Presidential elections in the United States are, and always have been, major events in American and world history. They are watched by millions of people not only in the US but all over the world. A circumstance that is often not noticed by less informed viewers is that the most famous part of the elections, namely the presidential inauguration, is preceded by weeks, months and even years of presidential campaigning, where candidates raise and spend vast amounts of money in order to convince the American citizens to give them their vote. These campaigns have commonly consisted of journeys throughout the entire country, rallies, conventions and speeches but lately, another medium has been taking a great role in the competition: Social Media. Especially during the 2016 election cycle Twitter became a campaign tool that never has been used during political campaigns to this extent before. Donald Trump in particular has made use of Twitter to such a great extent that it sometimes even seemed like his official speaking tube.
The introductory chapters of this work are dedicated to Obama’s social media pio-neer work during his 2008 election cycle. Then the Twitter phenomenon Trump will be analyzed based on an analysis of recurring patterns in a selection of his tweets. His controversial behavior online as well as offline will be set out as well.
From the contents:
Trump;
Campaign;
Twitter;
Social Media;
Politics;
Presidential Elections;
USA
Dem Überblick über politische Wahlkampfstrategien vor und seit der Instrumentalisierung der neuen Medien ist eine konzise und zielführende Einführung in das US-amerikanische Wahlsystem vorangestellt. Zudem werden grundlegende Begrifflichkeiten der neuen Medien unter Bezug auf einschlägige Quellen angemessen erläutert. Die Wende hin zu den neuen Medien im Präsidentschaftswahlkampf seit Obama wird sehr gut zusammengefasst und mit Fragen der Wahlbeteiligung bzw. zur vermeintlichen Politikverdrossenheit in Verbindung gebracht. Im zweiten Kapitel wird Donald Trump als „Twitter-Phänomen“ diskutiert und aufgezeigt, welche Rolle sein Verhalten in der Kampagne einnahm. Es folgt eine genauere Analyse der Muster in den Tweets, gestützt auf gut ausgewählte medienanalytische Quellen.
Table of Contents
1 Campaigning with the Internet
1.1 Campaigning with “old media“
1.2 Campaigning with “new media”
1.3 Microblogging in Political Business
2 Donald Trump on Twitter
2.1 The Twitter-Phenomenon Donald Trump
2.2 Donald Trump’s Tweet Pattern
2.3 The Online Persona Donald Trump
3 Different Forms of Political Mobilization
3.1 Rhetorical Strategies and Populist Mobilization
3.2 Social Media as a Tool for Networking Opponents
4 Conclusion and Outlook
Objectives and Topics
This work examines the role of Twitter as a pivotal campaign tool during Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election, analyzing how he utilized the platform to bypass traditional media, mobilize supporters, and engage in populist rhetoric. It explores the interplay between online digital strategies and offline political actions, and how social media has reshaped political discourse and mobilization in the digital age.
- The transition of political campaigning from traditional broadcast media to digital and social media platforms.
- Analysis of Donald Trump’s linguistic patterns, rhetorical strategies, and "online persona" on Twitter.
- The use of social media platforms by both supporters and opponents for political mobilization and networking.
- The impact of social media "bubbles," the spread of misinformation, and the role of automated bots in political campaigns.
Excerpt from the Book
The Twitter-Phenomenon Donald Trump
Donald Trump, the famous businessmen from New York City, started his business career after his father gave him a one million credit that he invested in real estate. In 1971 he took over the real estate company from his father and named it Trump Organization. During his career, he had to declare four business insolvencies. Besides Trump also had several other mainstays in entertainment business. From 1996 to 2015, he owned the rights of several beauty pageants and in 2003, he introduced his personal reality TV show called The Apprentice where he played the leading-role and participants competed for a management job in Trump’s company. Furthermore, he is the owner of various merchandise product-lines. Donald Trump expressed interest in running for presidency in 1987 for the first time. In 2000, he seriously endeavored for a presidential candidacy within the Reform party (“US Elections 2016 Results: Donald Trump’s Life Story - BBC News”). On the 14th of February 2000, he withdrew from the race after inner-party disputes (Statement of Donald J. Trump). In June 2015, he stated to enter the run for presidency in 2017. Under his slogan Make America Great Again he started his campaign in July 2015.
