Middle classes around the world seem weary of free politics and are open to strongmen like Trump.
In my reply, I generally agreed. Good article, loaded with useful info. But a slightly different slant:
Yes, indeedy. I've been thinking all along that the problem isn't the candidate, it's the electorate. Although I don't know much about the Asian autocrats, I think Berlusconi is the closest we have to Trump. Where Trump has done him one better is that he got all his publicity for free while Berlusconi had to buy up a lot of media outlets to get his message across.
I don't quite agree with the closeness of the Mussolini comparison. Hitler's rise seems more relevant. Shirer notes that after two failed coups, and prison, Hitler realized that the route to power was through a media-manipulated democratic process. The German electorate is also more comparable to today's Establishment weariness. The Weimar Republic formed after WW1 was an economic disaster made even worse by public humiliation because of harsh sanctions and reparations imposed by the victors. It became identified with democracy because the US was an important part of the settlement at Versailles. Hitler capitalized on this widespread discontent and made democracy (and minorities) the convenient scapegoat for his argument that the country needed a strong leader.
What Hillary needs to learn from Bernie is that the movement he represents is very close to the movement that Trump represents. Neither constituency cares much about a candidate's gender – nearly everyone expects that a female president will eventually happen. They also don't care about their age. Bernie's backers are mostly young, but they rally behind this grandfatherly figure because he seems to be a future version of what they could be. And because he addresses their deeply felt concerns. Hillary needs to find a way to address both camps with a message and a posture that promises real determination to steer the basic structure of the government toward their interests.
But even if she doesn't, I think she needs to keep hammering away at Trump's mentality, the unstable condition he seems helpless to correct cosmetically. "Never Trump" should resonate with the same legitimacy as "Never Hitler."
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