Trump’s staying power? 持久力

Reader question:

Please explain this sentence, with “Trump’s staying power” in particular: “Trump’s staying power is a rarity in politics.”

My comments:

Donald Trump, that is. He’s a former President of the United States who’s again running for the Oval Office in November.

A businessman who had no previous experience in politics, Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 to surprise a lot of people, both in America and beyond.

After losing to current President Joe Biden in 2020, a lot of people thought Trump would gradually fade away from the political arena.

Alas. That’s not the case. Four years later, Trump is still here. In fact, his star seems to be rising still – buoyed by, among other things, surviving an assassination attempt earlier this month.

That’s why we see the statement in our question: Trump’s staying power is a rarity in politics, something that rarely or seldom happens.

Staying power?

To stay is to remain in a certain place or position. The power to stay is, therefore, to stay strong for a long time.

In other words, he who has staying power has stamina, say, the ability of an athlete to keep running without getting tired. Marathon runners, for example, must have staying power in order to go the distance, the full distance of 42 kilometers plus 195 meters, to be exact.

Needless to say, those who gets breathless after running 100 meters may not have the staying power to finish the marathon.

All right, here are media examples of “staying power”:

1. Jillian Michaels says it’s a bit embarrassing to see her face and name on all of the products in her office.

“It feels so cheesy, like the Andy Warhol photo of yourself on the wall,” she told Tracy.

But it also makes her feel something else: “Sometimes I’m, like, this room is not big enough. We should be doing more.”

“More” might as well be Michaels’ mantra. She’s the biggest name in at-home exercise, a bestselling author, and a ferocious force for fitness on the reality TV competition, “The Biggest Loser.”

She’s now at the point where people consider her a brand.

“Oh, I definitely think of myself as a brand,” Michaels said. “But I’m not going to sell you any false promises, and you may not like the message. You may not like the things I’m saying. But at the end of the day, you’re going to like the end result.”

Her direct approach is now legendary. It’s “tough love” that often seems to lack the “love” part.

When asked if what we see on “Biggest Loser” is an accurate representation of who she is, Michaels replied, “It’s an incomplete representation of who I am. There are plenty of tears, there are plenty of in-depth, heartfelt moments. But the yelling makes better TV.”

“How has the persona you’ve developed on reality TV hurt you?” Tracy asked.

“Wow. Okay. I’ve always wanted to shift into a daytime medium, But everybody who’s kind of in charge of that daytime medium doesn’t really know me, doesn’t really watch the show, isn’t that familiar with what I do, and just goes, ‘Oh, she’s the girl that screams on TV. She’s unlikeable.’”

Yet plenty of people DO like her. She’s released 15 home fitness DVDs, selling 8 million copies. She’s written six diet and fitness books, secured countless product deals, and is about to launch a nationwide speaking tour.

Michaels now heads a multi-million-dollar exercise empire, but says she has no time to actually exercise. “I honestly haven’t been to the gym, because of my schedule, in several weeks,” she said.

“I don’t think people are going to believe that,” said Tracy. “They picture you at home in your gym eating kale all day.”

“Oh God, no,” Michaels said. “I practically drank wine out of the bottle last night, I was so stressed out. And I had to, like, handcuff myself to the couch to not have ice cream for dinner.”

...

Michaels now enjoys her California life with her partner, Heidi, and their two young children. She’s trying to model her career after women with staying power: Jane Fonda, Maria Shriver, Suze Orman, Oprah.

When asked where she sees herself on her trajectory, Michaels replied, “In my personal life, I feel like I’m in a really good space. In my professional life, I’m never satisfied. I’m just not satisfied yet.”

- Jillian Michaels on exercising her staying power, CBSNews.com, June 23, 2013.

2. Barely a day goes by where we don’t see a new poll trumpeting Donald Trump’s double-digit lead nationally among Republican voters.

Not all Donald Trump supporters are equal, however: Voter data released by Resonate reveals that Trump’s appeal lies largely with historically unengaged and uninformed voters. The resulting “influence gap” between Trump’s core supporters and those of his rivals could undercut for his staying power. To win the GOP nomination, Trump will need to figure out a way to expand his appeal beyond his core supporters and win the support of influential voters and activists.

“Voter engagement” is a continuum which starts with issue awareness and voter turnout (“Issue Voters”), ramps up through “Informed Voters” who follow one or more issues closely, “Invested Voters” who donate to campaigns, and finally “Influential Voters” who share their thoughts and volunteer on behalf of campaigns. It’s about quantity and quality of support – with more engaged voters attracting the support of their peers. When compared to all Republican primary voters, here’s where Trump supporters fall in the “political engagement” spectrum in a poll we conducted earlier this summer.

Trump supporters lag behind Republican primary voters in general in high-engagement voter categories. Trump also lags significantly in penetration of issue-driven voters. Conversely, he enjoys a significant concentration of support among unengaged voters. One might assume that these unengaged voters are attracted to Trump’s brash style and talent for creating sound bites. But will these voters become sufficiently engaged to carry him to the GOP nomination?

- Who Are Donald Trump Supporters? Resonate.com, September 1, 2015.

3. From an outsider’s perspective London’s geography can be overwhelming – and an area’s distinguishing feature may seem to be nothing more than the colour of its tube line. But look further and you’ll find a haphazard cluster of neighbourhoods and villages, each with an individual sense of community and identity.

And once you find the London neighbourhood that suits you, and begin to put down roots, you may never want to leave.

According to our analysis of Savills sales in 2023, over four in every 10 home movers across prime London were moving within the same local area. That figure rose to over three-quarters in some postcodes, with neighbourhoods in East and North London coming out top for their staying power.

Which neighbourhoods have the strongest staying power?

Canary Wharf ranked top overall, with 76% of domestic prime buyers moving from within the local area last year. Canary Wharf particularly appeals to younger buyers – around two-thirds of prime buyers are under 39 – thanks to the value on offer (by London’s standards) and access to the City, with the DLR, Underground and Elizabeth line, alongside the Thames Riverboat for a more scenic commute.

For the prime markets, the average price per square foot for second-hand properties in Canary Wharf is ￡660, compared to the North & East London average of ￡900, making it a popular choice for those looking to move without losing strong connectivity.

Wapping ranked second, with 67% of buyers moving from within the area. A blend of the contemporary and historic, Wapping attracts a lot of demand from couples, as well as young corporate professionals who have grown up in the area and want to bring up their own children in the neighbourhood.

For the prime markets, second-hand properties in Wapping cost an average of ￡850 per square foot.

Wimbledon ranked third for its staying power, with 62% moving within the local area. Home to a large amount of green space, popular shops, independent cafés and pubs, it appeals to growing families, downsizers and empty nesters who already live locally. There’s a close-knit village feel that gives residents a taste of the country while being conveniently located for all that the capital has to offer.

- London’s neighbourhoods with the strongest staying power, Savills.co.uk, April 10, 2024.

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About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

（作者：张欣   编辑：丹妮）