Politics and Appearances: Why Style, Symbols and Images Matter

In politics and, indeed, in many ventures, style, symbolism, and appearances matter. No politician understood that better than Ronald Reagan.

I remember the famous Brandenburg Gate speech in West Germany. In that speech, President Reagan presented us with one of the most powerful images of 20th-century politics - the American President, standing tall before what was once a symbol of German might but was reduced to a symbol of German division. The American President, addressing his Soviet counterpart openly, made the demand that the Soviet Premiere set the East German people free, with the immortal words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

It was a powerful moment. Not long after, the German people themselves tore down that wall.

On Saturday, we were presented with a different kind of symbol.

Unlike President Reagan's speech, former President Trump's powerful symbol was not written out and planned. It was spontaneous and all the more powerful for it. The defiance, the surety, the raised fist, as I've written already, will be regarded as one of the most powerful political symbols of the 21st century.

But he's not done yet. On Monday, the Republican National Convention begins. And Donald Trump will be there as planned.

If I were to predict former President Trump's initial appearance, my guess would be this: He'll show up as usual, dark suit, white shirt, power tie, and a big, shiny white bandage on the presidential ear, as if to proclaim to the world, "Within the last 48 hours, I almost got my head blown off, and yet here I am!" He will be delivering a major address at that convention, and if he does it while still wearing that bandage as a badge of honor, the image thus presented will be (and I normally never use this word) epic.

Trump has already shown us he can remain cool under fire, he's shown us an inspirational image, and he has shown himself to be a leader. My colleague and friend Jennifer Oliver O'Connell has written eloquently on that topic.

But it is of symbols and images that I write here. Symbols matter. Images matter. They speak to leadership. It's a lesson I learned in the Army when I discovered that a buck Sergeant or even a junior officer looks 48 percent more bada*s if he stomps around the company area with the butt of a big cigar jammed between his teeth. That was an image I cultivated, in part out of self-defense against my chain-smoking platoon sergeant but also because I liked the image, having once overheard one of my motor pool guys laughing, "You can always tell when the Eltee has been here, there are cigar butts in all our ashtrays." (My company commander was less enamored of my leaving trails of cheap cigar smoke trailing after me everywhere I went.)

Most politicians at least have some glimmering of understanding of the power of symbols, of imagery.

A notable exception, of course, is President Joe Biden.

And that is why, as I wrote earlier, Joe Biden has already lost his reelection bid.

This fall, as the campaign season swings into high gear after Labor Day, the electorate will be presented with two images: A fist-waving Trump, bloodied but unbeaten; Trump, under the American flag, having narrowly escaped death but shouting reassurances to the crowd. Trump, speaking at the GOP's convention with his ear still bandaged, holding his customary huge rallies, praising the courage of his Secret Service guards and the local law enforcement as a way of reminding people of those moments.

And on the other side is Joe Biden: Tired, pale, uncertain, unsteady, befuddled, and lost, with Kamala Harris at his side, the ultimate DEI hire, cackling and abrasive.

Barring some catastrophe, this election is as good as decided.