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What liberals (still) get wrong about Trump's support


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2018 Jul 23, 8:15pm   9,807 views  34 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (55)   💰tip   ignore  

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/23/liberals-donald-trump-support

After each outrage, progressives believe supporters will drain away. On the contrary: he is giving them what they want

Liberals and progressives are forever predicting Donald Trump’s political demise. After each purported outrage – Charlottesville, separating children from their immigrant parents, now Helsinki – they confidently contend that this latest event will finally force Trump’s supporters to abandon him. Yet not only does this not happen, Trump’s support has actually risen by 6% since late 2017. How do they keep getting it so wrong?

To quote Ronald Reagan: “The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” They presume that because Trump is so unconventional in style, his coalition must be equally unconventional. But it’s not. The data clearly shows that Trump’s political coalition is pretty much the traditional Republican coalition. And the often virulent behavior of anti-Trump partisans has made partisan Republicans especially unwilling to abandon their leader even when he stumbles.

The sheer ordinariness of Trump’s coalition is impossible to overstate. ...

Nor are Trump’s voters united by racism and sexism, as many on the left presume. Analysis by the libertarian Cato Institute’s Emily Ekins found that Trump’s general election support broke into five groups. Only one, the American Preservationists, contained a large number of voters who could be said to be generally hostile to racial and ethnic minorities per se. They were outnumbered by another group, the Free Marketeers, whose attitudes towards racial and ethnic minorities were as or more tolerant than the attitudes of Hillary Clinton supporters. ...

Democrats have done nothing since Trump’s election to reduce these feelings. On issue after issue the Democratic party has moved to the left, catering to a progressive base outraged at Trump’s election and seething at how the Democratic establishment foisted a fatally flawed candidate upon them. The latest progressive cause célèbre is for eliminating America’s border enforcement agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). One can be outraged at how Trump is enforcing America’s immigration laws without thinking that eliminating all border enforcement is a good idea. An idea like this keeps Republicans united in their support for Trump as it clearly shows how unacceptable the alternative is.

The news media’s behavior also keeps Republicans in line. It is impossible to overstate the degree of daily vituperation visited upon the president in the media. Comics and actors use their non-political programs to attack him, often to the implicit applause of the press. Virtually all coverage outside the conservative Fox News and isolated conservative outlets is negative, often couched in highly hostile terms. Virtually all of the columnists at the New York Times and the Washington Post, America’s two most respected dailies, despise Trump – and that includes nearly all of the conservative, libertarian and Republican columnists too. Trump supporters who follow news at all cannot escape the daily blast of negativity.

This has, predictably, hardened the attitudes of many Trump supporters. ...


From the guy who send the article to me:

Let me make it simple: the problem in this country is not some one single "bad" person, it is that a corrupt and Romanesque ruling class has failed to govern properly and sold out the working class, the middle class, and the country generally. Because their wealth controls the political class, the political class is corrupt also -- ALL OF THEM.

Comments 1 - 34 of 34        Search these comments

1   MisdemeanorRebel   2018 Jul 23, 8:24pm  

The interests of the Kreative Klass and Technocrat Class, allied to the Lumpenproles, are very different from the other 60% of the country.
2   MrMagic   2018 Jul 23, 8:29pm  

RafiMaas says
Patrick says
the political class is corrupt also -- ALL OF THEM.""


Yes all of them. Including Trump.


Trump has never been a politician.
3   MrMagic   2018 Jul 23, 8:30pm  

Patrick says
Democrats have done nothing since Trump’s election to reduce these feelings. On issue after issue the Democratic party has moved to the left, catering to a progressive base outraged at Trump’s election and seething at how the Democratic establishment foisted a fatally flawed candidate upon them.


Just remember, we should be worried about that "Blue Wave" come November.
4   lostand confused   2018 Jul 23, 9:08pm  

The left has become a caricature of itself -they don't hide the crazy anymore-sad.
5   FuckTheMainstreamMedia   2018 Jul 24, 6:52am  

Copy and paste with no credit?
6   Patrick   2018 Jul 24, 7:55am  

Aphroman says
The easiest group of people to manipulate in the history of humanity


Actually, it's all about jobs.

