Donald Trump is not my vision for America

What trump is doing.

Two things:

He is fanning the flames of division, essentially betting that if his base, approximately half of the electorate has enough fear and motivation, they will vote him in. He is not trying to cross any divide or reach across the aisle. He is attempting to rule by getting a slim plurality to hate and fear the other half. He is succeeding. He is treating the US as a “majority rules” system, which we are to some extent, but that is not the fundamental principle of America. We are grounded by a constitution founded on the rule of law. Our greatest hope is that some portion of those that support trump today realize what he is doing and how it is undermining our nation.

I read an article recently that questioned how people could be loyal to trump, when he shows no loyalty towards them. Interesting perspective. It made me think though back to some of the management training or reading I have done over the years. Specifically the PIC-NIC framework for motivating people. PIC is Positive Immediate and Certain; NIC is Negative Immediate and Certain. Carrot and stick. Once you go outside the immediate and certain side, the motivators are much less motivating. Trump’s style is to emphasize the NIC. He rules largely by fear. It is a powerful style. But in the case of his former attorney Cohen, he no longer has the ability to provide short-term reward or punishment (within the law). Maybe he could give him a pardon at some time in the future, but that then gets outside of the IC framework. It is the future and uncertain. I hope the FBI is protecting Cohen well, otherwise, he is likely to receive a visitor with some NIC motivation.

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