by Jack
Trump’s success is not an isolated anomaly, it’s actually been in the making for several decades and it’s widespread. It began with the maturity and enlightenment of the GOP voter, or perhaps better said as, the sobering of the party faithful.
GOP Handbook, Lesson No.1: You can’t keep intelligent, informed, voters amused with platitudes and rhetoric, at some point you must deliver.
This explains to some degree why Democrats have won four of six presidential elections and the popular vote for president five times out of six since 1992. The republicans have not delivered on anything, not tax reform, border security, immigration, national debt, jobs, etc. This is what is driving Donald Trumps campaign in the polls.
_______________
A milestone came in 2003 when republicans owned the Senate, Congress and White House, but they blew this opportunity to make good on their campaign promises. This group of republicans were soon to learn the hard way, that with great promises come great expectations! Two years later they had lost their gains in Congress and the Senate. Seems a tweak here and a tweak was not enough to insure their re-election! This became known as the “great party switch.”
The surviving republican candidates scrambled for cover – but, there was none. Their party platform was miles apart from what they could deliver, their incompetence was exposed! The GOP is still reeling from this massive failure, despite even greater failures under Obama and the dems.
Thus began the age of the “sober” voter. It was ushered in on frustration, skepticism, and outright anger at politicians, and not just those in the GOP. The more acute the political problem – the more anger that followed when politicians failed to deliver. Thus, extreme cynicism grew towards the establishment politicians. Voters were looking for change, real change, even if it meant dumping senior politicians and electing political untested newbies like Congressman LaMalfa locally or Senator Ernst in Iowa. This new age didn’t just pave the way for Donald Trump, he got an eight lane freeway taking him to center stage all courtesy of GOP voter frustration.
The more bombastic and insulting he was with fellow candidates, the more he solidified his new base of angry, disenfranchised voters. They see Trump as a true outsider who was not bought and paid for like so many others in Washington. Better yet, Trump is echoing exactly what they had been trying to tell their party for years.
We can’t call this new populism that Trump is exploiting the intellectual crowd. They’re not. They’re closer to knee jerk voters, or that lower third of the conservative voter rolls.
They are the fringe voters who rarely, if ever, participate within the party and they seem to get swept along by headlines Trump commands. They’re dominating the current polling numbers. The majority of better informed conservative voters are still sitting on the sidelines, reluctant to buy into Trumps promises anymore than they would the traditional establishment candidate’s. They are frustrated just like Trumps supporters, but they know Trump would not make a good president. So, they are waiting for a candidate to emerge that they can truly believe in, but none of the current field has been able to muster that kind of traction….so far. Is there one among them that could? You bet. However, time is running out and this majority block of voters may soon be forced into making a painful decision.
They don’t want to see Trump run against Hillary Clinton in the general election, but unless a Rubio, Cruz or someone else breaks out, they will be faced with letting the election go to Hillary or backing Trump. That’s what I call painful.
Good article in the Atlantic titled The Great Republican Revolt. Covers this topic.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/01/the-great-republican-revolt/419118/
I can’t speak for all disgruntled Republicans and Tea Party folks but, having read through most of the Atlantic article, I have to take exception to the following perceptions, some based in polling:
You can measure their pessimism in polls that ask about their expectations for their lives—and for those of their children. On both counts, whites without a college degree express the bleakest view.
Oh really? Is pessimism something that easily measured? I don’t think so. It’s an emotion that may be high one day and low the next depending on weather, family troubles, and work problems, in addition to news or politics. I know a great many “whites” that hold the same views of the middle class TP’ers who are college educated.
They aren’t necessarily superconservative. They often don’t think in ideological terms at all. But they do strongly feel that life in this country used to be better for people like them—and they want that older country back.
How condescending!
Putnam was right that Americans were turning away from traditional sources of information. But that was because they were turning to new ones: first cable news channels and partisan political documentaries; then blogs and news aggregators like the Drudge Report and The Huffington Post; after that, and most decisively, social media.
I notice the thing that started it all, talk radio, has been left out in this evaluation. Huge error!
The Great Recession ended in the summer of 2009. Since then, the U.S. economy has been growing, but most incomes have not grown comparably. In 2014, real median household income remained almost $4,000 below the pre-recession level, and well below the level in 1999. The country has recovered from the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. Most of its people have not. Many Republicans haven’t shared in the recovery and continued upward flight of their more affluent fellow partisans.