Everything else in politics just doesn't matter by comparison. Export the jobs to China and import illegals, then you get Trump.

If you want to get rid of Trump, stop screwing over working class Americans. Drop the tranny bathroom shit, drop the 24/7 accusations of racism/naziism/sexism, and do something that benefits labor.

Trump is doing all the right things for working people, and talking very loudly about it. Democrats need to be more like Trump that way.
7   RC2006   2018 Jul 24, 8:07am  

rando says
Everything else in politics just doesn't matter by comparison. Export the jobs to China and import illegals, then you get Trump.

If you want to get rid of Trump, stop screwing over working class Americans. Drop the tranny bathroom shit, drop the 24/7 accusations of racism/naziism/sexism, and do something that benefits labor.


It really is that simple but the dems will just double down on more of the same because anything else is admitting they are wrong and Trump is right. Centrist/independent democrats have no voice in their party.
8   Shaman   2018 Jul 24, 8:30am  

MAGAbrush says

Lets talk about crazy then, the Republican vision — hierarchy, social darwinism, and corporate neo-feudalism — that run counter to the original promise of America. You always put labor over a barrel to work for lower pay.


And GOPelites are still doing this. That’s why the MAGA party is in the process of ousting these traitors and replacing them with Republicans who will be down with the MAGA agenda.
Before Trump, we had ZERO choice. It was wealthy elite controlled Democrats or wealthy elite controlled Republicans. On every significant (non social) issue, the two parties were absolutely United. This gave voters no candidate in any election who would fight for their jobs, for the national economy, or against encroachment of common rights and freedoms.

Then we got Trump who created the MAGA party. He ain’t perfect, but at least now we have a choice, a representative who represents American workers and is fighting to build our economy, increase our wages (through curbing uncontrolled immigration), and bring back jobs and self respect to the American working class.

Americans want to be a part of their own future, not have it dictated to them from the plutocrats on high.

I’m sorry you’re a globalist scum .
9   Shaman   2018 Jul 24, 8:35am  

Aphroman says
Just wait until Democrats take back the Government a


It’s going to be decades at this rate. The last time the Democrats shot themselves in the face this hard was the Carter Presidency.
11   MrMagic   2018 Jul 24, 8:58am  

RafiMaas says
Yet Trump Dick suckers are buying MAGA hats that are made in China.


rando says
False!

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-hat-china/


Ouch......
12   Patrick   2018 Jul 24, 9:39am  

https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-factory-says-its-making-flags-for-trump-2020-campaign-2018-7

It's unclear whether the flags were ordered by Trump's campaign or other businesses...


But a Trump Campaign official told Business Insider that all their merchandise is made in the US, and vendors who suggest otherwise are lying or violating protected trademark rights.


Brilliant advertising by the Chinese flag company though! They use TDS to propagate their company name all over the internet.

Bad research by NPR, which values hatred of Trump more than facts, and values illegals more than poor US citizens who have to compete with them.
13   MrMagic   2018 Jul 24, 9:48am  

rando says
Brilliant advertising by the Chinese flag company though! They use TDS to propagate their company name all over the internet.


And some accept that TDS as facts.

Amazing stuff!
14   CaltRightCrazy   2018 Jul 24, 10:45am  

Trumps performance is pathetic.

The only thing you can depend on him to do is to tell you whatever it is he thinks you want to hear and to gouge everyone so his family gets money.

SUCKERS! hahahaha
15   Tenpoundbass   2018 Jul 24, 10:46am  

Call It Crazy says
The only thing you can depend on him to do is to tell you whatever it is he thinks you want to hear and to gouge everyone so his family gets money.


I wish all Presidents screwed us like Trump.
16   CaltRightCrazy   2018 Jul 24, 4:14pm  

Tenpoundbass says
I wish all Presidents screwed us like Trump.

Thanks to Patrick, everybody in the whole world every single day knows just how hard you have fallen.

Y'all in Trump University should be paying me tuition for schooling you, bless your hearts.

The facts below highlight just how pathetic the Trump regime has been. The damned thing about all these facts below is that you can't say any of it at all has anything at all to do with what Obama or the deep state did.

