I happened to watch ( for the first time) Donald Trump in action. This was a press conference and it lasted about 45 minutes. I was mesmerized by his confident and forceful answers to a myriad of questions. Since I am a lifelong liberal Democrat and follow the news and political coverage closely, I was startled by my “gut” reaction to LIKING him and what he said. I have tried to figure out HOW he could appeal so strongly to someone like me and I think I have the answer.
Our brains are “hard wired” by ancestral reactions to “alpha males” ( or alpha females) and to feel a sense of “comfort” at simplistic answers to complex problems. This automated positive feedback is also the root of religious fervor as well as the reason for the appeal of irrational movements started by charismatic leaders.
This observation leads me to worry about the complacency of many that IF he wins the Republican nomination that he would be badly beaten by either Clinton OR Sanders. I wonder how many idealistic followers whose fervor is based on following an “alpha” leader will be overcome by the magnitude of all the automated followers of the Trump siren song. It takes strong personal convictions and a logical foundation in supporting a potential POTUS candidate to be able to resist the simplistic campaign of someone like “THE DONALD”.