And Trump鈥檚 loss of the important Wisconsin primary to Cruz recently lends a certain irony to Trump鈥檚 attempt to control the narrative this campaign, says Thompson at Syracuse University. 鈥淚t鈥檚 as if the techniques Trump brought to the process have turned on him,鈥� he says, noting that a serious setback is also essential for a reality show contender hoping for the brass ring.
鈥淚f I were a reality show producer running this show, I would script it exactly like this,鈥� Thompson says. In the latest plot twist, he notes, Trump accuses Cruz of being the leading edge of some kind of invasion of the GOP establishment, even though Trump is the candidate who turned this campaign into a blood sport, spawning a "Never Trump" movement and thus nurturing his own antagonist.
This turn of events also lifts a page straight from the reality show playbook, points out Cesternino. 鈥淚f you look at 鈥楽urvivor,鈥� the character that gets rewarded in the end is the one who does what it takes to win,鈥� he says, adding that authenticity without apology or backing down is more important than good behavior. 鈥淗e may have blood on his hands, but if he really owns his actions, then the jury is more likely to reward him than someone who apologizes for bad behavior.鈥�
For now, it鈥檚 unclear if Trump will end up with either the party鈥檚 nomination or the White House in his grasp. Indeed, another well-honed convention of the reality genre is to build up one character only to have a last-minute dark horse contestant snatch away the prize.
