Trump's 'Entertainment Factor' hijacked the GOP 2016 election cycle and made it the dangerous place it now is.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/5-ways-donald-trumps-entertainment-factor-hijacked-american-politics?akid=14056.294211.bSmqHD&rd=1&src=newsletter1052373&t=4

Ratings and WWF type bragging has become the norm and the racists have been given power and the ability to beat those they do not agree.

How do we understand Donald Trump’s bizarre rise to power? Why him? Why now? When someone rises this fast from joke candidate to the frontrunner of a political party that doesn’t even want him, something is going on. What is it, and it is it a legitimate part of the political process?

To be clear, I am not a fan or admirer of Trump. Like millions of Americans, I find his views at odds with my values and I oppose his candidacy. But this article is not about his personality.

Many presidential elections have been won when a candidate seized upon a strategic advantage in communications or technology. I believe Trump has found such an advantage and is exploiting it right now. His opponents must understand this advantage in order to compete. This article outlines five power tactics Trump is using to accelerate his campaign.

The Structural Advantage of Winning

Trump is not the first candidate to find a technological or communications advantage during a presidential election. The first televised presidential debate between Kennedy and Nixon gave a definite visual advantage to the handsome Kennedy. Ronald Reagan used his skill as a Hollywood actor to create a distinct persona and become a media icon. And one reason why 2008 Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was so successful is that his team discovered the hidden power of social media to generate fundraising and grassroots support.

Power Tactic #1: The Kardashian Economy

Power Tactic #2: Target Your Tribe

Power Tactic #3: The Dark Protagonist

Early in Trump’s candidacy, there was this mystique. We were all in amused suspense. How can he be a candidate? What would he do? What is he capable of? We clicked to learn more at every step.

Power Tactic #4: The Boss

How did a billionaire whose entire career was based on supplying the wealthiest 1% with extravagant luxury casinos and elite resorts switch roles so that he is now accepted as the champion of poor working-class whites?

Power Tactic #5: The Gambler’s Fallacy  As a casino owner, Trump knows the emotional resistance the gambler has to believing he or she could lose. We’re so invested in our inability to lose, we fail to notice we are losing right now. Trump is the "house” in this case.