The US economy has been slugging along. Many big company evaluations are based on blue sky. I realize the article is about republicans but the truth is many democrats in the middle class are experiencing the same things…and this article gives zero “credit” to Democrat/Obama policies that have determined a lousy recovery, lousy jobs market, and income disparity. In fact this seems to imply that rich Republicans are responsible because they couldn’t work with Pelosi, Reid, Obama…three of the most stubborn, my way or the highway politicians EVER!
It was these pessimistic Republicans who powered the Tea Party movement of 2009 and 2010.
There’s that word again. All of these negative adjectives give the impression that TP’ers and conservatives are ignorant and emotional. Sorry that is NOT the case.
…party elites could try to open more ideological space for the economic interests of the middle class. Make peace with universal health-insurance coverage: Mend Obamacare rather than end it. Cut taxes less at the top, and use the money to deliver more benefits to working families in the middle. Devise immigration policy to support wages, not undercut them. Worry more about regulations that artificially transfer wealth upward, and less about regulations that constrain financial speculation. Take seriously issues such as the length of commutes, nursing-home costs, and the anticompetitive practices that inflate college tuition. Remember that Republican voters care more about aligning government with their values of work and family than they care about cutting the size of government as an end in itself. Recognize that the gimmick of mobilizing the base with culture-war outrages stopped working at least a decade ago.
Yep, we’re going to interpret the “angry” middle class republican voters as really wanting democrat policies…they’re just too damn dumb to articulate it.
couldn’t take any more. The article just shows that for the most part the left and the party elites JUST DON”T GET IT.
One thing missing from this evaluation is Ronald Reagan. This writer may have gotten to it later in his article, admittedly I didn’t finish it, but any evaluation that doesn’t include the values and prescriptions of RR isn’t a serious evaluation. Rather it is a covert, high brow elitist hit piece disguised as understanding.
The attacks from all sides on TheDonald have just started. And you’ll hear from pollsters saying he can’t win the prezidency however those same pollsters were unanimous in claiming Ronald Reagan wouldn’t beat Prez Peanut . . . . .
Trump’s popularity stems from NOT being PC, and the Leftie Presstitute Media just can’t stand that. Add that to the deafness affecting the Establishment GOP to what the VOTERS want, and you have a recipe that could turn DC on its collective ear. Personally, I think it’s WAY past time to give both sides of the aisle in DC a Royal Flush!
J. Soden: “Trump’s popularity stems from NOT being PC”
It’s not that he isn’t PC, it’s that he isn’t remotely civil. He has the manners, decency and honesty of a mollusk. There is nothing admirable about saying anything you want, no matter whom it hurts, no matter how untrue it is, or no matter how damaging it is to society. To simply say that Trump isn’t “politically correct” is to imply that what Trump says is true; but as any informed person knows, Trump’s most attention-getting statements have all been complete fabrications.
May I suggest you try a serious self examination?
Well put. Very few in DC have earned the trust of the American people. Democrats are fooling themselves if they think they can easily persuade these people to choose Hillary or Bernie instead.
Leftie Media? Really? Could you please tell me exactly who the leftie media is? Even MSNBC is doing 24/7 Trump……
Why not just call Trump supporters what they are? They are stupid.
Say what you will about the Democrats–Lord knows I’ve said enough about Republicans–but Trump’s combination of complete ignorance, dishonesty, boastfulness, arrogance, immaturity, pettiness, and meanness is unparalleled by any modern politician in either party. He makes Hilary Clinton look honest, Bernie Sanders look electable, and Sarah Palin look articulate. He makes Obama’s “hurry up and wait” strategy look appealing. He makes Joe Biden look like he has a filter. He makes Ted Cruz look like a political moderate.
