Donald Trump, Howard Dean and maintaining frame

Although there are some legitimate challengers, Donald Trump is dominating the polls.  Sure, it’s close in Iowa, some controversy in New Hampshire, but overall, the Donald is maintaining quite the cushion in the majority of the polls across the country.   This is a fact that seems to be puzzling to many.  He’s a non-politician, funky-haired reality TV figure who speaks like everyone’s favorite gub’ment hating uncle.  Just maybe, that’s WHY he’s winning.

That begs the question: Why does being a non-politician give someone such an advantage in this race?  The word, “trust” comes to mind, that someone will have conviction, act on it, and not apologize to anyone in between.  When I think about the rhetoric Donald Trump uses, I can’t help but think about 2004 and how Howard Dean allowed an awkward yelp to ruin his campaign.

{mosads}We all remember how Dean was an enthusiastic rising star in the Democratic Party who was speaking like a non-politician which many related to.   Not to mention, he was considered by most to be the front-runner for the Democrats, enjoying a lead in Iowa and other national polls. However, it took one hoarse-throated “yeah!” at a campaign rally for the media to latch on and break his momentum, where he ultimately finished third in Iowa and went on to lose the Democratic nomination to John Kerry. 

Dean had a chance to explain his outburst on a couple different interviews where he went on to say that it wasn’t his best image, and even went on to call it a little bit “sheepish.”   Did that yelp ruin his campaign? I submit that it did not.  However, I believe his reaction to the attention is what brought him down.

Would Donald Trump have essentially apologized for getting excited?  Would he have backtracked and played it off like it was not that important, call it sheepish or not his best image?  I’m not Donald Trump, so I don’t know what he would have said, but my guess is that it would have went a little something like this: “Hell no I won’t apologize. This is the greatest country in the history of the world, so if you don’t think I should get excited about the possibility of leading this tremendous country, then you’re the problem.” 

Can you imagine if Howard Dean had said that?  What if he would have maintained frame and doubled down, stood up to anyone mocking his excitement? I would bet Donald Trump’s net worth that Howard Dean would have been squaring off with George W. Bush that year rather than John Kerry, had he responded in such a manner.

Compare that to the comments that Donald Trump has made over the past year.  He has said all Muslims should be banned from coming into the U.S. for a period of time.   He has likened illegal immigrants to murderers and rapists.  He has used harsh language in regards to women that have many accusing him of sexism.   In short, he has said dozens of things that would have ruined almost any other politician.  How many times has he apologized? Zero.  How many times has he made an attempt to backtrack at all? Zero.  He maintains frame, holds his positions and refuses to offer even a slither of an apology.  This is resonating with voters because it projects power and leadership where apologies project weakness.

There are people who don’t even agree with many of the policies that Trump is proposing but are simply supporting him because of his seemingly unwavering principles.   A recent Fox poll showed that even 25 percent of Democrats have stated they would switch party lines to vote for Donald.  People are buying the messenger despite issues with the message.

Maybe we are going to see a shift in American politics and campaigning, that the old days of offering apologies, being politically correct, and attempting to smooth over rough rhetoric are over.  Only time will tell.  But if there is anything that this election season has shown, it is that it’s not what you say or even how you say it.  It’s whether you will stand by it.  That is a lesson that Howard Dean could have used in 2004, and a lesson that Donald Trump obviously learned many years ago.

Brown is a family-law and criminal defense attorney in Charleston, S.C., and a former official in the American Bar Association, Georgia College Republicans, and Young Americans for Liberty. Follow @derekbrown4real