Anand Giridharadas: ‘This Is Now a Managing Expectations Presidency’

EXCERPT:

GIRIDHARADAS: "I mean, I think the Trump-Bannon fantasy was built on an idea that something fundamental has snapped in human beings, that we’ve turned this historical corner and people want an ugly, mean-spirited, hateful politics as the future. And there was always this other story of like, no, no, no, people are just really desperate and fed up and insecure and they’re lashing out and they’re doing a dumb thing, but, you know, hydraulics still works. And what we’re seeing, including the earlier segment, hydraulics still works, gravity still works. You know, that Donald Trump that you showed in that clip looked afraid. He looked insecure. We’ve gone from a promised transformation in January to — that was what in corporations is called managing expectations. This is now a managing expectations presidency. And it’s reassuring that you have these other moments in elections around the world. People, I still believe, are decent. Most people are decent. Most people who vote for bad things are decent. And I think people don’t want to be hurt. People want chickens in every pot, rather than to be explained why they can eat every three days. And I think, you know, gravity is real."