patrick.net

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/election-2016-americans-what-are-you-thinking-213580

If you think millions of Americans are terrified by the looming prospect of Donald Trump securing the Republican presidential nomination, you should see what we Brits think of him. Many of us-and countless millions of other Europeans-are wondering, not always politely, if the United States has succumbed to a kind of mass outbreak of madness.

Prime Minister David Cameron-Trump's would-be partner in the special relationship, and a conservative-considers Trump "divisive, stupid and wrong.” George Osborne, chancellor of the Exchequer, decries Trump's "nonsense.” Not to be outdone, London Mayor Boris Johnson recently noted, "The only reason I wouldn't want to go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.” It was perhaps Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling who put it best when she said that, compared with Trump, "Voldemort was nowhere near as bad.” At least 500,000 other Brits appear to agree: In response to Trump's call to ban any Muslim from entering the United States, they signed a petition calling to ban Trump from Britain.

European news coverage is flabbergasted that a Trump president is even remotely possible. This is true in every European nation. The rest of the civilized western world is dumbfounded that Americans can be so insane.

My take is that Trump support is a very good indication of stupidity, racist xenophobia, and inbreeding. When you look at pictures of Trump supporters, you never think "that person must be a genius".

Donald Trump's surge is all about less-educated Americans

It seems that education really matters here. Even when pollsters took race out of the equation - to the extent that that is possible since the Republican base is overwhelmingly white - and looked at all Republicans, the relationship between education and Trump support was pretty clear.