As the “election” comes to an end tonight, millions of votes will be cast and the fate of America will be determined, the topic of Trump the businessman seems no where to be found. The rhetoric that has been flooding news and media outlets at the close of the election surrounds topics regarding sexism, email scandals, and immigration. It has been quite some time since a news story was picked up about
Trump University or his business savvy helping him avoid taxes. So, how helpful was the business background for Trump?

It made him who he is

For challengers choosing to run for president, they are not given the advantages that incumbents naturally possess with regards to how well the public knows them. Because of this, the surfacing stage of presidential campaigns is inherently important. Often times, the surfacing stage allows the public to get to know a politician, who they are, what they stand for, and why they should pay attention. For Donald Trump, the surfacing stage took on a whole new meaning.

His business background and television history had made him a household name before his political chapter began. This allowed much of the surfacing stage to be self-accomplished already. One main aspect of the surfacing stage that was fueled by his business background is developing expectations about a candidate’s style and determining main issues. As it was all much of the public knew about
Donald Trump, his business success and knowledge in the field defined his surfacing stage. Much of the discussion both before and during the primaries was his ability to provide an outside of politics view into the future of America. Many of his initial supporters foresaw successful business to be the key to fix the nation’s economy.

Did it matter?

By the end of any election, certain characteristics of candidates are often forgetten, looked over, and deemed insignificant or important in light of other issues. This can be said about Donald Trump  being a business tycoon. It has not been forgotten, but it simply stands as a basis for his initial ride into politics and garnering support from the very beginning. It was not the only reason, but it most certainly gave him. Does it help now? That will be decided by the voters at the end of this historic election day.

 

 

 

In order to mobilize voters towards a candidate or towards a movement, an emotional connection must be established. Drew Westen, in his book The Political Brain, states that a message must be pitched at a level of generality that elicits an emotional resonance for people. Often times, the term “business” gives off a stone-slated, cold emotional palet. There is a common misconception that those who do well in business often do not care for other’s emotions and feelings, but rather care more for the profit and bottom line. Though this may be partially true, Trump has had to win over the American voters’ hearts by showing how his business record will benefit America’s heartland for the greater good.

A blunder

During the first debate, Clinton attacked Trump for the claim that he build his business on the backs of other people, the little people. In terms of emotional rhetoric, hearing the story Clinton described as Trump taking advantage of an architect and not paying him at the end of a hard days labor gave voters a reason to begin to doubt the integrity of the business record. We all strive for the American Dream; hearing a presidential candidate “stiff” workers in order to futher his career, business and profit strikes a chord in many voters, regardless of the fact that it is true or not.

The secret weapon

Trump, however, does have a secret weapon that naturally appeals to voter’s emotions. And that is his daughter, Ivanka. She is living proof that his business savvy can be taught and acheived by someone, through simpler and less extravagent means. As co-executive vice president with her two brothers, Ivanka naturally elicits emotion as a strong powerful, self-sustaining business women. Her business record itself is impressive. But she stands as a secret weapon to serve credibility to the record Donald Trump has built for himself. Her speech at the RNC, introducing her father as the Repubican nominee, gave her the credibility to stand as a pillar for his sucess. Even Hilary felt it necessary, during the 2nd debate, to give kudos to Trump for raising his kids to be someone to be proud of.

With Hilary Clinton running this 2016 election as a symbolic imcumbent of the Obama adminstration, one can only assume that Donald Trump maintains the role of challenger against his opponent. Not only does he challenge the status quo of politics by calling himself an outsider and someone who can feed into new avenues of thought, but he is strictly playing (whether he knows it or not) by the rules of the ABCs of being a challenger.

Calling for Change 

Whether it is because of his constant claim to fame of being a strong businessman or his inability to connect himself to being a true politician, Trump uses these platforms to call for a change in the way America runs. Take his business savvy for example. Recent polls have Trump ahead in the percentage of voters that beleive in his economic plans over Hilary’s. The groundwork for this support has been developed and maintained by the storyline of Trump, the business. His proposal to run America like a business has given many voters hope in seeing extreme economic and personal financial growth. His “rags to riches” story contrasts with Hilary’s 30 years in politics.

