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It's pretty simple in my book and is why I expected Trump to have a good chance of winning the election.

Both Trump and AOC are populists. They care less about what's factually true and more about whats emotionally true.

Politics is not about being factually correct. You can be correct but still not have it your way.

This is what Trump knew. Perception is reality.

That's why it never make sense to judge a politician on their person but only on their policy.



Who do you think the was last president to win on facts and not populist appeals to emotion?


That’s a really interesting question. I don’t know the answer, but the common refrain is that Kennedy was the first president of the TV era - where personality and charisma were suddenly most important. In that case perhaps Eisenhower (his predecessor) was the last of the “facts” presidents?

Then by extension, perhaps Obama was the last of the “personality and charisma” era?


Trump was the last one who were able to do everything that would have killed any other politians hope. I am a bigger fan of his policies than his rethoric but the republicans needed someone like him to counter the bullying tactics the democrats normally use.


"Populist" is such a cop-out euphemism. We should call them out for what they really are: demagogues.


Sure but I actually qualified it.


People can downvote you, but that doesn't make what you're saying any less true. Analysts agree that Trump used these sorts of tactics to win the election.


I don't think the OP is being downvoted for saying Trump is a populist, but for drawing a false equivalence between Trump and AOC. I think you need more than "they are populists" to throw them in the same boat, it should be well supported.

AOC uses Twitter and social media well, just as Trump does, but are they really using it the same way, to the same ends? I have yet to see AOC just straight up lie like Trump does basically every time he opens his mouth. And many of AOC's policy proposals are backed up with historical precedent (especially the higher marginal tax rates for the wealthy).

Also, as far as I know, AOC is not implicated in any criminal behavior, whereas Trump and his family absolutely are.


This OP lost me at drawing the characature of both politicians. However one’s predominant biography will be racism, rank corruption and criminality and the other, hopefully will move us toward an America where more people pay their fair share and we all don’t have to go bankrupt from medical bills.


The political situation in the USA being what it is I honestly have difficulty deciding which politician to assign to which 'biography' in your list, although your nick clearly hints at which order you intended to describe them. It is flabbergasting to see how political systems so often seem to excel in pushing what appear to be the least suitable people to the highest positions.




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