
Donald Trump, Class Warrior - stonecipher
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2016-02-19/donald-trump-class-warrior
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dzdt
I clicked on this expecting blather but actually found insight. The TLDR: non-
college-educated working class people are sick of the disdain they get from
middle and upper classes. Think of comments your friends might make about
"rednecks" or people who are "inbred" or from "flyover country". A vote for
Trump is a vote against the elite who Trump delights in pissing off. His
outrageousness is his brand. The political system is stacked and broken so
putting Trump in office won't change much. It just expresses disgust at the
system and the upper and middle classes who run it.

~~~
huac
> The political system is stacked and broken so putting Trump in office won't
> change much.

that's a dangerous view - trump has shown himself time again to be a good
negotiator and has made good, calculated decisions. he has charisma! it's more
likely that he would 'get something done' (not for better but for worse,
probably) than somebody like ted cruz, who also rails against this political
system, but who is more explicit in his disregard for the 'average joe' and is
hated by the entire republican delegation to congress

~~~
dzdt
To be clear, that was relaying the supposed position of Trump supporters, not
my own.

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gizmo
The one issue that unifies Trump supporters is anti-Muslim bigotry. A whopping
75% of voters during the last exit poll support Trump's wholesale ban on
Muslim migration[1].

On all other issues Trump supporters are more divided. Except for this one,
where support is near universal. Trump is the logical conclusion of 40 years
of race baiting in politics. This is not about "political correctness", except
insofar that that bigotry used to be concealed to avoid harsh social
judgement, and now it's just out there in the open. Trump's base consists
almost entirely of white people who harbor racial anger. The notion that
Trump's campaign is really about class instead isn't borne out by the facts.
To the contrary, it's a refusal to acknowledge the obvious.

[1][http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-
races/27015...](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-
races/270156-sc-exit-poll-75-percent-agree-with-trumps-muslim-ban)

~~~
kaonashi
I don't think it's _just_ the racism that's propelling him in the polls, it's
racism _combined_ with populism.

For some people, being economically liberal can only occur when they feel that
the 'other' groups aren't getting in on the deal.

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Justin_K
To me, a lot of his support is rooted in those who are sick of career
politicians. Career politicians who expect to be put on a pedestal because
their party affiliation.

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CM30
Yeah, seems pretty logical. People don't vote for those who call them idiots
and look down on them with disdain, especially if they seemingly admit it in
public.

But I think to some degree, one of the other reasons for his rise to
popularity (and that of a lot of other outsider figures, like Sanders) is
because people are getting sick of the media and corporate narrative and want
someone who isn't constantly being pushed on them.

They've seen the media attacks on people as 'bigots'. They've seen the
politicians seemingly completely ignore their concerns and the increasing
disconnect between the average voter and the average politician or journalist.

So they start supporting simple talk, more 'down to earth' types outside of
the political world, the corporate media goes straight back on the attack, so
yet more people start supporting the outsider politicians, rinse and repeat.
The political and media worlds turned on their audience and supporters, and
now it's coming back to haunt them in the way of people like Trump riding in
on a wave of popularity and public support.

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timrpeterson
This post explains why Trump has a legitimate chance.

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projectramo
The author makes it sound as though he is the only to meet, appreciate and
understand Trump supporters. He makes it sound as if the rest of us haven't
seen, met or read these people.

Trump's support jumps when he talks against certain groups of people. It is
not accidental to his support it is essential to his support. The racism isn't
an anti-elitist posture, it is an essential element of his campaign.

And my PC friends don't use the term "redneck", and do not look down in
disdain on poor people. Who is the author hanging out with?

~~~
dzdt
Try prompting one of your PC friends. Ask them if they have heard of "Duck
Dynasty" and can they explain it to you. If they can manage 10 sentences
without saying something pejorative you can color me impressed.

~~~
avatar299
I posted your question on my facebook, and the first response I got was "A
member of the KKK got a tv show and white trash watch it."

Granted it was Facebook, where everyone is tying to be a comedian, but still.
I don't think a face to face conversation would be that different.

~~~
projectramo
n=1 On that basis I am sure I could find people with in any group who are, for
instance, racist, bigoted etc quite easily. The question is not: are there
some people who have this or that view or belief.

