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| Donald Trump |
However, among all this smoke, let us not miss Trump’s point. Trump promoted, not facts, not policies, but an attitude: he promised to be “fierce.” In the nation’s history, Trump explained, “No enemy was too fierce.” The nation needed, he said, in true conservative fashion, to return to that past attitude. And it is attitudes – not facts, not policies, but attitudes – that determine election victory.
Earlier Post: Do 2020 Republican National Convention Speakers Care About Fact Checkers?
Yes, although Trump mentioned policies, this was not a policy speech. Instead, this speech asked, what do we value? And Trump valued strength. Trump promised to be strong – powerful – unyielding. He warned the audience of “crisis… crisis… crisis.” Fear. He warned of dangers of every kind. Powerful, evil, and malicious people threaten us. Facing those dangers, Trump promised to be “fierce.” Trump did not sell himself as a bastion of domestic or foreign policy wisdom. He barely mentioned such virtues. No, in his dark vision, dangers attack us from without and within, and the only solution – the only protection – is to be fierce.
Social scientist George Lakoff explains that conservatives and liberals operate with different metaphors. Conservatives (like Trump’s base voters?) seek a “strong father.” Conservatives seek strength. Liberals, in contrast, prefer what Lakoff calls a “nurturing mother.” Liberals pursue wisdom and compassion. Do the twain ever meet? Trump sought to be elected by promising the American people that he would be strong, that the United States’ enemies will quail in fear as he approaches, that his relentless power will make America safe – that he will “make America great again.”
The United States Is Falling Apart?
Throughout world history, conservative thought often comes from the feeling that things were better in the past. Change causes anxiety and failure. The ancient Greeks fondly remembered the mythical time of Achilles and Odysseus. American conservatives look back to Revolutionary war heroes like George Washington. We fall when we abandon ancient wisdom. Thus, as he began his remarkable discussion of fierceness, Trump lamented the decline – the inescapable decay – that liberal leaders create:
Crises, Crises, Crises!
Next, Trump narrated the terrible dangers that attack the United States. Unlike the past, which was (so Trump claimed) inflation-free, rising prices now wrack the economy:
Likewise, immigration, which is Trump’s prime “America First” selling point, also morphed into a terrifying crisis:
Who will protect us from immigration danger? From the crisis?
Of course, Trump also talked about “an international crisis:”
That is why voters must ask themselves, what defends us against danger? Wisdom, or force? That is a value question, and Trump insists that only force can do the job. (For my part, I would like to say wisdom and power both, but how often do those two join hands?)
Trump Says We Need to Be Fierce!
How can the United States repel such dangers? Biden, of course, like most liberals, projects himself as wise, knowledgeable, and involved. In this speech, Trump rarely mentioned such virtues. Instead, we need to be “fierce:”
Earlier Post: Donald Trump's 2020 RNC Acceptance Speech: American Carnage, Revisited?
Earlier Post: Kristin Urquiza's Speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention: Short and She Told a Story
Yes, although Trump mentioned policies, this was not a policy speech. Instead, this speech asked, what do we value? And Trump valued strength. Trump promised to be strong – powerful – unyielding. He warned the audience of “crisis… crisis… crisis.” Fear. He warned of dangers of every kind. Powerful, evil, and malicious people threaten us. Facing those dangers, Trump promised to be “fierce.” Trump did not sell himself as a bastion of domestic or foreign policy wisdom. He barely mentioned such virtues. No, in his dark vision, dangers attack us from without and within, and the only solution – the only protection – is to be fierce.
Social scientist George Lakoff explains that conservatives and liberals operate with different metaphors. Conservatives (like Trump’s base voters?) seek a “strong father.” Conservatives seek strength. Liberals, in contrast, prefer what Lakoff calls a “nurturing mother.” Liberals pursue wisdom and compassion. Do the twain ever meet? Trump sought to be elected by promising the American people that he would be strong, that the United States’ enemies will quail in fear as he approaches, that his relentless power will make America safe – that he will “make America great again.”
The United States Is Falling Apart?
Throughout world history, conservative thought often comes from the feeling that things were better in the past. Change causes anxiety and failure. The ancient Greeks fondly remembered the mythical time of Achilles and Odysseus. American conservatives look back to Revolutionary war heroes like George Washington. We fall when we abandon ancient wisdom. Thus, as he began his remarkable discussion of fierceness, Trump lamented the decline – the inescapable decay – that liberal leaders create:
“Under the current administration, we are indeed a nation in decline.”
Crises, Crises, Crises!
Next, Trump narrated the terrible dangers that attack the United States. Unlike the past, which was (so Trump claimed) inflation-free, rising prices now wrack the economy:
“We have an inflation crisis that is making life unaffordable, ravaging the incomes of working and low-income families, and crushing, just simply crushing our people like never before. They’ve never seen anything like it.”Trump badly overstated his case. According to Investopedia, inflation under Richard Nixon was 5.70%, rising to 8.0% under President Gerald Ford and 9.90% during the Jimmy Carter administration. The inflation rate under Biden has been about 5.70%, which is a bit high, but you can’t honestly say that we have “never seen anything like it.” As I mentioned, however, Trump was not talking about facts to start with. His point was crisis – fear! We are in danger! Who will save us?