Trump has told his followers that:
–The unemployment rate is nearly 42%
–He saw video of “thousands” of American Muslims celebrating 9/11
–The majority of Mexican immigrants are murderers, rapists, and thieves
–That we can and should force Mexico to build a wall between our nation and theirs
–That we can and should ban all Muslim immigration, and force American Muslims to register in a special database
–That despite this, he has “great relationships” with the Mexican and Muslim communities
–That he never said all the things we have proof of him saying about women, Marco Rubio, Mark Zuckerberg, and numerous others he’s slimed
–That Obama was not born in the United States
–That Putin is a “true leader” for killing journalists who disagree with him
–That whites are four times more likely to be killed by a black person than a white person
–That Obama planned to bring in 250,000 Syrian refugees
–That we’re the only country in the world with birthright citizenship
–That GDP was below zero for the first time ever
Whether he actually believes any of these things or is intentionally lying to his followers, any one of these statements alone would be enough to disqualify him in the minds of any rational voter; either he knows nothing about our nation’s interests and values, or he is willing to lie about them for attention. That there are still people who haven’t figured this out is a damning indictment of their intellect and character.
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/statements/byruling/pants-fire/
“Trump’s combination of complete ignorance, dishonesty, boastfulness, arrogance, immaturity, pettiness, and meanness is unparalleled by any modern politician in either party.”
Bologna. Hillary and Obama both have him beat by a mile. They just have a “smooth” (phony) act they dress it up in so you buy that they’re nicer, smarter, more honest, less arrogant, etc. Sorry, a long trail of stink follows both of them!
Your own ignorance about some of those Trump statistics/abusrdities would surprise you if you were capable of considering them with other than that partisan death grip.
For instance, we did experience negative growth in at least one quarter this year, I think Q1. If you consider the number of people working part time who want full time, capable people who refuse to work, the unemployed no longer seeking work because they can’t find work, and the unemployed 42% isn’t that hard to believe. Also when he used that figure he sited people that surmised various percentages so the accusation is also off due to lack of proper context.
Don’t kid yourself, you are no more “rational” than any other voter. We know what you buy into on a regular basis.
Tina: “For instance, we did experience negative growth in at least one quarter this year, I think Q1.”
Trump did not say negative growth, he said negative GDP, which is impossible.
More damningly, he said that this “never happens,” when in fact negative growth in GDP has happened in 42 separate quarters over the past seventy years, or 15% of the time.
He didn’t know what he was talking about, and neither do you.
“If you consider the number of people working part time who want full time,”
Irrelevant to the claim, since that’s not unemployment.
” capable people who refuse to work”
Irrelevant to the claim, since that’s nothing close to unemployment.
“the unemployed no longer seeking work because they can’t find work,”
Irrelevant to the claim, since that’s also not unemployment.
” and the unemployed 42% isn’t that hard to believe.”
Your argument is that if we add three different categories of people who are NOT unemployed to the actual unemployment rate, then Trump’s completely made-up statistic about the unemployment rate is “not hard to believe.”
Wow, that’s weak.
Tell me, Tina, do you still believe Trump’s claim that nearly 93 million Americans–nearly one third of the population–“cannot find work,” as you recently claimed? Or did you eventually realize that your original claim of 30 million was much closer to reality, and that you had confused the unemployment numbers with the number of Americans not in the labor force?
“Trump did not say negative growth, he said negative GDP, which is impossible.”
Did you just assume because it doesn’t sound “reasonable?”
USNews, “GDP Negative in First Quarter as Economy Contracts.”
Hang on to that death grip partisan mindset, Chris, and you will never get it…ever! It’s much easier to believe a businessman doesn’t know what he’s talking about, right.
I don’t have the time or the interest in dealing with the other things you consider to be lies. I’ll leave you with a question. Have you ever exaggerated or used absurd examples to communicate a larger problem?
It’s about communication and Trump, whether you like him or not, is communicating.
OK, you’ve shown that others have used the phrase “negative GDP” to mean “negative GDP growth,” so that part of the fact check was unfair to Trump.
However, he was still wrong to claim that this is uncommon, especially after a recession.
“Have you ever exaggerated or used absurd examples to communicate a larger problem?”
Yes. Do you really think Trump was “exaggerating” when he said he saw thousands of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey after 9/11, or did he really want people to believe this? This goes far beyond mere exaggeration. It’s slander.
“It’s about communication and Trump, whether you like him or not, is communicating.”
Yes, he’s communicating a message of fear, hatred, and ignorance. All decent Republicans have condemned him. By refusing to do so and defending him, you’re showing your true colors.
Also, you didn’t answer my question:
Do you still believe that 93 million people “cannot find work”–meaning they are unemployed–or have you now realized that this is the total number of those not in the work force, and that your previous estimate of 30 million was much closer to reality?
Okay I’m no Longer busy.
In a discussion or speech about the conditions in our nation with respect to employment all of the categories apply for sundry reasons. the point is the condition hasn’t been this bad since the depression years.
Since you don’t want to admit to or discuss the reasons that this is happening you revert to finding a kernel to gnaw on, some inane objection that adds exactly ZERO to the discussion or the point in addressing the issue.
This is kindergarten stuff. Unless you’re an Alinskyite under the direction of rules #3, #4, #5, #8, and #12.
Taking objection to a political candidate either not knowing what “unemployment” means, or intentionally lying about it, is “gnawing at a kernel” and an “inane objection?”
Whatever, Tina. If a Democrat politician made such an absurd statement about the unemployment rate under a Republican president you’d be rightfully livid.
As you’ve said before, words have meanings. Yet you always seem to be OK with people abusing the English language, statistics, and reality as long as they are doing it for a conservative agenda. Trump saying the unemployment rate is 42% is ridiculous by any rational standard, but because he’s using that lie to bash Obama you think it’s worth it.
Why not just say that you believe stretching the truth is acceptable as long as it’s for a cause you support?
And you are voting Democrat for what reasons?
I probably won’t vote Democrat, and I didn’t in 2012 either.
Chris, why don’t you want to make America great again? You are low energy.
😀
Great giggle, Tina, thank you.
The notion of an intelligent and informed Trump supporter … excellent giggle.
That the entire nation is being subjected to (and globally humiliated by) this obscene farce of a campaign by a little over a third of the Republican electorate (nowhere near enough to carry an election) is not so funny.
But this too will pass.
somehow your laughter rings hollow Libby. You can’t wait to get past this disaster of a presidency. I’m not sure you wouldn’t like to see us win so you can play offense for awhile. And should you win again conditions sadly won’t get much better and they could get worse.
The electorate on your side of the aisle doesn’t have much to brag about. The educated are unthinking replicas of each other. We’ve seen video of some of the “little people” eliminating and fornicating in city parks while they carelessly destroy the grass areas. A few over on the Yale campus don’t have a clue what the first amendment is and would sign a petition to repeal it. Then there’s the ACORN “muscle” built to bully and harass. A lot of the women are pathetic whiners who think the way you make it in life is by complaining and shaming.
I wouldn’t laugh about Trump too much. He’s offering comic relief to a weary world that’s had to endure seven years of failure and sheer embarrassment, not to mention distress, from the pathetically childlike, rude, arrogant, ego-maniacal, narcissistic, America/freedom hating O’bummer.
Re : They don’t want to see Trump run against Hillary Clinton in the general election, but unless a Rubio, Cruz or someone else breaks out, they will be faced with letting the election go to Hillary or backing Trump. That’s what I call painful.
It will pain me greatly to be forced to vote for this Trump “reality” TV jackass. More than you can know. But if I am forced to, I will be forced to. No DemocRat should succeed Obama. They are all insane in my book.
By the way. “jackass” is NOT an uncivil curse. A jackass is a jackass is a jackass. It is a male donkey bred to be led, not to lead.
“This explains to some degree why Democrats have won four of six presidential elections”
Another explanation is they pander pander pander to those seeking handouts. It used to be just the “little guy.” Now its big corporations and special interest businesses. Tons of regulations have been built on promises made to big business or blooming business spawned from the warming hoax.
A house built on shaky ground will fall. The question is, will there be anything left to salvage or will we become Cuba, Venezuela, or Greece in perpetuity?
Tina,
Sorry you couldn’t finish the article. BTW, what makes you so sure you’re correct all the time? You need to travel the world and relax. You need to turn off the TV, radio and internet for a couple of months. You’ll be a happy person if you do.
You might. try to stop being a condescending jerk, Pete. Yeah, I know, it is an impossible request.
Pete what makes you think you’re right about me?
I am passionate about the things I believe to be right but I don’t go so far as to deny you the space to match my opinion or my passion.
Thank you though, for showing your true colors. Telling other people what they need to do (indulge in self-interested frivolities in this case) is a trademark of the left.
Lefties are such a bossy, controlling lot.
and finally, I am a happy person, Pete. That you think I’m not says more about you than it does me.
People can feel great passion about negative things and remain happy, possibly because they DON’T consider themselves to be right all the time and have no desire to boss anybody around. Possibly because I realize I’m not any more powerful or important than you are. I enjoy this subject. I find it satisfying to express myself about the things that are important to the future of America and my children and grandchildren.
“Telling other people what they need to do (indulge in self-interested frivolities in this case) is a trademark of the left.
Lefties are such a bossy, controlling lot.”
Eight years ago you voted to forcibly annul the legal marriages of thousands of your fellow Californians, for no legitimate reason. You have never apologized to these people for helping invalidate their marriages, denying them the benefits that you enjoy with your husband, and forcing them to continue fighting a long legal battle just so they could be treated equally to you.
You don’t get to call others “bossy” or “controlling” after that and still be taken seriously by anyone with a sense of decency.
Californian voters, right or wrong, voted against institutionalizing gay marriage. That was overturned by a judge and then finally institutionalized by a few members of the SCOTUS.
AND YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO CALL WHO IS “BOSSY????”
Yes, Pie. It wasn’t a question for the voters. Equal protection is guaranteed by the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution. Bans on same-sex marriage violated that portion of the Constitution, as the Supreme Court rightly ruled.
Legalizing same-sex marriage has no effect on anyone who doesn’t want a same-sex marriage, so banning them is bossy and controlling and legalizing them is not.
I’ve travelled the world Pete, and I saw the museums and monuments… and I saw the civil unrest. Almost every country I have been in had serious problems with terrorism. That didn’t make me happy, but if it works for you then who am I to say otherwise? Good luck.
I think I finally understand the left. I think I finally understand Libby, Chris, and Dewey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZsUMqE_E8g
The horrid Trump aside, I wonder if God’s gift to humanity — The Great Chris — has the balls to list Hillary’s and Obama’s bald faced and stupid lies?
Eh?
Sure.
“If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period,” was obviously Obama’s worst lie. He also ludicrously said he “hadn’t raise taxes once” in 2011.
Clinton’s lied a lot too. Her recent lie about ISIS using Trump videos was based on speculation, but she put it forward as a fact. Her lie about “landing under sniper fire” was disgusting. She said she opposed Iraq War before Obama did, which is absurd, as Obama never supported it, while she did at one time.
Politifact does a great job of listing all of their lies.
All politicians lie. We should hold them accountable, but unfortunately if we always treated lying as a disqualifying offense for our candidates, we’d have no candidates.
Trump’s lies are something new. He continues to tell them even after every single fact checker in the world proves him wrong, then he demands an apology from the fact checkers. He’s got the lowest rating in Politifact’s history. He doesn’t just lie to boost himself or his policies, like his peers in both parties do. He lies in order to spread hatred and fear of minority groups. His lies about Mexicans and Muslims are DANGEROUS. He is scapegoating minority groups, and we all know where that road leads. Clinton and Obama have both said some untrue things about Republicans, which is wrong, but Republicans do the same; Trump picks on politically marginalized groups, the least powerful members of society. He’s a bully in addition to a liar. Fortunately most Republican candidates have spoken out against him.
Trumps lies are new.
Sure because everyone knows that Hispanics and Muslims are all above reproach as a class or group. Whites and white groups are the only people worthy of criticism.
The broad generalized assaults spewed at white American men, Christians, Tea Party people, conservatives, bankers and corporate heads, cops, and radio fans by the Democrat Party are legion.
” Trump picks on politically marginalized groups, the least powerful members of society.”
Horse hockey! Democrat pandering to these groups has made them one of the most powerful and influential groups in America!
“He is scapegoating minority groups, and we all know where that road leads.”
(See above about white conservative groups)
“He’s a bully”
Latest Hillary talking point. This woman is one of the biggest bullies in the world. She bullied and harassed the women that her husband assaulted for heavens sake! She threatened and bullied her security detail. And she covertly tries to hide this side of her nature. She’s a nasty vindictive woman!
There is no high road for you to take. Give it up.
Tina: “Sure because everyone knows that Hispanics and Muslims are all above reproach as a class or group.”
You really love putting words in people’s mouths, don’t you?
Just like how you lied about NASA saying “fossil fuels cause global cooling.”
You are a fundamentally dishonest person.
You are fundamentally a stupid left-wing extremist ***hole.
“Trump’s lies are something new.”
Hardly. Why are you such a pinhead who is always striving to make idiotic assertions? Do you get some sort of satisfaction out of it? Do you think you achieve something?
The Return Of Pie Guevara’s Friday Follies
Tonight’s film : Parole Inc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1ngf4QOTE
Note the following —
The relevance to Guantanamo releases.
Turhan Bey’s studied and magnificent Mid-Atlantic accent.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent
Right off the bat I noticed the serious, adult approach to law enforcement and the commitment to maintaining a safe and peaceful society by removing criminal elements. Sometime in the late fifties to early sixties the courts started caving to the criminal as victim defense. He was raised in a bad environment, he was poor, his dad was an alcoholic. We tossed out personal responsibility to live a crime free life and be a contributing member of our society.
Nice Cruz ad.
“You watch this video and – yeah, I can see why the Republican Establishment is so scared of Ted Cruz (scared enough to draft Jon Huntsman? Maybe. That’s what you do when you run out of ideas).
Senator Cruz’s campaign just released this video recapping some of the things he’s been fighting for and against in Washington just this year and it is a thing of beauty –”
http://www.chicksontheright.com/ted-cruzs-2015-year-in-review-video-is-a-must-see/
Fantastic! This man does know how to lead. He knows the Constitution and will push for Washington to operate as intended. Love his comments about busting up the cartel that caves to lobbyists. He’s flying so far over the heads of any other candidate it’s incredible.
Cruz is a brilliant man. One of his professors said he was the brightest or smartest student he’d had.
Here’s another brilliant response worth hearing.
EPIC: Mark Steyn And Ted Cruz DEMOLISH Climate Change Alarmism:
http://www.chicksontheright.com/epic-mark-steyn-and-ted-cruz-demolish-climate-change-alarmism/
Cartoonist attacks Cruz and his two young daughters.
If it would have been Obama and his two daughters as monkeys, the building would have burnt to the ground along with much of the rest of the city.
See the contrast?
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/12/23/washington-post-despicable-cartoon-attacks-cruz-kids-editors-issue-retraction-287141?hvid=3TcL6o#comment-2423058333
This should be on the front page. I don’t have the time. thanks Peggy for posting it here.
Here’s Cruz’s response.
Cruz fires back at Washington Post with a cartoon of his own:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/264134-cruz-fires-back-at-washington-post-with-a-cartoon-of-his-own
I will be campaigning and voting for Ted Cruz.
With that said, if we end up with a President Trump, it will be fun to watch all the liberals in this country squirm and squeal and threaten to leave. After eight years of the Obama disaster, Trump would be fair turnaround.
Me too!
If Trump ends up in the president position and Cruz in the VP it means Cruz would be there to advise Trump the first 8 years and in the oval office the second 8. I could live with 16 years of Cruz getting our country back on track with his knowledge of our Constitution.
Trump would be as big a disaster as Obama.
Agree! We’d need Cruz to advise him and keep him within our Constitution. I do have no doubt Trump with his business contacts will build the border fence and with his own management staff will clean up the VA and IRS mess just like Reagan did when he fired the air traffic controllers.
Pete, I have been imploring them for YEARS … two weeks, one even, off the Fox … just to show me you can.
But they cannot.
Geez, condescension is dripping off the screen today.
Libby any of us of a certain age, most of us here, watched the left leaning alphabet channels for close to forty years. We watched them move steadily to the far left so that when Bill Clinton ran we watched them pretend to be fair as they favored him. When Obama ran they overtly became his lap dogs and cheer leaders…they attacked his opponents viciously. We already know what your side has to say…been there…known that!
Do you honestly think you’re preferred media have something new to offer us?
You know the old white dead guys you like, Lenin and Marx, have nothing new or better to offer. I’ll stick with the old dead guys who founded this country.
Hi Tina,
So you responded to the Atlantic article saying basically that one cannot measure emotions. (Optimism/pessimism) This has bothered me because that’s not what I remember from studying polling data years ago. So I did a little test and found that by googling “polling,” “emotions,” and “pessimistic/optimistic” there are thousands of reports on emotions. One report was by Fox News on the pessimistic or optimistic views of the Affordable care act. It was interesting.
Point well made Pete.
I still take exception to the overall tone in the piece. There didn’t seem to be any room for honestly held beliefs or well reasoned political positions that moved people to action. The right was reduced to ignorance and attitude. There isn’t much depth of understanding that I could see, so what was the point?
A “poll” that might be more significant was the spontaneous march on Washington DC that launched the Tea Party movement.
Re : “A milestone came in 2003 when republicans owned the Senate, Congress and White House, but they blew this opportunity to make good on their campaign promises.”
And for that I will never forgive the GOP, but who else is there to vote for?
How the Tea Party Got Hijacked by Trump’s Troll Party
That is a very, very well-written article.
Don’t side with me, creep, you only make me look bad. You are — fundamentally — a damn jerk.
Oh, grow up.
Wilson makes some good points about Trump, but his disdain for the base of the party is too much. This strikes me as someone who believes himself to be one of the anointed, and that the rest of us should have shut our mouths and let Boehner & Co. run things how they wanted too. It’s hard to trust arguments against Trump when it comes from someone like this.
This is a good article and I agree with most of it. IMO Trump’s “Troll Party” was also created by the IRS and Lois Lerner going after Tea Party, conservative and religious groups that tried to formally organize with C-3 and C-4 tax status. Being denied access to the legal process those individuals went underground and as individuals have become the base and driving force of this true grassroots movement. Being denied to organize into groups they and their supports are angry and are venting online and showing up in person to show Trump their support and through the media leaders of both parties their raised fist and middle finger.
Whether the IRS’s attempt to shut down conservatives was orchestrated by orders from the DNC or the WH isn’t important to Troll Party members any more. They’re outraged the GOP leadership in Congress didn’t correct the problem and punish those involved. There are still groups today that haven’t had the applications approved or denied and are still hanging in limbo land.
So while the Obama administration thought they could deny conservatives a voice in the political process with their IRS witch hunt tactics, I believe it created the perfect storm resulting in the Troll Party that is after both the DNC and RNC.
Being denied participation for years they’ve found a leader who says he will fight FOR them and they are willing to trust him because their own parties have failed them.
A True Grass Roots movement is funded solely by the people. The Tea Party is not.
Tea party elected have their Billionaires and the newbies who may not such as la Malfa are told to fall in line or be primaried.
Earnst was funded by big money especially KOCH, and while driving across Iowa all I heard on the radio was Earnst ads and commentary paid for. Earnst has to follow the Koch Platform or be gone.
First thing you learn in DC is “There are insiders, and there are Outsiders”.
Off Topic
“Have you noticed Obama is really into prisoner releases? His 184 commutations are the most of any president in a half-century and more than the last five presidents combined.”
Now, Obama is releasing drug dealers as well as terrorists
Read More At Investor’s Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/122115-786230-obama-federal-prisoner-commutations-and-pardons.htm#ixzz3vDk3M9zf
Pie, who’s fueling this debacle, if not you.
Don’t piss at Chris for pointing it out; do something about it.
Folks how about we talk about those big money donors who pay for all the candidates and what they are buying? #lessorEvil
Trump is actually a window into who the Republican Party is now. His misstatements and lack of actual foreign policy knowledge suit his voters.
I often ask Trump voters here in the DMV area what it is they like about Trump.
#1 Answer? He is Rich… Most do not even understand where he got his start up money, or the amount of inheritance, or even how he used bankruptcy laws for financial gain. That style of economics would not suit a Country.
When I say the USA is not a business I hear an overwhelming “Well it Should Be”
That is fascist ideology and Trump has been a leader in those ideas.
The Dem Party is just one small Step behind them with the fake Blue Dog Cronies.
When politicians work for their Donors instead of the people ?
We are ran by an Oligarchy , many use any politician who bites regardless of party. Trump has said he uses anything he can to further his business. What makes you think he is talking about the people? He is talking about business only. Trump could raid the USA and feed that ego……. He cares not about the average citizen….. only winners and loser’s in his world… Americans you’re Fired!
Trump even uses a corporate Slogan….. His voters follow like retail sheeple do after their company has forced culture training on them.
“Sell the Dream” “World Domination”
(behind closed doors? How do we pay them less for stock holders to see a gain.)
The original Slogan Was “Make Kmart Great Again”