Written By: Tori Johnson
2016 Presidential Campaign: Donald Trump Analysis
As the Primary Elections for the 2016 Presidential Election are up and coming, so are some of the candidates in the race for presidency. Of the Republican party, as many of the initial candidates are falling behind, Donald Trump has taken the lead--surging the polls by over 30% in his favor. Despite being one of the least experienced candidates in the race politically speaking, he has still managed to be a campaign leader specifically due to his absolute advantage in resources, low opportunity cost and specialization in his wild persona.
Trump’s campaign is unique in its own way because it is, as Washington Post’s political analysis states, “unconstrained by the norms of running for office.” This means that he is not tied down to fundraising or anything of that matter, considering he already has, “hundreds of millions of which are liquid and with millions more coming in regularly” (Bump). On top of this, Trump does not need to prove his worth or status, as he is already an accomplished entrepreneur, businessman and otherwise. Compared to the other competitors such as Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Scott Walker who need to prove their legitimacy as established businessmen and politicians, Trump has no such task. Therefore, Trump has the absolute advantage in his campaign. He has the entirety of the resources, otherwise known as inputs, such as money and time. Also because of this, he has a low opportunity cost in the actual running for president. He doesn’t need to be working to make money, so he can easily spend his time campaigning. Overall, if he loses the race, he won’t be worse off than he was before; if anything, he’ll be better off considering all the mass attention he’s been attaining.
In addition to his low opportunity cost, and an attitude that speaks, “I have nothing to lose,” Trump specializes in his outgoing personality. Specialization is the focusing on one thing (a good or service) in particular. This good or service happens to be his personality. This is what gives Trump his name. People recognize him by his bold statements, it his niche that compels people to follow his every move, every statement--political or recreational. It is said that an advantage of specialization is higher quality products, and that is especially true in Trump’s case. His personality is highly developed and is either extremely accepted or extremely rejected (depending on which political side you take).
Donald Trump thus far has taken the lead for the Republican party. However, it is still early on in the 2016 race, and other candidates may just find a way to surpass his seemingly infinite resources and explosive persona. For now, all we can do is continue to analyze the intriguing opponents and wait for 2016 to arrive and for the race to finally come to an end with one remaining victor. The question is: Will it be Donald Trump?
Works Cited
Bump, Philis. “Donald Trump’s Surprisingly Savvy Analysis of American Politics.” The Washington Post. Lincoln Mkx, 16 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
Cruz, Caitlin. “Poll: Trump Blows Other Candidates Out of the Water with 12-Point Lead.” Talking Points Memo. TPM Media LLC, 3 Sep. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
I found it interesting the way you connected economic terms, such as specializing, to the personality and behaviors of Donald Trump. While it is obvious that he has the absolute advantage in income, I'm not sure if that means that he has an absolute advantage in the whole campaign. There could be other factors that might give someone else the absolute advantage. Overall, this post brought a new insight into the qualities of Trump and his campaign.
ReplyDeleteI think it's funny that he is running for president, and the main reason he is taking the lead is because of his absolute advantage. His money and time do play a huge role throughout the campaign. For those reasons honestly I would not mind him being our president, because I do believe he will raise America's economy up greatly because he is an international business man. So I say we should give Trump a try and see how he does, hopefully he doesn't screw up our country.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job putting in specific economic terms. And his personality is definitely an advantage for him. He doesn't apologize for the things he says like every other politician and he just overall does things differently and people appreciate a guy not being like a normal politician. Although a lot of people hate him there is always a trade off of course because a lot of people hate him.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Trump had many advantages in this race and that is what makes him such a strong candidate. He had more knowledge in the business sector as well. He is very experienced with making business transactions and exchanges. However, one of his only weaknesses is that he tends to make too many statements that can be interpreted the wrong way. Once he figures how to control his criticism a little better he will surge even higher in the polls because even more people will respect him.
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting that you where able to bring up the point of him being so rich that he can afford to do this almost like a hobby. I never really thought of him having the absolute advantage over the other candidates, mostly because he had little political experience. I also think that a huge reason of why he is so popular is that he doesn't follow everyone else rules with extreme political correctness. He does what he wants and is actually getting away with it.
ReplyDeleteI like the sophisticated writing style you used when writing this. You gave a very unbiased opinion when it is hard not to, you stuck to the facts and that's what matters, the fact is that Donald Trump has made a huge impression in the election not from his money but from his honesty and his bold political views.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that trump is the only candidate that doesn't have to worry about money. However he is only popular because of the crazy statements that he makes. There is a trade off between the money and the crazy statements. There will always be trade offs in everything including economics.
