Could Trump herald a new age of politics?
Let's face it; Trump neither acts, nor thinks, nor speaks like a politician. It was clear the moment he announced he was going to run for the Presidency that the US were dealing with a man of quite a different calibre than any of the previous rulers of America, or indeed anyone in any influential political seat anywhere in the known world. Throughout his campaign, many doubted he would have any serious chance at winning the election, many dismissed him immediately due to the fact that he had no political experience, and as time went on he continuously broke tradition and showed the world with a series of acts and statements that he was quite unlike any previous candidate.
As Trump's popularity increased it became clear that a substantial section of the country were clearly ready to accept the idea of an unconventional leader in the White House. Was it really a case of the public opting for the lesser of two evils in the face of what they perceived as two poor choices, or does Trump's election send a message to the world that the current political model is not working and that it's time for a change?
Change is a strong concept and just like Obama before him, Trump has come to power on the back of a powerful message of change; a promise that he is riding on a new wave of greatness that will empower the country and free it from the current slump he perceives it to be in. But is there more to his appeal than just what he is offering to do for the country? Does some of his popularity lie in his humanity, the fact that he makes mistakes, the fact that he says what he means?
Year after year we have watched on as politicians band behind statistics and technical terms, dodging questions and giving tight-lipped answers, consistently failing to live up to their word without substantial explanation as to why, sticking to fixed narratives that have been meticulously crafted for them in advance. All the pressure politicians put on themselves is only compounded by the constant spotlight the media casts on them and the public berating they are submitted to any time the mess up. Then amongst this sprawling jungle that is western politics, here comes a man who promises great things, not by overtly spewing out facts and figures that are twisted and manipulated to fit his agenda, but by chucking it out there as though he's just thought of it, in the every day language that the average audience member would use. Here is a man whom for the most part is engaging and provoking, talking about all the things that really matter to Americans, whilst looking and sounding like the average Joe.
Maybe the fact that he has never been in politics is the reason why he's good for the job. Maybe the fact that he's not already been corrupted by years of hard political graft will give him the clarity to act in true accordance with the will and need of the people. It's still too soon to tell what his impact on the country will be, but regardless of the outcome it seems that to some the election of a straight-talking, fallible human is a welcome shift in the political landscape, and if Trump fails spectacularly then perhaps the one good thing that can be taken away from the experience is the idea that politics needs straight-talking, up-front people...
