:39:14 PM PDT by poconopundit (When the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government. Franklin, Const. Conv.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

I’m sure we have been around for awhile. Trump is sincerely wanting to get the corruption stopped.

We see now that it goes back to 1988. The kids don’t have a clue.

Trump has been groomed for this without even knowing for most of his life.

What scares me the most is all the foundations feeding the money to corrupt every institution in our nation.

The media and hollywood is quite blatant.

Trump is a severe threat to all of it.


16 posted on 09/20/2016 7:40:05 PM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

Moreover, it should be remembered that it became the so called Camelot several years, maybe 10 years, after the assassination.


17 posted on 09/20/2016 7:40:31 PM PDT by ichabod1 (Make America Normal Again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: dowcaet

buncha people on one side refusing to vote for cucks and a bunch on the other side refusing to vote for the commies, what does that spell?


18 posted on 09/20/2016 7:43:11 PM PDT by ichabod1 (Make America Normal Again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit

Camelot? More like Cumalot.


19 posted on 09/20/2016 7:44:42 PM PDT by MuttTheHoople (Yes, Liberals, I question your patriotism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poconopundit
Yep think you're pretty much dead on.

Couple qualifiers about Trump being a business man, which is different from just being a 'capitalist' which these days includes financiers who produce nothing.

So he's a businessman distinct from just being a capitalist - he's a producer - of buildings - stone, steel and dirt ... which is why he's a blue collar guy. When the masonry sucks, it's on him as well as his mason. Also ... he's a NEW YORK business man. People from NYC don't flinch when he speaks as he does.

I think you make a good point that he is changing what America thinks of as good/acceptable presidential style. It's actually way more in tune with the rugged individualists - and producers before they were politicians - who founded the country.

But for the liberals ... anything but authenticity is all that matters.

20 posted on 09/20/2016 7:46:42 PM PDT by tinyowl (A equals A)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson