Trump Voter Disconnect

In this article from The Washington Post, working-class Trump voters (largely white) in Ohio and other places where GM is closing plants seem to be saying that it is not Trump's fault. That's an interesting viewpoint and leads me to the following:

1. You felt like no one cared about you, and finally Trump came along and said he would protect your job; sort of guaranteed it. And you believed him, so you voted for him.
2. You lost your job anyway.
3. Now you say Trump has no power to prevent things like GM closing factories and having massive lay-offs.
4. If you didn't think Trump could save your job, then why did you vote for him (quite a contradiction there)?
5. Those of us on the Left have been treated to an endless (and tiresome) series of lecturing articles from The Post and The Times, where the reporters go to Rust Belt diners and talk with "misunderstood" Trump voters, who only feel ignored and patronized by the Left. All they want is a good job and that's the only reason they voted for Trump.
6. Well, now you say Trump couldn't have saved your job anyway.
7. Then, I can only conclude that the Trump-will-save-our-jobs narrative was just a smokescreen for why you really voted for him.
8. My conclusion is that what really attracted you to Trump--and why you voted for him--was his politics of cruelty, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and quasi-fascism. Please spare me the sob stories.

Thanksgiving Randomness

• I have serious issues with Nancy Pelosi's promise to reinstate some kind of PayGo policy. But it also seems that she is the most liberal of all the potential Speakers, so there ya go. Maybe some of the new members will keep her in check. PayGo simply plays into the hands of the Repubs. Repubs are never punished for profligacy; and Dems are never rewarded for "fiscal responsibility".
• Now we have the inevitable cases being made that the Dems need to move to the center. We  need to remember that the "center" gave us both the Vietnam and Iraq wars; Glass-Steagall repeal; welfare "reform"; Simpson-Bowles; stop-and-frisk; the list goes on. Spare me please.
• And while you're at it, also stop the tiresome narrative (I saw one in the Sun-Times today) that the racists and neo-Nazis on the Right, and those on the Left opposing racism and Fascism, are equally "strident" and if only both sides would just tone it down we could find common ground in the center....Puhlease!
• On a lighter note, I just added something to my list of things I wish I could do before I die: a selfie with Alexadria Ocasio-Cortez.
• I don't know why all those rich folks in Orange County threw the Republicans out of the House. But unlike some of my leftie friends, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It's Thanksgiving and I am thankful for their votes. Better late than never!

Quote of the Day

"I bet you'd be on my side if I had killed a journalist."

Michelle Wolf , tweet to Pres. Trump

Don't Think of an Elephant

I think this article is related to yesterday's post. For Trumpies, there isn't truth or falsehood:

If you’re someone who shares Trump’s worldview, there are certain things that follow from that worldview. In other words, certain things have to be true, or have to be believed, in order to sustain that worldview. The things that aren’t actually true but nevertheless preserve that worldview are “alternative facts” — that’s what Conway was getting at, whether she knew it or not.

Truth and untruth are irrelevant. "Belief" trumps them both.

This is an interesting article in The Washington Post but I think it misses a key feature of Trump's support. The piece talks about whether or not people are better of in "Trump country" than they were before. The conclusion is that the answer is "No" based on a year or so of data.

The tendency among those of us living in the real universe is to ask why in the world these people can't see this. Based on what I've seen from my conservative friends on social media, I think many of them do see it. Furthermore, I don't think a lot of them voted for Trump because they thought he'd make the real world any better. Rather, as long as he is--at least as they see it--owning the Libs, spewing racial and ethnic hate, validating their feelings of entitlement and victimhood, and just generally being an asshole, they are in full support.

They accept the fact that they continue to fall behind. Trump just gives them lots of scapegoats.