Countering Trump: Toward a Theory of Charismatic Counter-Roles

Performing rituals of affliction: how a Governor’s Press conferences provided mediatized sanctuary in Ohio

“…But what this paper reveals is that the ritualized sanctuary that emerged from DeWine’s press conferences provided the cultural structure that rooted the governor’s action in a horizon of meaning. Indeed, if charisma requires a reframing of opponents as antagonists in salvation narratives (Smith 2000 ), neither DeWine—nor Acton—were willing to deviate strongly from the sanctuary script established in March and engage anti-lockdown protesters and legislators as charismatic foils (see Joosse 2017 ). Contrast this to Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer and New York’s Andrew Cuomo who rode waves of partisan tension by openly challenging Trump and protesters in their states.…”

“…While on its face, we might read this exchange as a dynamic and interrogative one in a Habermasian vein, Windsor and DeWine play out a different kind of performance here—one of one-upmanship, their questions and answers like played like chess pieces rather than as refinement of argument. Testy exchanges like this one would elevate Windsor’s star in a charismatic way, he a plucky upstart whose “confidence is larger than their present station” (Joosse 2017 , p. 934). Windsor would eventually gain his own Facebook fan page, testify before the Ohio House in favor a bill for “accurate reporting” of COVID statistics in May, and be a guest speaker at an anti-mask rally in July.…”

Capital and the Cathedral: Robert H. Schuller's Continual Fundraising for Church Growth

“…Marshaling this evidence, Schuller dismissed a cohort of "unworthy challengers" for donation dollars, arguing for the unique impact made possible by contributing further to his own church's financial means. 38 By this point, Schuller had spent years perfecting his formula for fundraising, specifically, campaigning for Possibility-driven projects that were ambitious, vision-rich, and compellingly concrete, all to be completed several years in the future. He enticed constituents to agree on the attractiveness of an idea, urged them to seek God's will on the project, and, thereby, sanctioned the call for more capital.…”

ARTICLE: Weber and Judicial Legitimacy: A Critical Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court Immigration Cases Nielsen v. Preap (2019) and Barton v. Barr (2020)

“…Joosse (2018, p. 930), for example, argues that during President Trump's 2016 campaign, his "racist, sexist, and xenophobic statements with a puerile masculinity affected a combative style that simultaneously outraged and enthralled audiences…." As a consequence, Trump was set apart from his GOP rivals and was able to exhibit a form of charisma that played off of "unworthy challengers" who were outside of his base (Joosse, 2018). That the Supreme Court might render decisions on formulistic pronouncements, as they did in Nielsen (2019) and Barton (2020), rather than abstract law is disconcerting.…”