Progressive voters wonder how Trump could be popular. Here is why.
Trump saw a perfect issue for himself, and he jumped on it. Trump defines himself by his fights. It creates a simple, easy to understand message.
Amid the controversies over great, but complex issues, regarding changes to American tax rates and the Affordable Care Act, Trump finds an issue that will motivate voters. It fits the big Trump narrative.
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| Just the kind of conflict Trump seeks |
Three very foolish young men on the UCLA men's basketball team visited some stores in China and allegedly shoplifted some items. They were detained by Chinese authorities. The young men were black. The offense happened just before Trump visited China. During the trip Trump asked China to let the young men go. China consented. After they arrived home Trump prompted them, saying they should be thanking him for pulling strings for them. They held a press conference and thanked him.
And then it got really good for Trump.
LaVar Ball, the father of one of the young men groused about his son having to thank Trump: "What was he over there for? Don't tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out." He said that Trump didn't do very much and that people "try to make a big deal out of nothing."
This is a perfect narrative for Trump because he had a perfect villain.
Part of Trump's appeal is that he voiced the resentment felt by many white Americans who feel that whites are the primary victims of discrimination. Polls show that feelings of white disadvantage is widespread, and that feeling was highly correlated with Trump voters. They feel blacks get the advantages of "affirmative action;" blacks get special privileges; blacks feel entitled and take those advantages for granted. More generally, they feel that the life struggles of white people are overlooked and disrespected by Democrats, but are appreciated by Trump.
Part of Trump's appeal is that he voiced the resentment felt by many white Americans who feel that whites are the primary victims of discrimination. Polls show that feelings of white disadvantage is widespread, and that feeling was highly correlated with Trump voters. They feel blacks get the advantages of "affirmative action;" blacks get special privileges; blacks feel entitled and take those advantages for granted. More generally, they feel that the life struggles of white people are overlooked and disrespected by Democrats, but are appreciated by Trump.
LaVar Ball kept talking, so it got even better for Trump. He minimized the crime. "They try to make a big deal out of nothing sometimes. I'm from L.A. I've sen a lot worse things happen than a guy taking some glasses. My son has built up enough character that one bad decision doesn't define him."
Now Trump had what he needed: the right enemy.
The matchup itself is the message.
Law-and-order-Trump versus black criminality, entitlement, and ingratitude.
It fits Trump's narrative of white resentment of black criminality and unearned entitlement.
1. Black criminality, justified as not a "big deal".
2 Black entitlement.
3. Entitled black athletes embarrassing UCLA and Americans generally.
4. Black ingratitude.
5. Trump representing law and order.
6. White authority figure (Trump) being dissed by entitled black lawbreakers.
The three young men will have their supporters but they consolidate a lot of disapproval. We hear of swaggering, entitled Division One athletes being indulged and taking no-show classes. We witnessed an parent enabler.
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| LaVar Ball vs. Donald Trump |
Amid the complicated issues of tax policy and health care policy the public wonders who to believe, who sees things the way they see things. This issue is easy to understand and shows him defending law and rectitude and good parenting. Voters can figure that If he seems reasonable here, amid naysayers, then maybe the public can trust his judgement on those complicated things like taxes and health legislation. Trump is on their side.
No nationally prominent Democrats will defend the players or the father, but the damage to Democrats is done. The athletes are black--core members of the Democratic constituency team. Trump--who is widely accused of embarrassing America--in this case got to stand for not shoplifting and not embarrassing America.
Trump understands simple, powerful messages. This issue is golden for him.
[Late addition: Trump is calling for the NFL to suspend a player who sat during the national anthem. He calls it disrespect for America. It is another iteration of the same matchup. Trump thrives on this.]
[Late addition: Trump is calling for the NFL to suspend a player who sat during the national anthem. He calls it disrespect for America. It is another iteration of the same matchup. Trump thrives on this.] 
2 comments:
What if the players had been caucasian? Or a mixed group?
Is the allegation an attempt to embarrass a foreign delegation during a state visit?
Put aside the monumental stupidity of getting caught in a foreign country, which is a topic in itself, Trump immediately made the issue about race...again. Asking for thanks was the ego at work, always seeing approval and appreciation, whether earned or not.
Ideally skin color ("race") should be irrelevant. Skin color is merely an artifact of heritage. We need to move past this superficial label and address the historical oppression and scapegoating of groups by Regressive politicians and similar others. This is one reason Progressives use the term "African American" instead of "black". Regressives call this pejoratively "political correctness", a term which incidentally does not dispute the truth.
Agreed
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