Sam Fields Opines: Donald Trump Is Not A Bigot
BY SAM FIELDS
Donald Trump is not a bigot!? He’s a salesman.
Yes, yes, yes, I’ve heard his comments and plans for Mexicans, Muslims, Blacks, etc. If I thought for a second he truly believed those ideas I might think otherwise.
His speeches are actually nothing more than an extension of his business career of marketing — his one and only product, Donald Trump.
Donald Trump: A salesman, not a bigot
For the last thirty years he has successfully marketed everything from condos to casinos to ties with the notion that you too can live his lifestyle.
And he has been the master of it.
Trump does not even own half the projects that have his name. He built the Trump brand to the point that he license’s his name for products he has little or no money in.
I don’t have slightest doubt that if he thought there was enough money in it, The Donald would sell condos themed to pedophilia…”Trump’s Toddler Towers”.
He’s like a sports hero or a movie star. In this way he is unique in real estate. Notwithstanding the billions he made with The Related Group, I’m pretty sure there will never be a development called “The Estates of Steve Ross”.
It does not matter if it’s true. It only matters that customers spend millions fantasizing Trump Cologne will make Cindy Crawford drop her draws.
After all, there’s only one measure of success to a marketing plan: ”Who ends up with the most toys”.
And the only difference between business marketing and political marketing is that in politics the “most toys” are votes instead of money.
What does not change is that in neither marketing or politics is truth a requirement.
What does not change is that fear can be a great marketing plan. But instead marketing fear to sell home alarm systems, Trump discovered that xenophobic fear is the best marketing plan for Republican votes.
He hardly invented the politics of fear.
One of my favorite fear mongers is Sidney Catts, Florida’s governor from 1917-1921. His Mexicans and Muslims were Blacks and Catholics.
In 1958, George Wallace ran for governor as a progressive and lost to avowed racist John Patterson.
Wallace’s oft quoted lesson: “No one is ever going to out-nigger me again”. And they didn’t.
In 2012 Trump thought that the Birther issue would carry the day against Obama. It was not enough. Like Wallace, he would not make that mistake again. He needed something else.
To a certain extent he fell into this marketing strategy. There can be no doubt that he broke out of the GOP pack with his kickoff speech about “Mexican rapists” coming across the border. It was a focus group in test marketing. And it sold like Hula-hoops.
Does Trump have some special dislike of Mexicans? I doubt it. After all, those overpriced Trump ties and suits are made in Mexico.
Does he really believe that Muslims should be registered and barred from the USA? I doubt it. His buildings are filled with wealthy Muslims such as Qatar Airlines. He’s also marketing and building hotels in the Arabian Peninsula.
But I do wonder if he will ever realize that he has touched into a dangerous Populist vein that can end up tearing this country apart in the same way that Jim Crow demagogues instigated thousands of Black lynchings or Wallace’s rants created an atmosphere that led to the bombing of Birmingham’s “16th Street Baptist Church”.
Unfortunately, for the time being, Trump continues to see this like murderers in The Godfather: “It’s not personal, it’s just business”.
December 13th, 2015 at 11:31 am
Sam,
With respect to your observation, the conclusion you point to amounts to a difference without a distinction.
Whether Trump deep in his heart is a racist or a bigot is irrelevant. It makes no actual difference. He says he was serious about his statement. Therefore, the statement defines him and carries the very same effect as if he was a racist bigot.
Indeed, it’s possible that Nazi leaders didn’t really hate Jews but used that hatred as a unifying tool for marketing their brand. Some may have actually been fond of some Jews. But in using a category of human beings in that way, they defined how truly unworthy of the title “human being” they were.
It’s actually unclear to me which would be the “better quality” humans — those who were actually honest about what people they hated, or those who just pretended to hate and foster that hate among others merely for profit movtive.
However, I am totally open to your observation that Trump may not be so personally convinced of his views. That he may be doing it for political advantage. Except then we would need add liar Trump’s resume. As for racist, bigot and batshit crazy? He’s already put those attributes on his resume.
We are capable of so much better in America. We have every advantage yet keep settling for less than mediocrity as if we didn’t have the ability to direct what our own future should be, as if it was served to us by some celestial waiter over which we have no control. We had better smarten and grow the heck up quickly. At the point that we’re talking about a clown like this going to the White House, republican or democrat, it just shows how that we’re waaay off course.
Angelo
December 13th, 2015 at 1:17 pm
Mr.trump can be beaten. Born w/ silver spoon in his mouth, Daddy was a huge contractor in NYC. Trump was given everything in life. All Hillary Clinton has to do is hammer away at this fact. All of us would be heard if we were worth what Trump is worth. I mean no way is he worthy to be in th eWhite House. 1600 Penns. ave . is not for sale. No way can he be president w/ his views. he is out for himself, and no one else. See right through him…
December 13th, 2015 at 3:37 pm
You mean the country apart like ☭bama is doing? I hope he wins because all the crooked, hypocritical Dems like here in Broward and the Shrillary crap hate him as much as the crooked Republicans. Maybe he is JUST WHAT WE NEED. A NON politician. That is why they are all scared of him. He can say what he wants because that is his, and our (collective) right to do so, no matter how badly lifetime trough sucking crooked politicians, who have never had a real job, hate it.
December 13th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
>> We are capable of so much better in America.
Not will we have career folks such as yourself running for office…
Sadly, the job of a politician attracts a particular sort of individual. Like human fly paper for the moral bereft…
Angelo, you want a better America? Then step aside and find a real job.
FROM BUDDY:
Far be it from Angelo to need me to defend him, but I will. Angelo has had many high powered “real” jobs running major charities and government agencies.
December 13th, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Firstly everyone knows ALL the Nazi leaders were anti-semites BEFORE they joined the Nazis so Commissioner Castillo is wrong
Secondly the late Fred Trump was a
BUILDER on Long Island of post World War II housing NOT a contractor.
It’s depressing how much WRONG INFORMATION gets on the internet!
Last Wednesday a retiree at an auction of historical documents said August Belmont changed his name from Schoenberg! Wrong! The original Jewish Alzey records show the Belmonts of Sephardic ancestry who came to Germany via the Netherlands. What has happened to English n History teaching?
December 14th, 2015 at 11:44 am
Oh fuck, ISIS is going to take over the world.
Quick, someone elect a reality-show actor to lead the Free World.
December 14th, 2015 at 12:33 pm
I agree with Angelo’s thoughtful post.
I would add one more point:
If Trump really IS just making this fascist nonsense up to get the rubes to vote for him, doesn’t that actually make him worse than if he were an “honest” bigot/authoritarian?
Kevin
December 14th, 2015 at 3:23 pm
“Angelo has had many high powered real jobs running charities and government agencies.”
Buddy, I think you just made his point.
December 14th, 2015 at 4:17 pm
Whether Trump means what he says or not is irrelevant. He has whipped up a racist xenophohia in this country that is repulsive! Look at the turnouts for his rallies. Look at the attacks – both verbal and physical – on protesters at his rallies. He has shown the ugliest side of our society! Racist? Probably. Fascist? Certainly!
December 14th, 2015 at 9:10 pm
And exactly what “real job” are you employed at now Chaz?
December 14th, 2015 at 9:17 pm
Has Angelo ever employed anyone by paying them a living wage and benefits?
Does he pay SS for the domestic help?
December 15th, 2015 at 10:32 am
And exactly what “real job” are you employed at now Chaz?
Why do you care? As if I’d ever disclose my client list to you schmucks.
December 15th, 2015 at 9:53 pm
No surprise here. After all, if you had a “real job” , it would be hard to get all those gay poles erected.