Christopher Ingraham attributes the rise in Donald Trump’s popularity to one simple fact: Americans are angry.
“Angry at Obama, angry at congressional leaders, and angry at the political establishment as a whole. And they’re not alone — surveys show that anger toward the government, particularly among Republicans, has been rising over the course of Obama’s two terms in office. When asked how they felt toward the federal government, 37 percent of Republicans said ‘angry’ in a Washington Post poll from last fall. By contrast, in September 1998, at the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, only 14 percent of Republicans said they were angry.”
“Beyond that, the latest Post-ABC poll showed that the number one quality Republican voters are looking for in a candidate is ‘a strong leader.’ Add it all together and for a lot of voters, you come up with a Platonic ideal of a candidate that looks and talks a lot like Donald Trump — an outsider who can shake things up, who isn’t afraid to speak the truth even if it offends, and one who has proven leadership abilities. Throw in an (alleged) $10 billion fortune and you’ve got a highly potent candidate on your hands, at least for this particular moment.”
Save to Favorites