A couple of articles to read together — see “The Fearful and the Frustrated” by Evan Osnos at The New Yorker and an article recommended by Joan16, “Hate-Group Watchdog: Trump Has ‘White Nationalist Positions.'”
The Mahablog
Politics. Society. Group Therapy.
“Trump’s fans project onto him a vast range of imaginings—about toughness, business acumen, honesty—from a continuum that ranges from economic and libertarian conservatives to the far-right fringe. In partisan terms, his ideas are riven by contradiction—he calls for mass deportations but opposes cuts to Medicare and Social Security; he vows to expand the military but criticizes free trade—and yet that is a reflection of voters’ often incoherent sets of convictions.”
tRUMP has become Glenn Beck’s chalkboard.
People are projecting all of their hopes, hatreds, fears, and bigotry, onto him.
He is now transformed himself from a billionaire (?) celebrity, entertainer, and gambling entrepreneur, into a potentially dangerous demagogue.
I have to remind myself that, despite all of the MSM coverage, he still only has about 25-30% of the polling numbers in the GOP race – which means that either about 70% of the conservatives prefer someone else (Cruz? YUCK!!!), or aren’t sure.
Yet.
And those are about the same numbers that Rudy had at this point in the 2008 Presidential race.
He’s entertaining in the MSM’s eyesbecause he says some wild and obnoxious (bigoted, racist, misogynistic) things.
And the GOP base of Authoritarian followers love him, because he is the conservative Id let loose, loud, and proud!
So far, he’s got Reagan’s Teflon coating, in that no matter how outlandish he and his proposals are, he’s able to shake them off.
But here’s the key to his eventual defeat:
He is pissing off more people than he’s appealing to.
He called FOX’s Kelly “a bimbo.”
He’s is openly pissing off women and minorities.
And, combined, women and minority voters, are the vast majority of the voters in this country.
So, while he’s entertaining to our MSM, and consistently hitting the conservative bases “G-OP Spot,” unless he can transform himself into what Ronnie Reagan was, and appeal to the masses, he will eventually fade.
I hope.
But not enough that he doesn’t make a try as a 3rd Party candidate.
And the best part, is that mucho macho tRUMP makes the rest of the GOP field look like a bunch of RINO squishes!
Tee -hee! (Tea he?).
Of course, I said the same things about “St. Ronnie” until it became evident that he was probably going to win, so, wtf do I know?
What strikes me is that so many people have fixated on illegal immigrants as the cause of all their problems. They think if they build a fence on the Mexican border, their manufacturing jobs will come back from China? Yeah, that makes sense…. oh, wait …
From the New Yorker piece:
“I have a great relationship with the blacks,†Trump said on the radio, in 2011.
Oy.
joan,
Yeah – he’s YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGE “with the blacks!”
“he still only has about 25-30% of the polling numbers in the GOP race – which means that either about 70% of the conservatives prefer someone else ”
I bet 70% of us Democrats prefer Bernie to Hillary. But all diligent Dems will vote for the eventual nominee in the general.
Tom-b,
Yes.
The alternative to a Dem POTUS is unthinkable!
Kevin Williamson at National Review says Bernie Sanders is a National Socialist… So both sides do it!
Maybe I’ll just vote for Yosemite Sam this time around. He’s no crazier than anybody I’ve seen so far.