This buries you.

17   Heraclitusstudent   2018 Jul 24, 4:38pm  

What distinguishes the Trump crowd is it's sky high level of sectarianism and tribal instincts: they would rather tolerate whatever Trump does than admit the other side might have a point. In fact they are proud of every insult to human dignity and intelligence Trump throws around.
The media just whips the other side in shape, and here we are:
18   FortWayne   2018 Jul 24, 4:38pm  

TDS is real
19   CaltRightCrazy   2018 Jul 24, 8:59pm  

"DIVIDE AND CONQUER AGENDA " in that meme is

FALSE

"Divide and conquer" is a tactic.

The GOP "agenda" is globalism, in other words "less government," in still other words "corporate feudalism."

Government is being reduced right now, as we argue about whether or not shit is brown, in plain sight, to just what the neocons' corporations need to maximize their profits and insure other nations don't get in their way.

Trump is the distraction so we never talk about GOP handing government over to the oligarchs, all his lies, gaffes and silliness is just to satisfy the news peddlers, the editorializers. The important things he did was to kill tax revenues and appoint neocons to head various parts of government to preside over their destruction, the EPA, Education, Investment banking for example. We all howled but the news cycle moved on to Trump's next outrageous, silly assed high-profile fuck up. --they can't resist!

Meanwhile when the democrats get in their won't be enough money coming in to even have the government run independently from the oligarchy. The damage done. Crisis. New start after eliminating all social spending.

The other tactic is to gaslight the democrats as the conspirators with the illuminati, the deep state, WHILE THE REAL GLOBAL SHIT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN FRONT OF YOU IN PLAIN SIGHT.

Just today Trump took dental care away from veterans. Big story. Just another day. He's looking for more money, GOP's looking for money too by shutting down government functions unnecessary to their donors. --THAT IS THE AGENDA

Trump supporters are impenetrable. Democrats know this.

Look at Mr. "TDS is real"
20   mell   2018 Jul 24, 9:30pm  

Call It Crazy says
Just today Trump took dental care away from veterans


link?
21   clambo   2018 Jul 25, 4:27am  

Some of you may be slightly interested in how foreigners think about poor people flooding into their respective countries.

They're upset and don't like it.

Since I'm 1. a spanish speaker 2. have numerous friends from Peru, Colombia, Mexico I can read things they are concerned about on Facebook.

Venezuela is so fucked up that they are infiltrating lots of different places. In Mexico my friend says they're annoyed by them and want to throw them out. In Peru it's the same thing and so in Colombia.

Interesting they all want to keep their jobs and meager benefits to themselves. How quaint.

Trump isn't corrupt; he doesn't benefit from the solar panel scams (Solyndra), bullshit wind "farms" (GE) and other corporate welfare. He doesn't own any defense manufacturer so he can't give himself a contract, etc.
22   bob2356   2018 Jul 25, 6:52am  

clambo says
Trump isn't corrupt; he doesn't benefit from the solar panel scams (Solyndra), bullshit wind "farms" (GE) and other corporate welfare. He doesn't own any defense manufacturer so he can't give himself a contract, etc.


Funny how the 20% tax free for LLCs was limited to 315k income except for real estate. I wonder what government employee has lots of real estate LLCs . Just coincidence I'm sure,
23   MisdemeanorRebel   2018 Jul 25, 10:55am  

Heraclitusstudent says
What distinguishes the Trump crowd is it's sky high level of sectarianism and tribal instincts: they would rather tolerate whatever Trump does than admit the other side might have a point. In fact they are proud of every insult to human dignity and intelligence Trump throws around.


The other point's side is that MS-13 is a youth group, Russia elected Trump with Facebook Ads, and ICE should be abolished.

The latter two unites both Corporate Neoliberal Dems and the Hard Left, but turns off the majority of Americans, including many Blacks.

Oh, and a total disinterest in the increasingly evidenced use of FISA with 5 eyes and government National Security contractors (who were simultaneously Dem Campaign contractors) to spy on political opponents.
24   mell   2018 Jul 25, 11:02am  

bob2356 says
clambo says
Trump isn't corrupt; he doesn't benefit from the solar panel scams (Solyndra), bullshit wind "farms" (GE) and other corporate welfare. He doesn't own any defense manufacturer so he can't give himself a contract, etc.


