Racism, the Smart Way

We know to be skeptical of a hostile critic.   We want to believe praise and kindness.   That's a mistake.

Donald Trump has an asset and a problem.   He has figured out a way to keep the asset and reduce the problem.   

Trump's asset is a wide, deep pool of racial resentment in this country, particularly among people uncomfortable with the demographic and social changes taking place in America.  The message of white identity politics has a receptive audience.  A great body of voters resent affirmative action, resent demographic changes taking place, resent the success of 2nd generation Indians in spelling bees, of 2nd generation Chinese as valedictorians, of Hispanics doing work in agriculture and construction, and resent seeing taco trucks on street corners.   There is data, from a Survey Monkey poll done by Fivethirtyeight.com which shows that educational level and church attendance are the two most highly predictive indicia of voting behavior.  The more education, the more Hillary.  The more secular, the more Hillary.   The less educated and the more frequent one attends church, the more Trump.   The Trump audience is more receptive to the notion of individual responsibility rather than structural problems as a cause of inequality, and they are less tolerant of diversity.    Religion and Education Explain the White Vote

Trump's problem is that educated suburban and urban people are offended by the racial appeal.    The Paul Ryan professionals openly condemn it and educated and tolerant rank and file voters are uncomfortable with it.  They don't mind taco trucks on street corners.  They enjoy tacos and see it as pleasant part of diversity. 


There is an unresolved divide in this country.  Is diversity and toleration good, part of the "tapestry" of America, as Hillary Clinton would put it.   Or is is irritating and offensive and a sign of "real America" being watered down and lost because elites are forcing political correctness onto us.   Trump chose a side--white identity--but he needs to recapture some of the educated tolerant people he has pushed away.

Trump has an elegant solution, which he is implementing.   He preserves his semi-coded appeal to white resentment.  His solution is to have added the kindness and empathy tone. He keeps reminding audiences of black problems.  He proposes widespread "stop and frisk" laws.   He condemns the murder rate in Chicago.  His rallies begin with a mother speaking of her grief at the loss of a child from a Hispanic murderer.  He voices his suspicion of Muslims and Middle East immigrants.  

Trump describes the black status quo as a jungle of unemployment and misery.  Things are worse now, he says, than they have ever been, presumably including under slavery, non-citizenship, Black Codes, and Jim Crow.  Trump asks, "What have you got to lose?"  As I noted in yesterday's post, he spoke empathically about the black man shot by police in Tulsa.   The stop-and-frisk initiative is to protect blacks, he says, from the rampant street crime in their urban jungles.

Note the clever mechanism.  He reminds whites why they should be afraid of blacks, but says it saying blacks need his protection.   After all, black suffer high unemployment, their youth hang around on street corners doing drugs and murdering each other.   He will help, he says.

Trump tweets often about Rosie O'donnell

The old Trump criticized Rosie Donnell for being overweight.  "She eats like a pig," Trump said.  Hillary uses that quote in an ad against Trump.   It is hostile fat shaming.  Hillary uses that quote in an ad against Trump because it documents Trump cruelty and misogyny.   The new, more clever Trump is doing a kill-with-kindness approach, the equivalent of, "I like Rosie O'Donnell.  I appreciate a woman who is comfortable with her weight, no matter how big.  Rosie carries her weight really well, and I bet she is really strong because there is a lot of muscle, not just fat, no, she is really solid, and it is beautiful. Her size suits her face."

Anyone who heard this would realize instantly that Trump is not complimenting Rosie.  He is pretending to compliment her while in fact doing the opposite, calling attention to her weight.  Trump is doing a subtle version of this with white resentment.   

He calls attention to black social problems, he keeps reminding people of blacks, Hispanics, Muslims as scary "other", but he does it by saying how much he wants to help them.  It is a better, more clever way, to get out the message.


Try out the podcast version of this blog by clicking on the link below.  Thad Guyer, an attorney now living in, of all places, Saigon Vietnam comments on polls and the state of the campaign.  I look at things from as close up as I can get.   Together we have some observations to share.  Check it out.

Click Here to go to the Podcast