Fear factor could help Donald Trump in polls

Trump's campaign has, after all, been largely based on playing upon a fear of outsiders, whether they be Mexican immigrants or Muslims.

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Published: Wed 21 Sep 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Wed 21 Sep 2016, 2:00 AM

The news of a possible "foreign connection" to the series of blasts and bomb scares that have rocked New York City and New Jersey and a stabbing attack in Minnesota may, unfortunately, lead to a swell of support among Donald Trump supporters. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's announcement of a possible "foreign connection" came as the NYPD revealed the identity of one of the suspects in the attacks, a 28-year naturalised American originally from Afghanistan. Already - and predictably - seizing upon the attacks as a political opportunity, Trump took to Twitter to declare that "Saturday's attacks show that failed Obama/Hillary Clinton policies won't keep us safe!" "I will make America safe again!," he added. "Time to change the playbook!" Although to many Americans this may seem like Trump's usual bluster, some have expressed concern that such incidents might help propel Trump's popularity among the most xenophobic and fearful segments of American society.
Trump's campaign has, after all, been largely based on playing upon a fear of outsiders, whether they be Mexican immigrants or Muslims. This, many note, is exactly the sort of response that the perpetrators of such heinous acts hope to elicit. "Whether it is the work of lone wolves or something more coordinated, it doesn't take Nostradamus to see that terrorists view President Trump as an asset in their efforts to portray America as discredited and in decline," the Daily Beast's John Avalon wrote on Monday. "His divisive instincts play perfectly into Daesh's attempts to recast what used to be called The War on Terror as a war between America and Islam everywhere." The fact remains that - even if incorrect - many Americans view Trump as the law and order candidate of the elections when compared to Hillary Clinton. One can only hope that as Americans head to the polls in November, they vote out of logic, rather than fear.


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