Beauty Contests And Cabinet Contests In The Trump Transition

There is a similarity between what Trump learned from running Miss Universe contests and the process that he is using to select his cabinet nominees.  This article describes the similarities and how it enables Trump to milk as much attention as he can out of the process.  It also reminds us of a common problem with democracy.  Demagogues can rise to power by appealing to human weaknesses.  Sex and pageantry sells politicians to much of the public better than boring discussions about government policies. Trump is a much better showman than most politicians.  He keeps his followers entertained and he seldom bores them with policy discussions.  Twitter is a perfect medium for reaching an audience that is easily bored with details.