ReplyDeleteWhile Donald Trump certainly as an advantage as far a money goes, and the amount of time he spends in the campaign all together, I wouldn’t say this gives him an advantage. To me, is lack of political experience may be his downfall. Likewise his personality is definitely fun to watch, but that’s maybe all it is, I think people tune in to watch him simply because it’s funny, not because of what he has to say. This is probably because of the outrageous remarks he’s made in the past, like about immigration, and various other things. With all that being said, I think he would be an awesome president and just all together amusing to watch.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion he is very ignorant to minorities and also has very backwards views on immigration. I also do believe though that he is a very good politician. He is very good at saying what he wants and getting what he wants.
ReplyDeleteAlthough right now he is in the lead of the republican race but he could say something to upset the voters. The other candidates need to come up with different strategies to get their views and opinions out there. Donald Trump does have the advantage of money over others but he lacks experience which could cause a serious problem especially if he is the chosen republican representative the democratic might have an advantage if they don't say anything to offensive. I really like the way that you defined and used all the words in your paper.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way that you used the economic terms on a government topic-I think it gave the post a tone that is unique to others. Honestly I haven't been listening to the debates or watching the news about the race too much, but I did know that Trump was ahead. I agree with you when you say that because of his personality he is radiating this confidence that has the American public in a daze. It seems that the voters want someone different, like Trump, as the president. I wonder, if he does become president, if he will act differently under pressure.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very intriguing topic due to the fact that Trump has been gaining so much camera time for this. Though you brought up some good connections to economics I do not necessarily agree with them. In the second paragraph you mention how he has an absolute advantage in the race but I don't believe that is true. He may be an accomplished businessman but that doesn't mean he has the upper hand in politics. If anyone needs to prove something in that area it would be Trump whereas the others mostly have some kind of background in politics. Also, with the low opportunity cost I do not really agree with that either. You make a good point on how he has time and doesn't need to be making money but he can still lose things in the process. Many people believe he is making a mockery of this race and the presidential position. If he continues in this way if he loses he could be looked upon as unprofessional and kind of a joke. Either way it was a nicely written paper and brought insightful views on Trump and the election.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very intriguing topic due to the fact that Trump has been gaining so much camera time for this. Though you brought up some good connections to economics I do not necessarily agree with them. In the second paragraph you mention how he has an absolute advantage in the race but I don't believe that is true. He may be an accomplished businessman but that doesn't mean he has the upper hand in politics. If anyone needs to prove something in that area it would be Trump whereas the others mostly have some kind of background in politics. Also, with the low opportunity cost I do not really agree with that either. You make a good point on how he has time and doesn't need to be making money but he can still lose things in the process. Many people believe he is making a mockery of this race and the presidential position. If he continues in this way if he loses he could be looked upon as unprofessional and kind of a joke. Either way it was a nicely written paper and brought insightful views on Trump and the election.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen Donald Trump first announced he was running for president, I thought it was a joke or a really far- fetched dream. However, as you pointed out, there are a lot of factors that have resulted in his becoming of a very strong competitor in this election. One thing that you mentioned that I hadn't thought of before is the fact the Trump holds the absolute advantage in this situation over the other men running because he has the lowest opportunity cost. He doesn't have to focus his time on anything but his campaign and that could potentially give him a huge leg- up with the voters. As it is getting closer and closer to election time, Trump's campaign has been getting more and more serious and it's crazy to think that one day, one of the most successful businessmen in the world could be running our country.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting learning more about Donald Trump in the election. Before reading this, I did not know a lot about him being in the election. You make a really good point about how Trump will not lose anything if he loses the election, but is rather doing this more for fun. Sometimes I feel people are not taking Trump that seriously in the election, but as you point out, he does have a very fun personality that people like about him. I also really enjoyed how you connected economic terms into the post. Although, Trump may be winning the race right now, people may end up passing him because he does not know as much about politics as the others running. This is one of Trump's first times being involved in politics, so he does not know much about it, but is rather running in the election as a side job. Overall, I thought this post was written very well and provided a different aspect I have not seen about Trump running in the election.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting when I first heard that Trump was running for president, and it came as a huge surprise. I completely agree with you in the fact that he doesn’t have to try as hard to raise money for his campaign. I also think that part of the reason that he has such higher approval compared to other candidates is because in general most people don’t like politicians, and most people see him as a businessman resulting in higher ratings. In addition he doesn’t try to please everyone which is different from most people running for office. In general I thought you did an excellent job connecting Trump’s campaign to economics and of seeing some things that most people normally don’t notice.
