Why do you agree or disagree with this?

Use the learning content from

• United States of Distraction Chapter 2,3, & 4
• America's Great Divide, Part 2

TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION

Former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump are both presidents that have drawn mass attention from the media. Both of their presidential campaigns relied on social media to reach out to their viewers, but the reach was a lot farther in Trump's case. (Higdon 119) Trump was using Twitter to "bypass the traditional role of journalism." (Higdon & Huff, 85) Forming this kind of engagement with their voters make them seem more like celebrities rather than presidential candidates. Obama seemed to want more unity in the United States, as he said that "we are and always will be the United States of America", encouraging said unity. (America's Great Divide part 2, 3:10) There was heavy coverage on Donald Trump's campaign because it was almost as if it's "a kind of entertainment." Part of Trump's appeal comes from his "use of insinuation, insults, and belittlement to disparage critics and rivals." (Higdon & Huff, 80) One significant reason that Trump was able to reach so many people is because he was directly giving his audience what they wanted to hear, and they liked his "willingness to throw a punch." (America's Great Divide part 2, 15:20) Trump would frequently attack the press and call out various news outlets, labeling them as "enemies of the American people." (Higdon & Huff, 112) It didn't seem like he was taking his campaign that seriously, but that might have made him seem more genuine to his supporters.