Politics 13:06 23/03/2016 World

Donald Trump’s Unceasing Rise

Author Artyom Mkrtchyan, political scientist

While the international community is focused on the developments in the Middle East, which will apparently usher in a new geopolitical reality, a process is evolving in North America which promises no less significant impact on the future global order. The point is about the ongoing US presidential primaries and caucuses, which have outlined the frontrunners of the Democratic and Republican parties in the run up to the US Presidential Elections. While in case with the Democratic primaries the public is mainly busy with exploring the revealed electronic messages by former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, concurrently questioning her legacy in the previous post, - a campaign boom is growing on the Republican front.

In terms of the popularity of the debates, funds squandered on the campaign events, mainstream coverage, frequent altercations and protests at rallies, GOP debates have ramped up a bustle on the political scene of the US. That is due to a man named Donald Trump.

The owner and the manager of a number of multinational corporations specialized in real estate development, investing, and property management and with his $4.5 billion fortune, Trump has been the 72th in the World Powerful People by Forbes 2015 Ranking. Being not a politician in the classical sense of it, Trump campaign has recorded an astonishing success, gaining the most popular Republican candidate title from whatever possible approval ratings.

Mr. Trump is looking the most likely candidate to gain the Republican nomination at the Party National Convention in July for which he will need the vote of exactly 1237 Republican delegates.

Donald Trump has won in 18 states out of a total of 30 primaries held so far while his main contender Ted Cruz has won 8. At this moment Trump has the support of 650 delegates. He managed to drop Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio out of the race; the two were initially considered as the most acceptable candidates for the Republicans suffering defeats by Trump successively in their home states.

American political thought have formulated the occurrence into a concept - Trump phenomenon - trying to reveal how a controversial “outsider” appeared out of blue, with far right views, who has sponsored Democratic and Republican candidates by turns over the past 20 years of his activity, gains the popular support of the ordinary citizens and loosely makes his way to the White House.

VOX paper has compiled data of studies by leading American institutions and research centers which show that Trumps’ popularity crosses demographic lines — education, income, age, even religiosity and bears no statistical similarity to party affiliation, ideology  - a circumstance which is unprecedented in the logic of American electoral system making all calculations pointless. Trump may equally win in a leading educational center like Massachusetts and his native New York, in Florida and economically less developed Nevada. His constituent may to be an Average American and a PHD from Harvard.

Mr. Trump’s shocking and complacent image, abrasive campaign driven by expensive adverts aggressively promoted through Television and Social Media has dragged him away from the solely Republican discourse, elevating his possible presidency to the Federal level. The US administration led by Obama and Biden were ironically reacting to every speech by the billionaire until recently, today they count on the Americans’ 'sensible' choice  warning against the “scary prospect“ of having a President like Trump.

Trump skillfully capitalizes on the fact of being a businessman and own fortune within the current campaign. He is the only candidate who is self-funding his campaign, making a trump card out of this, by stating he is beyond the control of donors. As he likes to quote himself, his possible presidency will be aimed at serving the American people not “the special interest and lobbyist.”

One can establish a list of all bizarre statements by Trump which have stirred up controversy. Call for a temporary ban on foreign Muslims being allowed to enter the United States, building a wall along the border with Mexico, deporting the illegal migrants, denigrating the origin and nationality of other contenders, verbal attacks on journalists, war veterans, mocking disabled - statements which are alien to a society which had long been obsessed with indisputable values as equality and diversity and which are alien to the principles advocated the Republican party itself.

It is noteworthy that Mr. Trump never quits his convictions and defends own statements until the end; thereby keeping the American public puzzled, which opts for clarifications and apologies otherwise. The billionaire himself admits that he is not politically correct, albeit a good education received, says being politically correct takes too much and efforts: “We have to get things done in this country and they would never get it done if we stay just politically correct,” Trump says in a campaign video. Perhaps this directness and sincerity attracts Americans as well although others would label this as pure populism.

One element should not be overlooked in the story. That is the deeply rooted belief about President Obama depicted as a weak leader by the American Conservative establishment. Leading conservatives have come to this conclusion tracking what they call the Obama’s constant failures on international front, especially against the backdrop of expanding China and Putin’s image.

Trump is keen on exploiting Obama’s weak point - in his frequent references to Obama vs. Putin giving the advantage always to the latter. The Kremlin, which officially refrains from commenting on the US elections process, tempted compliment to Trump calling him “a brilliant and talented person.” Trump- Kremlin mutual allusions attach a subtle tone to the US debates considering the reputedly formulated conviction the future US President will succeed only through restraining Putin’s geopolitical aspirations.

Remarkably, Putin and Trump have number of many similarities in their views over the world affairs. For instance, both of them think that ISIS is the product of the US Administration or the turmoil created in the Middle East is a result of the US constant interventions - accusations which are not limited down to Democrats as the Iraqi campaign had been initiated by the Republican Bush.

Donald Trump’s unceasing rise, however strange it might seem, foresees a fiasco of the Republican Party at the Presidential Elections. Only in March 45 percent of all the campaign ads released by the Republicans was of anti-Trump nature. The possibility that each candidate dropping out of the Republican race will consolidate against Mr. Trump is apparent and even under such circumstances Trump will approach the Republican convention with huge support putting  a major dilemma for the Republican Party.

The story may end up in a scenario when Republicans sparing all their resources to block Mr. Trump will open the way for the next Democrat President to the White House – whoever is elected.



Source Panorama.am
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