Friday, December 28, 2018

For Want of a Wall—Trump Shutdown Celebrates One Week


I watched the following, short video on why Trump supporters continue to support Trump.  It’s not wrong, but it’s not right either.  Go ahead:


The video isn't wrong, but it isn't right either. There were a lot of reasons why Trump won. 

As I told my mother when she asked, it was a perfect storm, and there isn't just one reason. Boiling it down to “Trump supporters have the mind-set of five year-olds” is overly simplistic. Some do. Some don't. Some were reasonable people, both conservatives and moderates, who were tired of the eight years of Obama/liberalism, and swung the pendulum back. There were those who would have voted for anyone who wasn't Hilary, some of those were hardcore liberals who felt betrayed by the party—and there's some truth in that. Then there are those who liked the way Trump provided simple/simplistic solutions to complex problems and who placed blame for various issues on others. Compared with other candidates, who provided reasonable and well thought out policies, this made for a distinct choice.

And, of course, there are those who liked his calls and dog whistles for racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia.

Simple memes beat lengthy explanations (like this one) every time.

Beating Trump isn't a matter of a single or simple solution either. There isn't one strategy that is going to see him lose in 2020. It will be a complicated dance of strong policy, charismatic personality, growing popularity couple with the tired, failed Trump policies, and the increase pain he's placed on the people he claimed to represent. Except for the hate groups, who will continue to love him as one of their own, we're seeing people turn away already. This shut down is just another in a long line of straws (harmful tariffs, alienating allies, illegal actions, etc.) that have been breaking the collective populace's back.

It's not a matter of if, but when . . . he said with hope.

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