Donald Trump

“Donald Trump isn’t a simpleton… he just talks like one.”

So begins a damning Politico critique of “The Donald” and his word usage. The article notes Trump’s recent debate responses ranked at a fourth-grade reading level (on the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability scale).

A previous speech in August clocked in at a third-grade level.

The article chides Trump for his lack of breadth or depth of language: “Why shouldn’t he want to rise from Trumpspeak and find an honored place among the articulate?”

Of course, the author—a typical beltway insider—is so charmed by his own eloquence, he’s only able to hint at the larger point at work here…

Trump leads because he presents an emotional message with clear, persuasive language.

That should sound familiar to regular Daily readers. In Monday’s Daily, Mark explained the key to becoming the best in your business: clear and persuasive communication.

The Politico author (who boasts about his own article’s 11th-grade FK score) sees this as a weakness. We know it is a strength.

Mark wrote a book on using language to your advantage called Persuasion: The Subtle Art of Getting What You Want. It teaches you how to talk at someone’s level without talking down to him or her. And it seems Donald Trump could have been a reader…

Bottom line: Trump’s message resonates with many people. It’s easy to see how he does it. Don’t expect him to change his delivery… And don’t anticipate his dominant position in the polls to collapse anytime soon.