The analogy between the Trump campaign and A Face in the Crowd was never perfect. “Lonesome” Rhodes presented himself to the public as a sweet, benevolent force. Only those who knew him in person were aware that he was a shallow, power seeking narcissist.
Trump’s strength throughout this campaign has always seemed to be that he could, in fact, publicly present himself as a shallow, power seeking narcissist, and many people would still support his candidacy. It was a kind of super power.
But it seems that Trump has finally reached his “Lonesome” Rhodes moment. His recorded private comments in 2005 were so sickening, so out and out hateful and demeaning to women, that a line is finally being drawn.
Now it is coming out that he enjoyed walking in on naked 15 year old girls against their will — and publicly bragged on the Howard Stern show about his power to do so with impunity — it’s possible that the trend will accelerate. People who were holding their noses until now will flee from the sheer stench of it all, in ever greater numbers.
And not a moment too soon.