Commander-In-Chief of Ratings, President Donald J. Trump Reigns Supreme
New York, New York- As the dust settles from one of the most shocking Presidential election results in the history of U.S. politics, one thing is certain; the next four years promise to keep you entertain. The word that keeps coming up in conversations all over America is, “Unprecedented”. Regardless of your political allegiance, race, or economic class, you will find yourself engaged with the President’s almost euphoric rhetoric in some form, shape, or fashion. As a matter of fact, never before in history has Americans have been so engaged in the day to day operations of the White house. Understandingly so, In the President first 90 days in office, we have seen a slew of legislation and changes brought to the forefront. To date, President Trump has introduced over 45 executive orders in 67 days compared to his predecessor, former President Barak Obama who signed 277 in eight years. You do the math? Although the President has caught a flurry of backlash for some of his decisions, I remain optimistic that justice and the strength of our democracy will prevail in the end.
What makes President Donald J. Trump so Interesting, one may ask? Well, the answer is complicated, yet so simple! Donald J. Trump is the ultimate negotiator and creator of what comes natural. Explain? Simple and plain, the President possess a self confidence that invokes an emotional accord with the masses. No place has this been more evident than TV ratings. Late night television and news outlets have reported rating spikes never seen before, while syndicated TV and reality shows are tanking. Believe what you may; however, President Donald J. Trump is the culprit. In actuality, reality TV made Donald Trump, and in an ironic twist of fate, in the same token, it’s the President that has the reality TV world on its knee’s. Go Figure!
Lets face it, Americans are consumed with entertainment and the liberty that every aspect of life can be reciprocated with a click on a channel. In 2015 alone, nearly 800 reality shows made it to network TV, setting the precedent for how networks would create and offer programming. The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice became a major benefactor of Trump’s flamboyant charm and “Art of the Deal” persona as he rode the popularity all the way to the White House. President Trump ran a campaign that not only broke the norm, but went against the brick and mortar typical political run we have seen in the past. To be honest, I’ve never seen anything like it in my 20 years of following political campaigns. Instead of rallying a base on the rhetoric of saving the planet, President Trump excited the masses with his famous slogan, “Make America Great, Again”. What is even more astonishing is that he has done it all in the eyes of millions who turned in every evening to catch what they may have missed, while the Trump campaign gathered momentum and new fans alike. Regardless of the message, President Trump has a knack for gaining massive attention. Provocative, over the top, edgy, or even daring, Americans tuned in by the droves.
So what does this suppose to mean? Well, for the public, it means at least four years of exclusive looks into our democratic system. For network TV, the writing is on the wall for reality shows and programming that once captivated America. How can one compete with a President with the ability to tilt the axis of the earth with the send button of a 5am tweet? President Trump may not have won your vote, but best believe, he won the vote for your viewership. When it’s all said and done, the most powerful man in the World has captivated an audience that far exceeds the norm. At a moments notice, Trump creates narratives that come off as legible, while morphing opponents of his agenda into “fake news”. The ratings of the White House can be judged by the Presidents approval numbers; however, the popularity of the Administration rivals anything seen before. When has the White House Press Secretary ever been as popular as Mr. Sean Spicer? I’ll wait for your response. The answer is never! The White House daily briefings have become made for TV snippets of President Trumps recent actions or those to come.
How soon do the American people forget that both President Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger both held high offices while embracing celebrity status. While television execs around the industry consider President Trumps celebrity persona a distraction and conflict of interest, its exactly the fuel that’s driving ratings on news networks and late night television. In a reality vernacular of sorts, most Americans feel more engaged with Trump than any other President in History. I do agree with the assertion that social media plays a large part. Trust me, The President recognized and respects the power of the platform. Until now, the Presidents social media account was handled by a designated person in a administration which basically consisted of sending occasional well wishes for holidays. Trump realizes that the American public wants an outspoken mouthpiece that represents the embodiment of the people. Now, this is where the subject matter becomes a shade of grey, per say.
For the time being, we will continue to tune in to what can be considered the greatest reality show of all. As for network television, I would suggest duplicating the recipe. Maybe reality television is dead? Unless you are the Kardashian’s (Keeping Up With the Kardashians on E!), you may want to take notice of the changing of the guard and reconstruct the entire outlay of reality TV programming. As a consultant to numerous ad agencies and marketing firms, I would even suggest changing line-ups, and perhaps scheduled days to offset the apparent Trumpism that’s invaded television sets across America. I am reminded by a quote given by President Abraham Lincoln, which reads : “If the great American people will only keep their temper, on both sides of the line, the troubles will come to an end, and the question which now distracts the country will be settled just as surely as all other difficulties of like character which have originated in this government have been adjusted.”
So I urge Americans across the globe, as we embark on times that rattle the inner workings of the soul — be mindful and take hope that The President will make sound judgements in the wake of liberty and justice for all ~Lamont Renzo Bracy
