The Politician Persona

In an earlier module, we established that one of the prevailing topics of the class is the changing methods of communication, and how that effects the way politicians present themselves to citizens. We also discussed the presence of campaign narratives, and what different aspects of a campaign come together to produce that narrative. These two aspects which merge media and politics are very interesting to me, and have changed the way that I see the current presidential race. It is easy to understand how an actor such as Arnold Schwarzenegger could win the governing office of California. The current climate is perfect for the rise of TV personalities with fleeting aspirations to run for the presidency. The ability for presidential hopefuls to be tall, handsome masters of English wasn't all that important when most of what people heard of them came out of the black and white pages of a city newspaper. All the newspaper and radio could hold was the policy suggestions and supposed party alignment of each candidate. With the invention of the TV, not only did the way that we receive our news change, but the types of candidates that essentially make the news changed with it. As much as it is the news itself that changed, we as humans have adapted to the inventions of communication, and will continue to as we advance more and more. Furthermore, the manner in which the news is delivered to us via TV and the internet has affected what kind of candidates are more successful. Our love of soft news like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report is a big reason why we would favor a President(or candidate) with a snarky attitude, cynical tone, and matter-of-fact speech pattern. These personality traits are most relatable, and appeal to the emotional side of many citizens. Basically, our sociopolitical climate is the reason why it is possible for Donald Trump to succeed in running for President.