Politics, Extraversion, and New Media

or why Donald Trump went on Joe Rogan

Successfully running for U.S. president in the modern era requires mastering the newest communication technologies. There are many well-known historical examples of this. When radio first entered US households, FDR’s starting presenting his policies via “fireside chats”—families would gather around the radio to listen to FDR speak. Instead of reading about his ideas in the newspaper or hearing a speech, Americans felt FDR was at home with them. Fortunately for FDR, he had another advantage: charisma. He was an engaging and captivating speaker with the right personality for winning a Presidential elections. (My post on presidential personality goes into detail.)