To be, or not to be: Part VI--Brand Meets Personality

 Here's the detailed explanation of of why Trumpsters tolerate the whimpering, mendacity, and Sibyl-like noxious theater that is the Donald. Projective identification and shaping will be taken up individually to answer the question.

Keep in mind my classmate's definition of projective identification (Part V--Psychology 601)-"buying into what other people put on you"-as we look at these questions: What is Trump putting on his supporters? What are they buying in to, and why?

It would be difficult not to notice that Trump projects "New Yorker". (And I say this as a former Brooklynite.)   What I mean, of course, is that he typically speaks in an unvarnished and fairly forward fashion. But the Donald has, of late, subtlely widened the scope of his presentation. His topics are far more frequently fodder for the working class now, and occasionally even prurient (see Musings on 3/4: Applied Clinton-Speak). Further, his delivery has become considerably more intense and forceful, just over the last year. (And I've been watching Trump since the 1980s.)

Why the change? Remember that the early exit poll data showed his typical supporter to be a first-time voter over age 45, with a high school diploma or less, who is politically independent, ideologically moderate to somewhat conservative, and quite angry (Part IV--The Composite). [Analyses of later contests have confirmed the accuracy of this amalgamation, though a male skew among Trumpsters has become apparent.] So, simply said, he is becoming who his supporters are. This far surpasses purposeful pandering, and is a manifestation of the lack of identity at the core of the narcissist (Part II--On the Couch).

Amassing more power fills the identity vacuum and, for now, his cheering minions are serving that purpose. Or, in jargon-ese, Trump's initial projection of "New York style" is being expanded and amplified because of his symbiotic orientation to his supporters.

Next, we'll take a look at what Trump's supporters are "buying into"...

To be, or not to be (surprised by Trump): Part V--Psychology 601

There is a bevy of theories and models for understanding both how individuals interact with one another as well as how individuals interact with groups. The purpose of the following discussion of just two of them is to frame the answer to the question about the nature of the dynamic between Trump and his supporters. The commentary should not be construed as exhaustive.

One model comes from psychoanalysis. Here, it is axiomatic that relationships between authority figures and their subordinates are ripe for both study and interpretation because of their similarity to parent-child relationships. Many of the unconscious interpersonal dynamics are the same, for instance. One such dynamic is projective identification. I remember leaving confused after an hour and a half lecture on this topic during my training. A classmate instantly cleared things up by quipping, "I can't believe she just took 90 minutes to explain the concept of buying into what other people put on you". Twenty five years later, this is still the basis for the definition that I use, clinically and pedagogically.

Leaping to the other side of the psychology spectrum, behaviorism has a good deal to say on point. Here, all models are based on shaping behavior through reinforcement. Two familiar examples of reinforcements are repetition and reward. Lastly and importantly, most of these models aim to modify behavior incrementally.

NOW we're ready to answer the question...