ColumnUnited States

American Huckster: Trump’s Deep Ignorance and Brittle Ego Are a Dangerous Mix

Outside a Donald Trump rally at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Sept. 13, 2016 (AP photo by Paul Sancya).
Outside a Donald Trump rally at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Sept. 13, 2016 (AP photo by Paul Sancya).
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It’s hard to believe that just 15 months ago, it was the exception, rather than the rule, to read about Donald Trump at all, let alone daily. The Republican nominee for president is the latest iteration of an archetype that has a long tradition in American popular culture: the huckster, the charlatan, the carnie barker, the snake-oil salesman, who rides into town accompanied by a brass band, only to be ultimately chased out by a vengeful mob carrying buckets of tar and feathers. But never has one gotten so close to being elected to the highest office of the land, […]

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