The Ritual of Male Dominance and Why Trump Will Win the Republican Nomination
In every chimpanzee community, there is a dominant male. He is 20 -26 years old, (corresponding to a human of 60 - 72 years of age) and he has worked hard to establish his rank by successfully intimidating younger males. He achieves this through acts of physical aggression, exaggerated movement, superior strength and selective bonding with other members of the community. He has outsmarted the other males in the group and continues to exercise his powers to maintain his rank.
The three main Presidential candidates of the Republican Party are replicating this primate ritual. We have the older, more aggressive front-runner in the form of Donald Trump, and the younger candidates, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, trying with all their might to shift the hierarchy in their favor.
In this scenario, the males are not fighting for procreation rights but for power. To date, Donald Trump has proven he has all the characteristics of the dominant individual. But can this last? In the chimp world, the dominant animal will one day be overcome by a protagonist who is younger, smarter, stronger and more aggressive. It only takes one fight to overturn the balance of power and establish a new leader.
To date, the Republican candidates have had ten face-to-face interactions, each debate more aggressive than the last. However, most of the time the candidates establish their political dominancy through individual speeches and rallies, TV and other ads, and social media. Unlike in primate societies, dominancy is confirmed by the media's perception and the people's vote. We are the ones who decide who is most dominant. So, where do we go from here?
There is little time left before Super Tuesday, and unless a younger candidate demonstrates sudden superiority, Trump will likely be the Republican nominee. He will have established this position by being louder, more aggressive, and more savvy than his counterparts. And if you think appearance has nothing to do with it, the dominant chimp typically displays his authority through bristling hair, hunched shoulders and compressed lips that make his body appear bigger and his face meaner. Yes, that's the Donald!