Scott Adams' Blog

I Answer Your Questions About Predicting President Trump

Posted November 9th, 2016 @ 10:53am in #Trump #Clinton

Did the United States Just Elect a Monster?

No. Clinton’s team of cognitive scientists and professional persuaders did a terrific job of framing Trump as scary. The illusion will wear off – albeit slowly – as you observe Trump going about the job of President and taking it seriously. You can expect him to adjust his tone and language going forward. You can expect foreign leaders to say they can work with him. You can expect him to focus on unifying an exhausted and nervous country. And you can expect him to succeed in doing so. (He’s persuasive.) Watch as Trump turns to healing. You’re going to be surprised how well he does it. But give it time.

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The Last Confirmation Bias Test of This Election

Posted November 8th, 2016 @ 9:31am in #Trump #Clinton

Last year in this blog I told you that Trump would change more than politics. I said he would forever change how you view reality. I’ll prove that to you today with a fun experiment.

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Thank You for The Best Year Ever

Posted November 7th, 2016 @ 9:58am in #Trump #Clinton #WhenHub

Election Day is upon us and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading this blog, following me on Twitter, or tuning in to my coffee talks on Periscope. This has been the most fun I have ever had in one year. Hands down.

We made friends online, and in person. We learned a lot. We laughed a lot. And we fought hard for what we thought was right for the country.  It really doesn’t get better than this.

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I Don’t Want a Government Job

Posted November 6th, 2016 @ 8:43am in #Trump #Clinton

My current tax rate is about half of my income when you add up all of the various taxes. I don’t have many deductions. Clinton proposes an estate tax that would take about half of what is left. In effect, Clinton wants my tax rate to be around 75% for every dollar I earn today.

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Vote with a Friend (for safety)

Posted November 6th, 2016 @ 7:58am in #Trump #Clinton

The odds of mischief and violence on election day this year are alarmingly high. For your safety, I recommend that you don’t wear any Trump-related hats or clothing. That’s just asking for trouble. 

You might also want to meet a friend or family member near your voting place so you can vote together, just to feel safer. To make it easy to meet up with a friend, I recommend using my start-up’s new app: WhenHub. (It’s free.)

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The Dehypnotizing has Begun

Posted November 5th, 2016 @ 11:01am in #Trump #Clinton

I’m getting reports that people have successfully used my blog post that is designed to dehypnotize Clinton supporters. If you want to try it yourself, here are some tips for maximizing the effect.

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Trump the Closer

Posted November 4th, 2016 @ 7:43pm in #Trump #Clinton

I had been wondering if Trump was planning some sort of special closing argument. He did not disappoint. In my opinion, his final ad is the political ad of the year, if not the best ever. Watch it here first and I’ll include my thoughts below.

https://t.co/WvTLumkqxO

Here’s what makes this ad so special:

1. Trump delivers his lines perfectly, like an experienced actor. We haven’t heard him like this before. You probably didn’t think he had this in him. He stays calm and assured, but not cocky. That is an effective counter-framing to Clinton’s framing of Trump as an unpredictable madman. Here Trump comes off as perfectly reasonable and deeply empathetic. 

2. The timing is perfect. This race went so low that even the trolls were starting to gasp for oxygen. Trump made us wait for relief – Hollywood style. He made us crave civility and sanity. And just when we thought it was out of reach, he goes ultra-positive.

But here’s the best part. Clinton has no good options to counter this message. If she stays dark, Trump finishes as the inspirational one. If she tries to match his positive message, she has little chance of doing it this well. 

3. While Obama is out talking about his legacy, and Clinton is out talking about making history as the first woman president, Trump (the narcissist) asks for the American people’s help in draining the swamp and making America great again. That’s one heckuva contrast to end on.

4. The writing for Trump’s speech is great. The editing is great. The production is great. The visual artistry is fantastic. This one will be studied for a long time, not only for its persuasion excellence and production values but also for its strategic timing. 

5. Trump’s strongest message at this point is that Clinton is corrupt in a variety of hard-to-explain ways. People don’t need to understand the details. They just have to hear the message enough. This video uses visual persuasion perfectly to portray the halls of power and corruption versus the people united. The color red is exceptionally well-used. It activates us.

You just witnessed something special. 

—

You might enjoy my book because Trump’s video was well-made.

Unhypnotizing a Clinton Supporter

Posted November 4th, 2016 @ 1:08pm in #Trump #Clinton

Today I teach you how to unhypnotize a Clinton supporter.

Keep in mind that the strongest form of persuasion is fear. Clinton’s team of persuaders has convinced her followers that Trump is dangerous. If you remove that part of her spell, Trump wins. Here’s how.

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Same Candidates, Different Worlds

Posted November 3rd, 2016 @ 8:58am in #Trump #Clinton

Last night I was comparing campaign coverage on CNN and FOX News. It was like seeing two different realities.

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The Persuasion Scorecard Update - One Week Out

Posted November 2nd, 2016 @ 10:28am in #Trump #Clinton

As I have taught you over the past year, the strongest form of persuasion involves fear. And the stronger the fear, the better the persuasion. For example, in the primaries, the biggest physical-fear story on the Republican side was terrorism and immigration risks, and that favored Trump’s bad-ass messaging. Result: Trump got the nomination.

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