Donald Trump - Campaign Success through Twitter Failure
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| adweek.com |
Donald Trump is not going to be the next President of the United States. If that statement shocks you, you might want to do a bit more online reading. The billionaire tycoon/star of the American Apprentice stated his intention to run right at the beginning of the candidacy race and people thought he was joking then, yet on his 'campaign' drags. The frightening thing is, he's actually the leading Republican candidate at the moment. A recent survey suggested that 18% of Republican voters supported Trump, compared to Scott Walker's 15% and Jeb Bush's 14. How, exactly, has this bloated lunatic managed to stay in the limelight for so long? If you ask me, in terms of sheer notoriety, a lot of it is down to his social media presence, especially on Twitter.
The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012
There are plenty of famous people who make fools of themselves on Twitter and Facebook on a fairly regular basis, but Trump does it so frequently and so spectacularly that almost defies belief. It's nothing new, he's been like this for as long he's been on Twitter, but with his surfacing Presidential aspirations (I struggled to type that without laughing) it seems like it's reached a magnificent fever pitch.
I loved firing goofball atheist Penn @pennjillette on The Apprentice. He never had a chance. Wrote letter to me begging for forgiveness.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2015
He's picked fights with magicians (Penn Jillette), satirists (Jon Stewart), political advisers (Karl Rove), running mates (John McCain), the Chinese and some people that only a raving moron would ever pick a fight with. From the other side of the argument I'm not sure what's worse, that Ted Cruz, Piers Morgan and Rush Limbaugh are his front-line outspoken supporters, or that he seems to think that's a good thing. The most recent, and perhaps most amazing chapter in this tale came last Wednesday when Trump tweeted an image of himself next to the White House, overlaid with an American flag with some troops marching beneath. The problem? The troops were goddamn Nazis.
Found @realDonaldTrump's german soldier stock image here (searched "world war II soldiers")
http://t.co/GKkcNTUKpm pic.twitter.com/ysWGeePZIr
— Reed F. Richardson (@reedfrich) July 14, 2015
I'm not even remotely kidding. In a colossal gaffe that Trump has since blamed on a 'young intern' (I'm not even going to touch that), the image used for the bizawful campaign poster was a photograph of re-enacters dressed as Nazi troops. As you might expect, the blow-back was nothing short of relentless. Trump is now set to feature on the cover of the July 27th edition of the New Yorker, pictured belly flopping into a pool as his rival Republican candidates dash for cover. Could it be possible that the only reason he's so far ahead in the early polls is because his antics are such ripe trending fodder?
"@HoustonWelder: Donald Trump is one of the sexiest men on this planet. Every woman dreams of a good man who tells it like it is." So true!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2015
Not entirely, but it plays a big role. It's worth remembering that at this very early stage in the presidential race, the poll surveys mean virtually nothing. Most are predicting that Trump's weird, spiky campaign will burn out before the year is through as more voters begin to take serious interest in the proceedings. The fact that Trump has managed to get this far purely by fanning his questionable wealth around and insulting Mexicans only really testifies to how little meaning public support has at this early stage. Trump has been giving speeches all across the country whilst other candidates have been comparatively less active, because they're saving their breath for when it will actually matter. |
| independent.co.uk |
In some ways, Trump is doing the Republicans a huge favour. He's drummed up some support for the moment and his unpleasant online behaviour is providing him with a signal boost which may will lead to more support still, but once the dust settles the other candidates will likely swoop in with the crowd already warmed up for them. If nothing else, Trump's popularity proves that even when it runs counter to your own credibility, having a strong social media presence is essential for press coverage.
Callum Davies
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF
Donald Trump - Campaign Success through Twitter Failure
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, July 20, 2015
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Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, July 20, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
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