I remain confused as to why it is even an attack on a US Rep. Wouldn't solving their problems be primary on local and state government?
https://freebeacon.com/issues/baltimore-received-1-8-billion-from-obamas-stimulus-law/ I don’t know you think maybe politicians are scared of Trump because of what he may expose as far as corruption?
This may sound redundant since I've argued it before. I think it's more instinct than strategy. He says racist things intentionally with the instinct that he can get some leverage out of it, but without knowing specifically how things will unfold. So I think it is intentional and executed for political advantage, but not game-planned. Can't speak for other people's arguments. I think the benefit he gets is from essentially gaslighting Trumpers and Republican Congresspeople. Every time he can elicit wide condemnation for racism but get his voters and his Congressional allies to make excuses for him, he makes them a little more isolated and therefore dependent on him. Then he can say something a little more racist, and because these folks have already compromised themselves by excusing him and are now more isolated and more dependent, they'll go further down the track with him and excuse him again. He's grooming Republicans to be white nationalists. If you're a Trumper who has gone this far, well the liberals have already concluded you're a racist, they look down on you and have no sympathy for you and your own travails. They don't care if you lose your mining job or farm job or manufacturing job or whatever. If you have any ally at all in national politics, it's Papa Trump. And he says unfortunate things sometimes that you wish he didn't say out loud but in the end he means well because he's the only one looking out for you and yours. It's not unlike a wife who thinks her abusive husband is the only person who will accept and provide for her, or a child who has to trust a pedophile to "keep his secret." It's maybe not brilliant in that he may not win re-election. Any other president in my lifetime going into re-election with an economy this strong would be a slam-dunk proposition. But, it's brilliant in building a white nationalist movement. There are millions of Trumpers who will now be forever scarred. They've internalized and developed these ideas that America should be for white Americans. Even when Trump is dead, we'll still be contending with a significant white nationalist segment of the electorate because of him.
That's depressing reading. Depressing because there is a minority of Americans who still think trump isn't racist. Yes, it's definitely a minority, but it's still tens of millions of deluded people, the vast majority White. That's telling all by itself. Mr trump has managed to drive an incredible wedge between the majority of Americans and a minority who seem able to support him not matter what he does. That's frightening.
One implication of this collective delusion among Republicans: it is really, really important to supporters of Trump to believe he's not racist. When faced with the cognitive dissonance between the two ideas of "support Trump" and "Don't be racist" less than 8% of them (because some of that 8% are people who identify Republican but don't support Trump) are willing to say "Yes I think Trump is a racist but I will support him anyway." That's a little encouraging. Given the clash of these two conflicting ideas, though, too often it is the racism that has to be rationalized away instead of their party identity. But, if his racism becomes undeniable, they will have to choose either to abandon support or to say racism is ok. I worry the number of people who'd choose the latter will only increase.
Good point. In fact, trump supporters have to defend/ignore everything he does to avoid accepting responsibility (blame) for electing him. Oh, they say something like "I wish he didn't tweet so much", but they will have to ignore serious issues like working with the russians to get elected, emolument violations or actual racists statements and positions.
I like your reasoning. I don't agree with every bit of it, but you've clearly given this some thought. I agree that a lot of what trump does, what he says, what he tweets is based on instinct. I think many of his supporters realize it, at least subconsciously, and it appeals to them because they start to think that that could be them. Instinct doesn't require an advanced education. It doesn't require that someone is highly intelligent. Some of the worst people in history, people that were responsible for destroying the lives of millions, did it largely by being clever and ruthless, with good instincts about what might work for them and what wouldn't. I forgot to add that I think trump is a racist, beyond doubt. His father was a racist, which is well documented, and trump learned at his father's knee. In my opinion, of course.
Clinton was right. Large swaths of Americans are some combination of assholes, racists, and greedy ultra capitalists. The self-righteous Christians have abdicated all moral authority. Our country is really headed to a dark place.
Many of his supporter do not think he is racist because they don't think racism exists at all. They think it's all made-up. Then there is the group who is racist itself. And then there are those Republicans who think racism exists, but definite it only as someone who uses the "N-word". They are also willing to shift the definition of racism as needed to continue to support trump
Don't the ones from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana take precedent?
What I love about Trump reeking havoc in Washington. If you’re going to throw rocks you best not live in a glass house because he’s gonna come at you.
