Stephen Farnsworth, a professor at the University of Mary Washington and author of five books on media and politics, was speaking as part of the university’s Dahlgren campus National Security lecture series. He said journalists weren’t alone in underestimating Donald Trump’s prospects.
“I should say that those of us in political science also underestimated Trump,” Farnsworth said. “But it wasn’t ideological. It was more the way in which this process has worked historically.”
Trying to come up with a comparable candidate in history, Farnsworth threw out the name Gary Bauer—to silence.
Bauer was a Republican presidential candidate in the primary for the 2000 election who had never before held or campaigned for office.
“You don’t even remember the name!” Farnsworth said to laughter. “People who don’t have that government experience never lasted very long. What’s different about this cycle was the anger. I mean, that was the main thing, how powerful it was and how effective it was.”
