Alright people get your pitchforks and torches ready. I can already hear a mob of people gathering outside my window. I’m going to make this quick so that I can find a safe place to hide.
This will come as an unpleasant announcement to most people, but Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States of America. Yes I said it, and no I am not trying to troll you.
So what has Trump done that would warrant me to make such a claim? There are three reasons: the first is his targeted demographic, the second is political inexperience and the third is his campaign approach.
Why do I say that? The reasoning behind those claims is simply that it is the truth. I am the type of person that would label himself as a realist. When I see what Trump has done so far in his campaign, I see the writing on the wall and that starts with his targeted demographic.
When I think of a Donald Trump supporter, I think of white and middle class, which is Trump’s support and voting demographic. Of the total United Sates population, 73.4 percent is white as of 2014, and of that 73.4 percent almost half is middle class and makes up the majority of voters.
If a candidate, like Trump, is able to get that targeted group, most likely he or she will win the popular vote in November. So far, Trump has that group and I am not the only one that notices that. Publications like The Washington Post have gathered enough information to conclude that the majority of Trump supporters are white and of the middle class.
It’s safe to say that Trump will win because of that factor, but why does he appeal to that group of people? That question segues into my next reason: Trumps political inexperience.
I am not talking about his suggested polices or standing within his own party. I am talking about his public perception. Why people like Trump is because he is not a politician. Most of the candidates have held positions in government, not Trump.
He was a businessman first and not some sort of senator or governor of a state. He has not been politically institutionalized, which is why people can relate to him.
Trump portrays himself as an “everyman”, meaning that he is just a regular American that just so happens to be running for president. People can get behind that idea and will follow him because they believe he will look for their best interests. Whether you believe that or not, that is the reason why people follow him.
It’s not just the image that gets Trump over with his voters, he is able to talk to them in a way that they can understand him, and, in turn, can relate to him.
Trump’s image is solidified by his speeches and how he speaks during his speeches. If Trump made speeches that used long words and political jargon, his “everyman” persona would not hold up. However, he talks in a very blunt, direct and emotional way. It’s simple yet effective, and is the reason why people are able to understand him.
People are able to get behind a candidate like Trump because he talk to them on their level. Making “rah-rah” speeches that have heightened emotion is just a bonus. So far, all of what he has done has worked.
That is why Trump will be president. If I am wrong I will gladly take it on the chin. Now that I am done, I should find that hiding spot now. I think I hear people trying the break down my door.
Daniel Clare is a junior majoring in English/journalism.