Emphasizing Optimism for the Future

Not much sounds better in the minds of Americans that economic growth. With Trump running for president, the Trump Towers stand as a beacon of hope for the future. In this regard, Donald Trump did have to do much in order to persuade voters that he can be a beacon for success in America. His business storyline consistenly follows the theme of the American Dream as he attempts to align with voters by comparing his $1million dollar loan to the bare beginnings most Americans start with. His slogan, “Make America Great Again” is one of the best mottos a challenger could conduct his campaign with. It signifies optimism for the future by allowing voters to choose how he going to do it. The hopes are, the beleive in his business.

The narrative surrounding Trump and his success in business has long been part of what voters have known about him before his debut in the political realm. Both his large, brooding towers and infamous reality TV show have given him a sweet spot in being a household name. But where did the all the success start? And which successes really mattered? As part of the rhetoric that surrounds Trump’s claim to fix America on the basis of business must, one must look at picking a strategic beginning to his story of sucessful business ventures.

Where he really began

After successfully shadowing his father, a real estate mogul in his time, Trump was given control of the company in 1971. From then, his personal real estate growth as a mogul has only skyrocketed as he first opened a Grand Hyatt in a now booming Manhatten corner to establishing hospitality towers under his own name.

What his rhetoric focuses on

In an effort to persaude Americans that an outsider from politics, AKA a self-proclaimed business tycoon, is best for the country, the campaign took the stride to begin his story of success on moments of time where he took a dire situation and turned it into gold. For example, his smart business record can be placed all the way back in 1995, when he chose to claim a near $1billion in operating losses that further helped him avoid paying taxes for upto 2 decades. 

What his opponent has to say 

From the moment Trump uttered the words “good business experience makes a good president”, the Clinton campaign has been out to prove him wrong. In the first presidential debate, Hilary Clinton made a task to point out Trump’s ability to undermine others in attempts to get ahead in business. See clip below (2:15)

The Clinton campaign wants to rhetoric surrounding Trump’s business record to begin at any point in which he has bent the law or ridden on the backs of others to acheive his success. This beginning point could begin with his incorrect perception of $1million being a small loan or a near $1billion claim in operating losses or simply cutting corners with whom he does business with in efforts to only benefit himself.

This constant tug of war for what is good and bad business has

Recently, Trump Inc. has become as a household topic and a constant top trending topic on twitter. But Donald Trump himself has been at the top of his game in keeping himself recognizable. From his brooding Trump towers to his hard-hitting performance on The Apprentice, Trump has consistenly shown that he is a man of power, in the land of business that is. From his annoucement speech addressing the nation, Trump solidifed the enthymeme of “good businessmen make good presidents” and the idea has been on a see-saw ever since.

 

A Day in the Life. 

The American Dream focuses on the any individual’s ability to start from scratch and create something bigger and better for themselves. It is not new for a presidential candidate to float the idea of having a business background as necessary and possibly be required, per Mitt Romney. However, Trump did not have the most humble of beginings with a small loan of $1 million from his father, yet he has communicated this portrait of acheiving what the American Dream is about: hard work and success.

The scene of this American dream is sest in the daily ritual of the president of the United States in comparison to the daily ritual of a tycoon in the business industry. If one were to treat the country like a business, both the president and the tycoon would want to do what’s best for the country using resources as efficiently as possible. Presidents would seek to do this by focusing on the plausible sucess of the Americans at the heart of the country, i.e. lowering taxes for the middle class in order to encourage propserity and in turn, grow the economy. In a tycoon’s eyes, the same issue is at hand, but with a different solution. In order to churn and stimulate the economy, the tycoon would lower taxes for corporations in order for them to focus their resources on labor and new facilities. The list of comparisons as such could go on.

Is it effective?

Short term answer, not as much. Long term answer, possibly. Trump’s rhetoric in communicating the American Dream has proven successful in some facets. He is not the basic proven hero that rises from the ashes, but the campaign has been able to paint his life as working hard to earn his badges and can be held to a higher standard of competency due to his record