Scott Adams' BlogMaster Persuader Scorecard for the GOP Debate
I watched the GOP presidential debate last night. You might wonder how I scored it.
0 Comments#Trump
The Candidate Supporter Stereotypes (Master Persuader Series)
Posted January 14th, 2016 @ 9:10am in #Trump #hillary2016 #bernie2016 #ted cruz
Under the Master Persuader filter, where reason is an illusion, I like to watch how stereotypes are shaping up in order to know what’s really happening.
Forget about policies for now. Let’s look at the stereotypes we are starting to form in our minds for the major candidates.
0 CommentsCharisma Vs. Danger (Master Persuader Series)
Posted January 13th, 2016 @ 9:12am in #trump
Science says charisma is the combination of power and empathy.
That makes sense to me. Powerful people are great to have around, so long as they care about your wellbeing. The powerful can do all sorts of things for you. They can give you jobs, protect you from harm, pay most of the taxes, and lots of other good stuff. It is no wonder people like power and empathy as a package.
0 CommentsMen: Confess Your Support for Hillary Clinton
Posted January 12th, 2016 @ 8:09am in #Trump #hillary2016
I had a strange realization this morning: I have never had a private conversation with an American man who said he would vote for Hillary Clinton for president. And most of my friends and business acquaintances are liberal.
0 CommentsToday I Help You See the Future
Posted January 11th, 2016 @ 11:21pm in #Trump
Today I will poke a little hole in your 2D filter and let you see the third dimension, where the future is sometimes as clear as the present.
0 CommentsThe Oddest Thing About Trump
Posted January 11th, 2016 @ 9:00am in #Trump
Whether you love Trump or hate him, you probably wonder why he never apologizes and never changes his story, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that he should. Trump seems otherwise intelligent – he graduated from an Ivy League school and built a business empire. So what the hell is up with not admitting when he is wrong?
- Is it narcissism?
- Is he mentally unstable?
- Is he a big liar?
- Does he use hyperbole just to get the media involved?
He does use hyperbole for effect, but the deeper explanation is simpler. It is Persuasion 101.
0 CommentsThe Iowa Reframing
Posted January 11th, 2016 @ 8:22am in #Trump #iowa caucus #cruz
I can’t stop laughing about Trump’s Iowa reframing. You probably heard about it. The setup goes like this:
- Trump was trailing Cruz in Iowa polls.
- Trump taunted an Iowa audience with “You have not picked a lot of winners.”
- The media reported Trump’s taunts.
And the very next poll showed Trump slightly atop Cruz once you factor in the less-likely-to-vote people who will definitely vote this time.
0 CommentsThe Laugh Tell (Trump Master Persuader Series)
Posted January 9th, 2016 @ 12:32pm in #Trump
Have you ever been listening to Donald Trump speaking, or reading one of his quotes, and found yourself laughing out loud?
Maybe you think he has a good sense of humor and he says funny stuff. Maybe you think he is so shocking that you laugh out of social horror. Maybe you love how he pokes your political enemies. If you are not a Trump fan, maybe you think you are laughing at him, or laughing out of disgust, or out of certainty he will be dooming himself this time for sure.
What did I teach you about events that have too many explanations?
0 CommentsWhy Would a Man Vote for Hillary Clinton?
Posted January 9th, 2016 @ 9:51am in #Trump #clinton
If you have been following the Master Persuader series in this blog, you know that the influence stack goes like this:
Identity beats analogy
Analogy beats reason
Reason beats nothing
Most of the candidates are trying to make an appeal to reason, and failing, because reason beats nothing. Rand Paul has lots of reasons. Some might be darned good. No one cares.
0 CommentsPolitico Tries to Trump Me on “The Turn”
Posted January 9th, 2016 @ 8:50am in #Trump #politico
Here’s a headline on Politico today, followed by a snippet from my post a day earlier. Check the dates and tell me where you “saw it first.” The Master Persuader scorecard keeps improving. Is it 12-for-12?
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