Posted on 12/20/2015 9:48:33 AM PST by poconopundit
Presidential campaigns are -- first and foremost -- about political issues. This is why the media spends so much time analyzing the TV debates, rally speeches, and policy papers of the candidates.
But when Americans choose a President, the issues are only one factor on their minds. Americans also weigh less tangible factors to determine how well a candidate would do in office.
In short, no presidential campaign can succeed unless sufficient attention is paid to optics -- the process of building an aura of leadership and competence around the candidate.
Good optics was certainly a big factor in the rise of Barack Obama in 2008. His confidence, lofty speeches, and sharp personal appearance impressed people. NYT commentator David Brooks famously called Obama's "perfectly creased" pants a sign of presidential readiness.
So how this battle over optics play out in the 2016 presidential election? Well, to answer that, I think we first need to look at key issues of the day.
No matter whether you a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, the big issue for 2016 seems to be: how can we make our federal government work effectively again. Look at some of the problems we face:
OK, now contrast these problems to the high level of automation and precision that the average American experiences in his daily life:
The average American, then, is scratching his head. He notices the big disconnect. He sees a high degree of precision and competence from his bank, cell phone company, and grocery store -- but when he looks at his government, he sees all sorts of failure and inefficiency.
And this fixing our federal government's incompetence issue cuts across party lines.
Trump's Optics around the Competence Issue
If Trump should win the GOP nomination, expect him to pour a lot more energy than he already has into creating optics around his business competence. Descending on last week's Mesa, Arizona rally from the big Trump jet is just the beginning...
MAKE AMERICA WORK AGAIN optics should be highly effective at swaying those Independent and Democrat voters who are sitting on the fence. Those voters may disagree with Trump on many of his policies. But that may not matter.
As long as Trump can convince people that he'll be a Precision President, an electoral sweep is quite possible.
“Vote for him and find out for yourself.”
We plan to along with our whole family and all of our friends. :-)
Good comeback if you can’t refute the original post. Insult the messenger instead of the message.
What I wrote is accurate. Newby? Yes. Promoting Trump with a vanity? Yes. Joined to promote Trump? Probably, yes.
Do you have to be Cruzty to join up?
I wouldn’t be surprised if he/she is on Trump’s staff, simply exploiting FR for the campaign season.
Are you serious? Why would Trump need FR? He's doing very well all promoting himself.
Might you not be a bit jealous that you didn't write this vanity post?
How about you write a matching vanity for your candidate.
Theo, Free Republic is a magnificent resource and you have been a long time member with a long history of contribution. Trump might be better off leaving it alone and NOT infiltrating it as it provides incredible feedback...really better than anywhere I can imagine.
Yes, if you read all my past posts, you will definitely see I support Trump. And I have mentioned more than once that I also like Cruz.
But I am not associated with the Trump campaign nor any campaign, never have. So no donors here, just another guy doing an “act of love” :-)
For a living, I am an industry analyst in high tech. I write articles all the time, but none on politics. So to separate my business and personal life, I choose to remain anonymous.
Maybe I went overboard by including all the Trump photos, but I wanted to remind people of the different optics he is employing. Besides, it’s a cold Sunday in the Pocono Mountains, so it was fun putting it together.
Actually, I would like to encourage FReepers to submit more home-baked articles. With all the trash stuff being written by the MSM, why should these liars get all the publicity? The comments I read here are some of the finest — and funniest — commentary anywhere.
Pleased to hear some FReepers liked this article. Thanks.
Not me. This metastasized federal behemoth is beyond “precision.” What this china shop needs is a bull. Afterwards, the “precision” prissies can re-engage the process of cosmetic “reform.”
It is embarrassing how many Freepers have bought into Trump. Until 6 months ago, he was on record supporting abortion rights, single-payer healthcare, etc. He is a huckster, and anyone buying what Trump is selling is a moron.
Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is extremely principled and consistent.
He oughta' be arguing that your lawyer is better than their lawyer, right ?
/sarc for those who don't get it
I agree. And in fairness, I get the same goosebumps from Cruz. But with Trump, my entire skin breaks out in a healthy rash!
I agree. In fact, even a little more competence in government will feel a whole lot better.
And you’re right. We shouldn’t worry about precision right away. Get the engine of the State working for us again is the top priority!
Well done.
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