In a moment of fear, we're willing to cede power to charismatic demagogues in a way than in normal, healthier societal moments, we just wouldn't do. If we were a healthier, happier society, if we were in a better place communally, Donald Trump would be laughed off the stage. But in an era in which we're fearful, in an era in which we fear that our future is going to look far worse than our past, Trump becomes plausible.