My Take On the Election
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 2:57 pm
Note; this is all my opinion. The white working class have felt abandoned by the elites in this country for a long time, by both parties. The Dems used to be the champions of the white working class but abandoned that position in favor of exclusively appealing to minorities, college educated women, and some corporate elites. Reagan coopted that group in 80 but the Repubs also became progressively out of touch with the group in favor of the elites, especially corporate elites.
Trade and immigration policy got more out of touch with the concerns of the white working class. Rightly or wrongly, this group saw these as key factors in their worsening economic prospects. Trump spoke to those concerns in simplistic bumper sticker slogans.
He also spoke to a resentment that SOME in this group feel towards minorities and women who they think have been unfairly favored. This unfairness was embodied for many in this group by Obama's presidency. A sizable minority of these folks see things as a zero sum game (If 'they' make gains, that means 'we' lose as a result.) and in terms of tribalism. Our 'tribe' has been shoved to the margins by their tribe, helped on by the media.
Add to this Hillary and 30 years of demonization by the right, most of it undeserved, imo, including the widespread belief among the alt right that she's murdered 46 people! There is a kernel of truth to the demonization: the CLintons are the consummate Beltway corporate insiders and they've made a lot of suspect moves. The ironic part is that Trump is a member of this same group and used to brag about how Bill was his best bud! It's just that Trump's sleaze is business sleaze while promoting the image of himself as a gold-plated mega-rock star billionaire.
A lot of his appeal has to do, imo, with the innate American worship of the rich. He can do for America what he's done for himself. Of course we don't know what he's done for himself since he won't release his tax returns. He may be deeply in debt to the Russians. I may be worth more than he is! People see his name in gold slapped on buildings and assume he's a great builder, while actually in most cases he's just licensed his name and didn't build and doesn't own the biuildings in question. The only things he';s been relatively successful at is promoting his brand, especially as a reality tv star, and now as a politician, much more so than as a builder. My two cents' worth.
Trade and immigration policy got more out of touch with the concerns of the white working class. Rightly or wrongly, this group saw these as key factors in their worsening economic prospects. Trump spoke to those concerns in simplistic bumper sticker slogans.
He also spoke to a resentment that SOME in this group feel towards minorities and women who they think have been unfairly favored. This unfairness was embodied for many in this group by Obama's presidency. A sizable minority of these folks see things as a zero sum game (If 'they' make gains, that means 'we' lose as a result.) and in terms of tribalism. Our 'tribe' has been shoved to the margins by their tribe, helped on by the media.
Add to this Hillary and 30 years of demonization by the right, most of it undeserved, imo, including the widespread belief among the alt right that she's murdered 46 people! There is a kernel of truth to the demonization: the CLintons are the consummate Beltway corporate insiders and they've made a lot of suspect moves. The ironic part is that Trump is a member of this same group and used to brag about how Bill was his best bud! It's just that Trump's sleaze is business sleaze while promoting the image of himself as a gold-plated mega-rock star billionaire.
A lot of his appeal has to do, imo, with the innate American worship of the rich. He can do for America what he's done for himself. Of course we don't know what he's done for himself since he won't release his tax returns. He may be deeply in debt to the Russians. I may be worth more than he is! People see his name in gold slapped on buildings and assume he's a great builder, while actually in most cases he's just licensed his name and didn't build and doesn't own the biuildings in question. The only things he';s been relatively successful at is promoting his brand, especially as a reality tv star, and now as a politician, much more so than as a builder. My two cents' worth.