Likewise, immigration, which is Trump’s prime “America First” selling point, also morphed into a terrifying crisis:
“We also have an illegal immigration crisis, and it’s taking place right now, as we sit here in this beautiful arena. It’s a massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease, and destruction to communities all across our land. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”Now, unauthorized immigration has indeed risen during the Biden administration, although, as the Christian Science Monitor demonstrates, probably not as dramatically as Republicans like to say. But look at Trump’s language of fear. “Crisis!” “Massive invasion!” “Misery, crime, poverty, disease, and destruction!” And, of course, Trump insisted, “Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”
Who will protect us from immigration danger? From the crisis?
Of course, Trump also talked about “an international crisis:”
“Then there is an international crisis, the likes of which the world has seldom been part of. Nobody can believe what’s happening. War is now raging in Europe and the Middle East, a growing specter of conflict hangs over Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, and all of Asia, and our planet is teetering on the edge of World War III, and this will be a war like no other war because of weaponry. The weapons are no longer army tanks going back and forth, shooting at each other. These weapons are obliteration.”Indeed, even as I write this, war does ravage parts of the world. Yes, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has been threatening nuclear war. The dangers are real. Look, however, at Trump’s apocalyptic language: “War is now raging.” “A growing specter of conflict.” “Our planet is teetering.” And, in the nuclear age, Trump is right to warn us that “These weapons are obliteration.” Danger and fear.
That is why voters must ask themselves, what defends us against danger? Wisdom, or force? That is a value question, and Trump insists that only force can do the job. (For my part, I would like to say wisdom and power both, but how often do those two join hands?)
Trump Says We Need to Be Fierce!
How can the United States repel such dangers? Biden, of course, like most liberals, projects himself as wise, knowledgeable, and involved. In this speech, Trump rarely mentioned such virtues. Instead, we need to be “fierce:”
“It’s time for a change. This administration can’t come close to solving the problems. We’re dealing with very tough, very fierce people. They’re fierce people. And we don’t have fierce people. We have people that are a lot less than fierce, except when it comes to cheating on elections and a couple of other things, then they’re fierce. Then they’re fierce.” [italics added]Repetition has powerful persuasive effects: “very tough, very fierce people.” “They’re fierce people.” Trump decried Biden’s alleged weakness: “we don’t have fierce people.” (Also, Trump could not, of course, avoid mentioning his stolen election conspiracy theory.)
Earlier Post: Joe Biden Organized His Holocaust Remembrance Day Speech to Place Values in Context
Who Will Keep Us Safe?
In this speech, Trump projected himself to be the ultra-strong father. Not just a strong father, but a fierce leader. He would exert power. He would be, to the Republican National Convention’s cheering delight, the president with the clenched fist.
Yet, historically, fierce leaders rarely keep their publics safe. By the time Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo and went into exile, his wars had inflicted French casualties that may have reached into the millions. Hitler and Mussolini certainly did not keep their nations safe. What about Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution? Did Pol Pot keep Cambodia safe? If history teaches us anything, it is that strong leaders can create terrible dangers. If weakness does not keep us safe, neither does fierceness. I, for one, would feel more comfortable with Trump’s apparent lead going into the November election if he had talked about being “strong and wise” instead of simply being “fierce.”
Still, fear overwhelms people’s rational thinking. Faced with crises, they seek strength. They yearn for walls, strong leaders, and powerful protectors. That is what Trump offered. As he concluded his long, long speech, Trump once again promised strength:
Who Will Keep Us Safe?
In this speech, Trump projected himself to be the ultra-strong father. Not just a strong father, but a fierce leader. He would exert power. He would be, to the Republican National Convention’s cheering delight, the president with the clenched fist.
Yet, historically, fierce leaders rarely keep their publics safe. By the time Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo and went into exile, his wars had inflicted French casualties that may have reached into the millions. Hitler and Mussolini certainly did not keep their nations safe. What about Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution? Did Pol Pot keep Cambodia safe? If history teaches us anything, it is that strong leaders can create terrible dangers. If weakness does not keep us safe, neither does fierceness. I, for one, would feel more comfortable with Trump’s apparent lead going into the November election if he had talked about being “strong and wise” instead of simply being “fierce.”
Still, fear overwhelms people’s rational thinking. Faced with crises, they seek strength. They yearn for walls, strong leaders, and powerful protectors. That is what Trump offered. As he concluded his long, long speech, Trump once again promised strength:
“America’s future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, freer, greater and more united than ever before.Lakoff may be right: our competing metaphors (strong father or nurturing mother) seem to define our political divide. The November 2024 presidential election does not only give the United States a choice between two candidates. The voters will assert their values. Is strength alone enough? Do leaders need to combine strength with wisdom or compassion? Does it matter that Trump uttered false or misleading statements, one after the other? Does fierceness overcome all else? Or, as Trump hopes, do many voters value ferocious strength above all other attitudes? If so, Trump offered his case.
“And quite simply put, we will very quickly make America great again.” [italics added]
by William D. Harpine
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Earlier Post: Donald Trump's 2020 RNC Acceptance Speech: American Carnage, Revisited?
Earlier Post: Kristin Urquiza's Speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention: Short and She Told a Story
Copyright © 2024 by William D. Harpine
Image: Official White House photo
