Trump The Mule
by Doc Searls Sunday, September 18, 2016

As soon as it became clear that Trump was a breed apart, remarkable more for his powers of persuasion and enlistment than for anything else (his policies are all feints: magical misdirections away from his absolute vanity), I saw him as The Mule, star of Isaac Azimov's Foundation series. Here's how Wikipedia describes the Mule:

One of the greatest conquerors the galaxy has ever seen, he is a mentalic who has the ability to reach into the minds of others and "adjust" their emotions, individually or en masse, using this capability to conscript individuals to his cause. Not direct mind-control per se, it is a subtle influence of the subconscious; individuals under the Mule's influence behave otherwise normally - logic, memories, and personality intact.

Scott Adams more blandly calls Trump a "master persuader." The effect is the same, especially if Trump wins. Which I fear. And, hate to say, expect.

If you're interested, here's a reading list.