Can any area of study explain Trump?

I would be interested to hear the opinion of a recent political science graduate who has just spent four years and tens of thousands of dollars to learn from the experts, only to watch a man named Trump come along and basically destroy decades of political science theory. Poli-sci students have been taught forever how to pander to different groups, don’t offend anyone, never actually say what you think and absolutely never answer a yes or no question with a yes or a no.

I have a political cartoon from a 1886 Harpers Weekly newspaper that could just as well have been in Monday’s paper. Politics hasn’t changed since the beginning of time, how many times have we heard a candidate tell us “send me to Washington and I’ll fix it,” or “I can reach across the aisle,” or, one of my personal favorites, “I’d be open to looking at that.”

Granted Donald Trump is not my guy, but it has been fun to watch him shake the status quo to its core, it reminds me of some old low-budget sci-fi movie where the Army throws everything it has at the Martians only to watch the invaders grow stronger. If I had a degree in political science I might be asking for my money back, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Craig Elshaug

Marysville

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