After the elections in South Carolina Trump keeps restoring the U.S. dream

After the presidential primary elections in South Carolina in February 2016, Donald J. Trump has become the official front-runner of the Republican party by gaining 32, 5% of the votes. This victory has assured Trump the support of all state`s delegates and has encouraged him to declare his ambitions of reaching the greatest turnout in history by facing his opponent, Hillary Clinton, on the general elections in November this year. Thump`s advance on the Race is not coincidental since the public distrust in the U.S. national politics appears to increase.

Trump restoring the U.S. dream

Trump appears to be the most trilling candidate in the Presidential Race 2016[1]. Likewise the other runners, the Republican attempts to attract the public`s attention through participation in various electoral debates in both broadcast media and digital communication platforms[2]. His popularity among the voters is inevitably growing and such headway can be explained with the traditional patriotic convictions of the U.S. society which find response in his open frankness towards the Democrats` policies.

As Republican, Trump follows a political course associated with conservatism, restriction of the governmental practices and promotion of individual welfare rights and justices[3]. His winning platform keeps on the Republican Party`s official national program of low government spending and decentralized tax policies and minimal institutional involvement in private and public matters. Basically, the Elephants[4] insist on such values as patriotism, extension of societal welfare to most of the Americans and implementation of religious and humanitarian practices into public`s daily routines. Moreover, the Party is known of supporting reforms and legislations that allow further strengthening of labor and health care initiatives in order to provide self-sufficiency to all individuals. By the same token, Trump`s passionate personality conforms the audience which does not seem to be completely satisfied by the current governance of the Democrats.

What Trumps` electorate claims for?

Trump gains electoral sympathy by holding on moral values such as honesty and respect of social equality and his appearance succeeds even within voters with different pubic standpoints. In conducted research based on replies of citizens from across the country to the U.S. magazine Atlantic[5], it becomes clear that one part of Trump`s followers have true faith into his potential as future president until other part simply does not recognize any better choice of candidate. What`s more, the overall public disappointment concerning the U.S. national politics appears to prevail among all stated motives of voting for the Republican.

Whether there is democratic instability, the anger and scepticism within society gain strength. Currently, the Middle class white Americans represent the most vulnerable group in the nation[6]. Similarly to Europe where the far-right and populist extremism has come ahead in the state politics of France, United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark, the U.S. is also struggling with strong public distrust directly expressed towards the institutions, economics and government. In addition, the American white Middle class does not necessary support the existing traditional ideological division between Democrats and Republicans in order to claim for improvement of the national state economics and social standards. In this sense, Trump does not represent the ideal candidate for U.S. president but a fortunate American who has achieved positive outcomes in his professional experience and who has the potential to defend the U.S. ideal of prosperity.

What can be learned from Trumps` victory in South Carolina?

The white American Middle class electorate is big part of the U.S. democracy. This means that the voters have enough information to support efficient office-holders or to reject unsuccessful one[7]. Similarly to the European Middles class citizens, the role of labor and social welfare conditions is essential for the white Americans who`s choice of institutional and governmental representatives does not necessarily follows the traditional ideological division which exists between Republicans and Democrats. Hence, Trump`s victorious achievement in South Caroline can be comprehended as conscious decision of the American democratic society to claim improvement of the present U.S. welfare politics.

[1] “2016 Presidential Primaries Results”, Politico, Feb 2016, <http://www.politico.com/2016-election/results/map/president> (23.02.2016)

[2] Brander, E. “Trump predicts he’ll face Clinton, break turnout records”, CNN, Feb 2016, <http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/21/politics/donald-trump-predicts-hillary-clinton-highest-turnout/> (23.02.2016)

[3] “Republican Platform 2012”, GOP, Feb 2016, <https://gop.com/platform/> (27.02.2016)

[4] “The Democratic Donkey and the Republican Elephant“, Fact Monster, <http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0881985.html> (27.02.2016)

[5] Friedersdorf, C. “What Do Donald Trump Voters Actually Want?, The Atlantic, Aug 2015, <http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/donald-trump-voters/401408/> (27.02.2016)

[6] Frum, D., “The Great Republican Revolt”, The Atlantic, Feb 2016, <http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/01/the-great-republican-revolt/419118/> (28.02.2016)

[7] Brox, J. B. et al. in Katz, S. R. & Crotty, W. (2006), Handbook of Party Politics, London; Sage Publications, p. 147

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