In the following part of this work, Donald Trump’s Twitter appearance will be investigated. Of course, he also has a website were people can sign in, donate money or read his election program. However, he was, and still is a heavy user of Twitter in his campaign and utilized it as a tool to communicate with his constituency and to express his viewpoints to current events. Trump has used the free online platforms Twitter and Facebook to propel his political career. He managed to promote his White house candidacy on Twitter, and related social websites as for example Facebook, he connected with his Twitter account, to a large extent. (Barbaro, “Pithy, Mean and Powerful: How Donald Trump Mastered Twitter for 2016”). He presented himself controversially on his Twitter account, which led to great media publicity. He frequently launched “pithy, mean and powerful” (Barbaro, “Pithy, Mean and Powerful: How Donald Trump Mastered Twitter for 2016”) tweets on the microblogging website, as Michael Barbaro writes in the New York Times.
Summary of Chapters
1 Campaigning with the Internet: This chapter traces the evolution of campaign strategies from traditional "old media" like radio and television to the decentralized and interactive "new media" and microblogging platforms of the 2008 Obama and 2016 Trump election cycles.
2 Donald Trump on Twitter: This section investigates Trump's specific usage patterns, identifying his unique rhetorical style, the "online persona" he cultivated, and his extensive and controversial use of Twitter to bypass media gatekeepers.
3 Different Forms of Political Mobilization: This chapter analyzes the rhetorical strategies behind Trump’s populist language and contrasts this with how social media served as a vital tool for opponents to organize and network against his political agenda.
4 Conclusion and Outlook: The final chapter summarizes the findings on the power of social media in large-scale campaigns, reflects on the "fake news" and bubble phenomena, and looks ahead at the implications for future democratic processes.
Keywords
Donald Trump, Twitter, Social Media, Political Campaigning, Populism, Digital Mobilization, Rhetorical Strategies, Online Persona, Election 2016, Internet, Voter Participation, Post-Truth, Fake News, Facebook, Political Communication
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on how Donald Trump utilized Twitter as an unconventional and highly effective tool during his 2016 presidential campaign to communicate directly with constituents and dominate the media narrative.
What are the central themes covered in the text?
Central themes include the transition to digital-first campaigning, the linguistic and rhetorical techniques Trump used to appeal to disenfranchised voters, and the broader implications of social media on political polarization and community organizing.
What is the research question or objective of the study?
The objective is to analyze how Twitter functioned as a campaign tool for Donald Trump, exploring how it amplified his message and influenced political mobilization compared to traditional media channels.
What scientific methodology is applied?
The thesis is framed as a content analysis and an extended analytical press review, incorporating data from media studies, political science, and data analysis of Twitter usage patterns.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the historical shift in campaigning, a detailed analysis of Trump’s tweet patterns (including adjective usage and sentiment), and the contrasting mobilization efforts of his political opponents on platforms like Facebook.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Digital Mobilization, Populism, Online Persona, Fake News, Political Communication, and Twitter.
What does the term "unpresidented" refer to in the context of this study?
It refers to a famous spelling mistake made by Donald Trump in a 2016 tweet concerning a US Navy drone, which became emblematic of his controversial online behavior and was used to inspire the title of this thesis.
How do Trump's Android and iPhone tweets differ according to the research?
Data analysis suggests that tweets from Trump’s Android phone tended to be more aggressive, negative, and impulsive, while iPhone tweets were typically more strategic, professional, and focused on event announcements.
What role did automated bots play in the campaign?
The study notes that automated bots were used by both campaigns to influence political discourse, with a higher volume of pro-Trump bots, which raises critical concerns regarding the authenticity and manipulation of public opinion on social networks.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2017, “Unpresidented” - Twitter as a Tool in Donald Trump’s Social Media Campaign, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/375096
