Letter: The demagogues guide to winning an election

1. Find scapegoats. Any unpopular ethnic or racial minority will do as long as they are relatively powerless. Demonize your scapegoats to arouse resentment against them.

2. Exploit humanity’s tribalistic instincts. Stoke fears of the “other” (see above), and cultivate the lust for power. Promise to return the “tribe” to its former glory.

3. You must sell this promise of greatness and inspire your supporters to follow you to the promised land. They must believe only you can make the nation great again.

4. Truth and reason are overrated. Only losers bother with them. Harness the primal emotions, fear, anger and hate to neutralize them.

5. Paint your rivals as weak, dishonest and unpatriotic. Threaten them with prison. Make veiled threats of violence against them.

6. Use crude, demeaning epitaphs to belittle your critics. Your supporters will mistake your cruelty for strength and see you as the alpha male. A true leader.

7. Offer grand but vague solutions to complex problems. Tell people what they want to hear. Under no circumstances should you engage in meaningful debate about issues.

8. Smear anyone who can unmask you and reveal what you really are.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 4:35 AM with the headline "Letter: The demagogues guide to winning an election."