How to Manufacture an Extremist Candidacy
Bloomberg Businessweek|April 11, 2022
Step 1: Create a bunch of social media accounts and have them beg your candidate to run for president
Ania Nussbaum, Sarah Frier, and Daniel Zuidijk
How to Manufacture an Extremist Candidacy

“ I am ready to carry the voice of the silent majority,” Eric Zemmour shouts at a rally in Metz, France. “They are trying to steal this election from you.”

It’s March 18, less than four weeks before polls open. Zemmour is rallying a crowd of several thousand, largely composed of White men. He glides through the audience, reaches out to touch their hands, then raises his arms in a “V” for victory as they roar with delight. His face—mostly forehead, with bushy eyebrows and a smile that curves up on the left—is instantly recognizable thanks to his long career as a TV news pundit and, more recently, his presence on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. He’s fourth in the polls, but the polls are hardly the point.

As the April 10 presidential election approaches, Zemmour and his supporters have been offering conspiratorial arguments. They say the polls, and perhaps the election itself, may be rigged—a message that will almost certainly be repeated after the votes are counted. The tactic, like so much about his surprise candidacy, is modeled on the mendacious antics of Donald Trump, who branded his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 U.S. election “Stop the Steal.”

“We love you!” a supporter spontaneously screams at the March rally. “We will win!”

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 11, 2022-Ausgabe von Bloomberg Businessweek.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 11, 2022-Ausgabe von Bloomberg Businessweek.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKAlle anzeigen
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 Minuten  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 Minuten  |
March 20 - 27, 2023