ReplyDeleteI think it's so weird that Trump is running. All I think of when I see him is his favorite expression "You're fired!". But anyways It is true that he does have a large income to run for presidency. Campaigning is a major cost for running for president. I also agree with you that he has a lower opportunity cost because he is so rich. Other candidates have jobs to focus on while he is set for income. I thought your post was very interesting and related to our unit well.
ReplyDeleteHey Tori,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post about the 2016 Primary Race. Although Trump has the advantage as a businessman and celebrity status, I would have to disagree that Scott Walker would have to prove himself as an established politician. Walker is one of the most recognizable Republican Governors. After the 2012 Recall Election, he proved himself as a politician, being able to garner enough support to win over the Democrats' best efforts. He also has been able to reduce government spending in Wisconsin and lower the tax rate. To add to what you mentioned about a candidate surpassing Trump, as of right now, it seems that Ben Carson may be that one. According to a Real Clear Politics poll, he's surged to 20% from 7.5% in August. At that rate, he could be number one in a short time, but like you said, the elections are still a while away.
I really enjoyed reading this post since it is about a topic extremely relevant in the news. I would agree in saying Donald Trump has an absolute advantage in regards to the other GOP candidates as his funds are virtually unlimited and his primary focus is the election. However it could be argued he lack of experience in politics can also be seen as an absolute advantage because many voters are drawn to his lack of political correctness, as they are frustrated by the government and its politions. But since much of politics is based on opinion (similarly to normative economic issues) it is a very interesting topic to discuss. The points brought up in your post are legitimate yet many of the comments are just as logical. I can't wait to see how the election pans out for Trump and who was correct about what advantages and disadvantages he had for his campaign.
ReplyDeleteEven through Trump is leading all of the poles for the republican party. To honest with you I don't think a really good for the president. He wants move back most our workers back to there home country which will limit business employees to leave and leaving business with open spots and business shutting down because of to many open spots for jobs.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to disagree with Trump being a strong candidate in the political races. Though he may be popular and have "nothing to lose", some of his ideology could cost him a great decline in popularity with the overall population. While some may see him as a bold leader with great ability, everyone else seems to see him as a profit seeking business man who does some of the most ridiculous of things. Though, a low opportunity cost and already high income does give him an edge in the campaigns. He has much more ability to broadcast his ideas because of his continuous income.
ReplyDeleteTori this was a very detailed and accurate post. I like how you analyzed something such as personality as an advantage given that it is not something that can be measured on a number scale. It does make sense for Trump to run though given that he has a very low opportunity cost and likely is increasing his marketing value through his complaining.
ReplyDeleteColin Marks (I don't know why it says my name is Blog.)
ReplyDeleteI think that Trump running is a joke. All I think of when I see him is a man who thinks he will get his way because of his money. But anyways It is true that he does have a large income and can finance his run for presidency. Campaigning is a major cost for running for president. I also agree with you that he has a lower opportunity cost because he has a larger pile of cash in his back pocket than most, but at the end of the day I think he will be like most of the people running for president, just another person who spent a lot of money and didn't win
While majority of the public view Trump's behavior as outlandish, selfish and repulsive, I liked that you were able to shed a more positive light on his persona allowing us to feel security in the republican candidates. After all he is leading in the run for office, he has to be doing something right.Not only that the terms, specialize, absolute value, opportunity costs were all effectively used in your piece. Overall good job Tiffany:)
ReplyDeleteI do not believe Donald Trump is a strong candidate, and personally the thought of him being sworn into office scares me. The man is crazy and is extremely immature, and should focus more of his energy towards "making America great again". Just the fact that he said he would most likely be dating his daughter if she were not his daughter, and that he still believes Immigrants are stealing major jobs from Americans with their lack of education and experience. If anything they are living without paying taxes and robbing the economy in such a way, but the major problem with illegal immigrants is not them working for a living.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe Donald Trump is a strong candidate, and personally the thought of him being sworn into office scares me. The man is crazy and is extremely immature, and should focus more of his energy towards "making America great again". Just the fact that he said he would most likely be dating his daughter if she were not his daughter, and that he still believes Immigrants are stealing major jobs from Americans with their lack of education and experience. If anything they are living without paying taxes and robbing the economy in such a way, but the major problem with illegal immigrants is not them working for a living.
ReplyDelete