People disgusted and appalled by Trump are blind to Trump's political skills. He plays Democrats for suckers.
Trump trolls Democrats into being unable to discuss an issue that is on the minds of voters. Voters would rather vote for Trump than be considered deplorable.
Draw Play. Democrats keep falling for Trump's version of the football "draw play." They rush into a bad position because they cannot resist what looks like an easy quarterback sack.
By junior high school players have wised up and are alert for this. But even grown up Democrats get fooled by Trump. They get drawn into bad positions, but for the very best of reasons. They are anti-Trump and anti-racist.
By junior high school players have wised up and are alert for this. But even grown up Democrats get fooled by Trump. They get drawn into bad positions, but for the very best of reasons. They are anti-Trump and anti-racist.
Trump is doing it again and again, including right now.
Trump says offensively racist things. Some of Trump's supporters don't hear it, or ignore it, but Democrats hear it loud and clear. That is the "draw." His stated preference for Norwegians instead of people from "shithole" countries is a recent example. Democrats are trolled into defining immigration as a matter of race and racism, not how best to do immigration. Trump forces Democrats to think in black and white. Progressives take a hectoring tone: how dare you cite problems with immigration or immigrants!
Some things cannot be discussed without triggering defensive alarm. You must not understand the pernicious effect of racism. You must not understand sanctuary cities. You must not understand assimilation. You must not understand labor markets. You must not care about DACA kids. You didn't say what Trump said, but you must secretly mean what Trump says, so you must be wrong.
Some things cannot be discussed without triggering defensive alarm. You must not understand the pernicious effect of racism. You must not understand sanctuary cities. You must not understand assimilation. You must not understand labor markets. You must not care about DACA kids. You didn't say what Trump said, but you must secretly mean what Trump says, so you must be wrong.
Democrats become captive of people who speak with conviction and righteousness. They are the gatekeepers of orthodox thought. After all, you cannot compromise with Hitler or David Duke, or Trump. You are either good or you are deplorable.
Voters don't like being told they are deplorable.
Donald Trump won election in part by taking the nastiest, least compromising immigration stance among all candidates. But it wasn't just Trump who won; the message and tone of his Democratic opposition was rejected.
Trump was unlovely, but a censorious Hillary was considered even worse. Trump had policies all over the map from rally to rally, so people could hear what they wanted to hear. Democrats and progressives had a less persuasive message, because a central element of it was that Immigration could not be discussed lest one be considered racist, wrong-headed, or deplorable.
Voters do not want to be called racist when they think and talk about immigration.
Trump was unlovely, but a censorious Hillary was considered even worse. Trump had policies all over the map from rally to rally, so people could hear what they wanted to hear. Democrats and progressives had a less persuasive message, because a central element of it was that Immigration could not be discussed lest one be considered racist, wrong-headed, or deplorable.
Voters do not want to be called racist when they think and talk about immigration.
1 comment:
What's actually happening is that Progressive values are characterized as "socialist", "far left", and worse, when in fact they represent many of the principles that have brought this country to a more just and humane society. This propaganda and fear mongering works with a certain segment, whom I fear will not be persuaded out of their bigotry and ignorance, but not the majority.
The current shutdown standoff is a rare example of Democrats standing for something, however clumsily, and I hope they hold firm. If they do it will inspire many.
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