Public Opinion

  • Trump’s right-hand man

    An interesting detail overlooked since President-Elect Trump’s win earlier this month is the success of JD Vance as his Vice President. Not since Sarah Palin has a relatively unknown and yet folksy candidate made it so far in the populist wing of the Republican party.

    His impact on the American landscape is not yet as commonplace as his predecessor’s, and Kamala Harris set a high bar for what’s expected from a successor. Her campaign, albeit a late-run, still managed to touch in with Democrat voters and put across a lot of points.

    In previous administrations, the success of a Vice President is set against the record of their senior partner, who takes prominence in the most powerful political office in the world. This time around, it looks as though self-starters are able to make a go of it too.

    Vance himself is able to articulate a point well. His first book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, has been in The New York Times bestsellers list for 85 weeks, an impressive feet in a country that prides itself on a literary culture of fact and fiction.

    However, the practice of politics is often won or lost in person as voters confront their representatives, and leaders in power. This is where he may find it more difficult to navigate people’s thoughts and opinions. It’s not simple backing Trump, let alone being at his side.

  • President Trump, again

    In the aftermath of an election in which a Democrat candidate lost to a Republican candidate who was widely panned in the popular mainstream media, it’s worth seeking balance from voices that are guaranteed to offer a fresher perspective irregardless of what outlet it is.

    In the corporate world, few figures looms as large as Tim Cook, head at Apple. His outlook is to focus on his job, seeking to build relations with an incoming administration. He offers his “congratulations” to the President-elect, looking forward to “engaging” with him.

    In the media world, there’s few programs that trend like The View, as its panelists dissect the days political happenings. It’s never that easy on Trump, and one presenter, Whoopi Goldberg, took a more sage approach today by saying an election is just a part of everyday life.

    In the social-verse, writer Stephen King tends to speak loudly into any political issue, and he didn’t hold back. He doesn’t take a positive line, and suggests democracy is “fragile”. In light of Trump’s win, I doubt it counts as a celebration and more an effort at cynicism.