Donald Trump stands on steps in the Great Court at Blenheim Palace (Getty Images).
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Are we living through a political revolution? Hardly. Only those unseated from power would describe our current global political realignments in such a fashion. The changes as seen by the voters are a necessary correction – a tectonic shift after years of being ignored. But when the powerful have lost touch with reality, defeat inevitably comes as a surprise, leaving them reeling and reaching for excuses.
We’ve seen this scenario play out over and over again over the past three years, as dissatisfaction with culture and politics has made itself felt throughout elections in the UK, America, Australia and India. Politicians, pollsters, reporters and experts have been left shaking their heads, with no understanding of what just happened.
Brad Todd, my co-author on The Great Revolt – for which we travelled 27, 000 miles of country roads to interview 300 Trump voters in 10 swing counties – said there are strong similarities between all of three populist movements in the US, UK and Australia. “In all three countries the corporate elite refuses to believe its lying eyes,” he said. “They keep getting surprised by the electorate because they refuse to adapt to the electorate.”
Another similarity is how that elite reacts to defeat. Instead of devoting a little intellectual curiosity as to why they were rejected, they blame the racism of the electorate, or its lack of education. They fail, conveniently, to notice that these same uneducated or bigoted voters are the ones who voted for them a generation ago.
Donald J. Trump, the unlikeliest man to ever become US President is the surest reminder that no one’s hold on power is certain. He sends a powerful message that politicians should remember the promises they make to the electorate. I wonder – has Britain, a country divided by Brexit, taken note of this where very recent promises remain unfulfilled?
Love Trump or hate him, he is the symbol of what happens when politicians fail their constituencies one time too many. And he is not a one-off. He is one of a rising breed of politicians – brash outsiders and effective communicators – who are giving voice to those long-ignored voters, who have been hiding in plain sight.
Trump’s style, as Britain has now seen up close, is an acquired taste. But UK politicians could learn from him. He knows the art of not backing down, doesn’t always get what he wants, and sometimes looks like he’s tilting at windmills. But the people who voted for him see him as a force that pushes back. He looks like he has their backs. He seems to be listening to them.
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