The Trump Effect in Politics.....

Well, it's official. Donald Trump is the President of the United States. The leader of the free world. A year ago at this time, I don't think even his most ardent supporters could have thought that would come to be. But it has.

It's official.

The campaign and election were so shocking that people will be studying it for generations. It's a copycat world, and Trump was successful. So look for other politician wanna-be's to follow his style. Donald Trump is the first non politician to be elected president. I guess you could say George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower were not politicians either. But they did work for the government previously. Trump was simply a businessman and entrepreneur. He also had his own  reality show.

His rise has been spectacular. He had been known as a New York businessman with his share of both success and failure. But he was successful building his own brand. That brand tried to project an image of wealth and success.  But a few years ago, Trump began offering his opinion on national issues. He also led the Obama "birther" argument.

As a candidate, he had the most unusual campaign ever. At best, you could say he is a populist. His

opponents will call him much worse. He didn't have to act like an intellectual, because he isn't one. He acted and talked like somebody you meet in a bar. He didn't have to prove his arguments. He just said, "Trust me."

Melania looking good too.

Will he be successful? He has a Republican Congress, so things will most assuredly change. After 4 years, he will say he succeeded. His opponents  will say it was a disaster. So it just depends what side you agree with.

But I think the biggest changes will be in the world of politics. Welcome to the non-politician politician. Goodbye law degrees. Goodbye Ivy League education. Goodbye back room political deals. You no longer need to work your way up in the political world to qualify.

But what do you need? What are the new qualifications?

1. You need to be known. Trump had a reality show. So could another candidate. Or at least he should have been seen regularly on the tv or movies. It's been done before. Senator Al Franken was a comedian and comedy writer.  Former Minnesota Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura was a professional wrestler.
2. Money helps. Trump had money. But he didn't use as much in his campaign as you might think. His campaign was so outrageous, he was automatically the top story in the news every night.
3. Be social media savvy. Trump tweeted often. He still does. Not just fluff, but actual opinions. He understands you can bypass the traditional media that adds their own comments. In the future, social media will get even more important.

So look for a strange new world in politics. It might mot matter who your congressman is. Just follow your favorite entertainers on twitter.

Mark Zuckerberg will get lots of "likes".

Here's a news item for you: Facebook founder, and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg was in Texas this week. going to a rodeo, wearing a hardhat, and meeting with police officers. He made a New Year;s resolution to visit every state in the union. So is Mark Zuckerberg running for President in 2020?

Well, he is well known. He even had a movie made about his life. He does have money. He's obviously social media savvy. So he qualifies. I guess never say never.