Funny how the 20% tax free for LLCs was limited to 315k income except for real estate. I wonder what government employee has lots of real estate LLCs . Just coincidence I'm sure,


Ah but the mortgage interest deduction cap did happen, affecting everybody incl. DT. And it was about time.
25   mell   2018 Jul 25, 11:05am  

TwoScoopsOfWompWomp says
Heraclitusstudent says
What distinguishes the Trump crowd is it's sky high level of sectarianism and tribal instincts: they would rather tolerate whatever Trump does than admit the other side might have a point. In fact they are proud of every insult to human dignity and intelligence Trump throws around.


The other point's side is that MS-13 is a youth group, Russia elected Trump with Facebook Ads, and ICE should be abolished.

The latter two unites both Corporate Neoliberal Dems and the Hard Left, but turns off the majority of Americans, including many Blacks.

Oh, and a total disinterest in the increasingly evidenced use of FISA with 5 eyes and government National Security contractors (who were simultaneously Dem Campaign contractors) to spy on political opponents.


Agreed. Compared to this batshit insanity Trumps embellishments are smooth talk. Until the left comes back to their common senses there's not much to debate about Trump here.
26   Heraclitusstudent   2018 Jul 25, 12:07pm  

mell says
Agreed. Compared to this batshit insanity Trumps embellishments are smooth talk. Until the left comes back to their common senses there's not much to debate about Trump here.

That's the point: the 2 sides are going batshit crazy, citing the other side as excuse.
Whatever happened to common sense and common interests.
27   Onvacation   2018 Jul 25, 12:17pm  

MAGAbrush says
EQUALITY The first democratic value, announced in the Declaration of Independence,

American value, not democratic. The founders feared democracy. They did not want the ignorant masses to be able to have the keys to the treasury.
28   Onvacation   2018 Jul 25, 12:20pm  

MAGAbrush says
no would-be corporate master has any superior right to profit from the sweat and blood of working Americans, than those working Americans have to profit from their own efforts.

No one is forced to take or keep a job from a "corporate master". We can work for ourselves or find a different job.
29   Onvacation   2018 Jul 25, 12:23pm  

MAGAbrush says
Because we Democrats understand that the "pursuit of happiness," includes much more than the "pursuit of riches" — and indeed the "pursuit of riches" is frequently destructive of people’s happiness.

Progressives are interested in the pursuit of others riches.
30   Onvacation   2018 Jul 25, 12:24pm  

MAGAbrush says
In the old world of Europe we came here to escape, government exists to serve the interests of the wealthy few.

Good thing Hillary was not elected.
31   Onvacation   2018 Jul 25, 2:14pm  

Call It Crazy says



What about the racism and sexism?
32   MrMagic   2018 Jul 25, 2:26pm  

Onvacation says
MAGAbrush says
no would-be corporate master has any superior right to profit from the sweat and blood of working Americans, than those working Americans have to profit from their own efforts.

No one is forced to take or keep a job from a "corporate master". We can work for ourselves or find a different job.


I've always wondered about these whiners who complain about their "corporate masters"? Are they chained to their desks and never allowed to leave?

Don't like your "corporate masters", there's always Monster, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, etc. waiting for you..... Or, go start your own company and become a Corporate Master.
33   Goran_K   2018 Jul 25, 2:27pm  

MrMagic says
Are they chained to their desks and never allowed to leave?


Of course not. They complain about working at the same job for 20 years, yet never explain how in 20 years they NEVER FOUND ANY OTHER EMPLOYER who would pay them more money.
34   FortWayne   2018 Jul 25, 4:35pm  

If you look at how Democrats take our tax dollars to buy votes instead of spending it on common good... you’d want to keep them away too. :)

Onvacation says
MAGAbrush says
EQUALITY The first democratic value, announced in the Declaration of Independence,

American value, not democratic. The founders feared democracy. They did not want the ignorant masses to be able to have the keys to the treasury.

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