Well, kind of...
In the TV show we watched in class, Waldo represented the voice of the 'unheard', 'uncared for', and the 'oppressed'. This cartoon character was able to be used as a medium for those were angry or upset with the political system. Waldo was able to express his views in a horribly, disrespectful manner, yet he was still able to gain significant support. This was not because people value his disrespectful rhetoric, but because they wanted to screw up the political system/status quo. And yes beneath Waldo's toxic rhetoric, there was a layer of truth.
I believe Waldo and Donald J. Trump are similar in that regard, yet obviously Waldo's rhetoric was much more volatile. But president elect Trump had a similar message that relayed and hit home to a lot of people.As the election results on Tuesday night indicated, there is a silent majority in America who feel the government has abandoned them. The political elites these people have elected for decades have only acted out of their own personal interest, and not 'the common mans'. Many of these Americans who feel 'uncared for' and 'unheard' want to be heard and taken seriously. They did so by electing a reality TV star (along with being a successful business man) to the highest office in the American political system. A man who has tweeted such things like, "I have never seen a thin person drinking a diet coke', is now our president elect..Which can be seen as terrifying and/or awesome. This silent majority was profoundly heard this past Tuesday night, and has consequently caused a great shock among many, many people. The most shocked being the Washington elites, media, and my passionately 'progressive' generation, the millennials. But were the thousands and thousands of people who attended his rallies completely shocked? No. Were the people who voted for him in the Republican primaries shocked? No.
Donald Trump kickstarted a movement for almost the exact same reasons Waldo did. He represented a chance for a true change in America and the status quo in our politics, and many of his supporters bought into him and his campaign from the beginning. He could say inflammatory or what some would call 'divisive' rhetoric, yet he never lost that energy behind his campaign. In fact, one could say that his 'inflammatory' rhetoric helped him among his supporters. This is because he was being honest and frank, not so much that they necessarily agreed with him. Also, a vast amount of people have had enough of the politically correct 'jargon' that has been ever-so present over the recent years. This is evidenced by the massive amount of support he generated that was severely overlooked and under-represented by the media and the political elite. They didn't give him a chance last year when he announced how he would be seeking the Republican nomination, and they didn't give him a chance even after becoming the Republican nominee.
He is now our president elect, and Waldo fans are ecstatic.
In the TV show we watched in class, Waldo represented the voice of the 'unheard', 'uncared for', and the 'oppressed'. This cartoon character was able to be used as a medium for those were angry or upset with the political system. Waldo was able to express his views in a horribly, disrespectful manner, yet he was still able to gain significant support. This was not because people value his disrespectful rhetoric, but because they wanted to screw up the political system/status quo. And yes beneath Waldo's toxic rhetoric, there was a layer of truth.
I believe Waldo and Donald J. Trump are similar in that regard, yet obviously Waldo's rhetoric was much more volatile. But president elect Trump had a similar message that relayed and hit home to a lot of people.As the election results on Tuesday night indicated, there is a silent majority in America who feel the government has abandoned them. The political elites these people have elected for decades have only acted out of their own personal interest, and not 'the common mans'. Many of these Americans who feel 'uncared for' and 'unheard' want to be heard and taken seriously. They did so by electing a reality TV star (along with being a successful business man) to the highest office in the American political system. A man who has tweeted such things like, "I have never seen a thin person drinking a diet coke', is now our president elect..Which can be seen as terrifying and/or awesome. This silent majority was profoundly heard this past Tuesday night, and has consequently caused a great shock among many, many people. The most shocked being the Washington elites, media, and my passionately 'progressive' generation, the millennials. But were the thousands and thousands of people who attended his rallies completely shocked? No. Were the people who voted for him in the Republican primaries shocked? No.
Donald Trump kickstarted a movement for almost the exact same reasons Waldo did. He represented a chance for a true change in America and the status quo in our politics, and many of his supporters bought into him and his campaign from the beginning. He could say inflammatory or what some would call 'divisive' rhetoric, yet he never lost that energy behind his campaign. In fact, one could say that his 'inflammatory' rhetoric helped him among his supporters. This is because he was being honest and frank, not so much that they necessarily agreed with him. Also, a vast amount of people have had enough of the politically correct 'jargon' that has been ever-so present over the recent years. This is evidenced by the massive amount of support he generated that was severely overlooked and under-represented by the media and the political elite. They didn't give him a chance last year when he announced how he would be seeking the Republican nomination, and they didn't give him a chance even after becoming the Republican nominee.
He is now our president elect, and Waldo fans are ecstatic.
4 comments:
I wouldn't necessarily say "unheard", "uncared for", and "oppressed". I'd say mistreated or people otherwise fed up with modern politics all together. The people you are referring to have been heard, but the main disconnect is that none of the promises of the politicians have ever come to fruition. Our world is losing faith in politicians. Do you feel that Trump will fulfill his promises that he made throughout his campaign or will he be just like the rest?
Nicholson, first off, thanks for replying!
But to clarify, me saying the words 'uncared for', 'unheard', and 'oppressed' were in reference to people who supported Waldo, not exactly Trump. Although, I do agree some might have felt that way amongst Trump supporters.
And I agree with you completely, that the main disconnect is that none of the promises our politicians make ever come to fruition. They only care about themselves in the vast majority of circumstances.
And do I think Trump will fulfill his promises, or be just like the rest? I really cannot answer that. I think he will be different from your regular politicians who just want power and money (he already has a fair amount of both). He definitely will shakeup Washington. He already is getting to work putting together his staff/cabinet. I like the appointments so far.. And supposedly (rumors say), he will be appointing the first openly gay cabinet member (Richard Grenell), which is interesting since many think Trump is anti-LGBT.
But I do not think he will be that bad or that great. We'll just have to wait and hope for the best.
On the topic of "Do you feel that Trump will fulfill his promises that he made throughout his campaign or will he be just like the rest?":
I think it is important to understand that many of the "outrageous" things Donald Trump campaigned with (building a wall between the US and Mexico, deporting Mexicans and Muslims, etc.) were not, I think, meant to be taken literally. These bold statements were most likely just a way for Trump to distinguish himself in a crowded niche of republican candidates. His views are probably very similar to his opponents, but if he is in a crowded room then obviously his "noise" will need to be distinct from the other noises if he ever hopes to be heard. Therefore, "building a wall" most likely translates to "strengthen border control". "Deporting Mexicans and Muslims" probably just means cracking down on and enforcing immigration laws. I doubt he seriously plans to invest billions of dollars into building a giant wall between the countries since much of the natural terrain (desert hills and rivers) serves as a powerful barrier in an of itself— after all, thousands of immigrants have died trying to navigate through these areas.
I have to agree with Isaiah on this one. Donald Trump, for all his foolishness, is no fool. Even he realizes that these acts would be more divisive than his words. BUT just in case I'm wrong we can sleep peacefully knowing no politician ever truly fulfills their promises.
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