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| A black & white Trump delivers a stark, black & white message. |
Prior to that “debate,”
Trump said that “I’m not a debater.” He emphasized that he “just knows how to get things done.”
Trump is right. He is
definitely not a debater. Yet he
continues to lead the pack of GOP contenders with a 25% lead, double that of
the next person, with all of the others falling well behind.
Despite the fact that his entrenched popularity appears to
be at odds with many of his seemingly outrageous comments, poll respondents
seem to love what he says and the style by which he delivers it.
So what’s going on? Here
are at least two clues:
Trump’s assertion that he is not a “debater” is the first. The
second is his strong pushback to any question or criticism directed at him –
right or wrong – that he considers to be unfair.
I think that anyone who saw him in action during his public
appearances, formal or informal, will readily concur with his claim that he is
not debating, but simply throwing out sharply, but plainly-delivered comments
to establish his position.
What his opponents and “debate”
moderators may think of that is not his stock-in-trade. He is out to win and does not want to appear
as being smeared – hence, his unforgiving remarks about being treated unfairly,
especially following the dust-up with
Megyn Kelly over his “blood” response
to one of her questions in the first nationally televised debate.
After that incident, even the powerful head of Fox News,
Roger Ailes, called Trump to raise a white flag and to assure him that he will
indeed be treated fairly.
Trump is playing to his greatest strength, that of a crafty
negotiator who will not disclose his ultimate position. He will keep to that strategy as long as his
enormous popularity in the polls continues to hold.
It is why the man does not consider himself a “debater.” Everything in his campaign is predicated on
his negotiating skills and the desire to come out of this thing whole, whether
or not he secures the GOP nomination.
Trump insists on maintaining his reputation for what he is
good at: Being an effective negotiator. That is why he insists on being “treated fairly.”
He continues to retain walkaway power, the hallmark of all great
negotiators. If you understand that,
then you understand Donald Trump.
p.s. Keep your eyes on Carly Fiorina. She has a role to play in the upcoming
elections.
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