Putting Trump in larger perspective
Those who hate Trump and consider him an illegitimate president and believe he won the election by trickery (or would like you to believe he won by trickery) or by fluke are ignoring this point:
The election of President Donald Trump cemented a realignment of the two political parties rooted in cultural and economic change years in the making. Although he has been the epicenter of all politics since his announcement of candidacy in 2015, Trump is the product of this realignment more than its cause, a fact that becomes clear as you travel the back roads to the places that made him the most unlikely president of our era…
The election of Trump glued populism to conservatism, an ideology long leavened by anti-establishment rhetoric but rooted in the inertial acquiescence to the status quo that comes with laissez-faire policies. In Trump, Republicans have embraced, or have been forced to embrace, a more muscular and activist approach…
The author, Salena Zito, seem to believe this change represents a lasting realignment. I have no idea if it will survive Trump and his unique personality. But I can say one thing: the phenomenon is not limited to the US. Britain has experienced it, for example. And it may build in other countries of Western Europe, where populist conservative (or what passes for conservative in Europe, which is quite different than here) parties and candidates have been gaining support.
I’d say Trump is a fluke. I don’t believe we will see his like again. But the populist conservative forces which underlay his election are real and won’t go away any time soon.
If the liberal elites had delivered in terms of competence and a better world for all, they would still be riding high and mighty. But they haven’t. In addition they have shown their contempt for the average middle-class, working-class person in spades.
They won’t be forgiven.
I agree that Trump is the result of the trend, not its cause.
If Scott Morrison were a wiser man he’d be having the same impact in Australia as Trump. But he’s surrounded by cowards and cucks & has banished the true conservatives…So he’s a flash-in-the-pan.
Trump may eventually find someone who shares his vision & is capable of leading the country when he is no longer in office. I won’t be holding my breath.
There are long term. multi-generational trends in history. It has to do with the “family story”, tradition, … The referenced graphic shows the control of the legislative and executive branches since the Civil War. The major cycles seem to be about 3 generations, roughly 70 years. It would seem that Zito’s predictions have historical support.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Combined–Control_of_the_U.S._House_of_Representatives_-_Control_of_the_U.S._Senate.png
I enjoyed Steve Hayward’s comment today at Power Line, with an additional clip of Monty Python. To the left, “democracy” is when the “right people” win, and “populism” is when the “wrong people” win.
This is what makes NeverTrumpers so baffling. What do they think is coming after him?
Mike
Unfortunately, Zito is generating drivel, by “traveling the back roads to the places that made him [Trump] the most unlikely president of our era”.
That’s not where it’s at, Zito.
It’s intracranial.
Trump called it like it was, about the hordes of Mexicans pouring in, the harmfulness of so-called “free trade” which depleted USA’s manufacturing base and turned us into an economic colony of communist China, NAFTA, the sources of unvetted potentially jihadi Muslims entering from wretched countries like Yemen and Somalia. He used Twitter to counter a uniformly hostile “free” propagandistic press.
How did the libs counter? By calling him “orangeman”, deriding his hairstyle, screaming “Fuck Trump”. Clever, important contributors, those.
I agree, Trump is the symptom. Some days I think he is an exquisitely ironic visitation of Divine Justice for our national sins.
He was the only Republican who could have beaten Hillary Clinton, because he was the only candidate that the media could not define for the public. And probably any Democrat but her could have beat him.
The Never Trump movement has this backward of course.
I also agree he is a symbol. Who could take his place? Not Pence. That’s for sure. Pence folded quickly when the Indiana legislature passed a version of the RFRA. The usual suspects threatened boycotts and he folded.
Nikki Haley seems to be positioning herself but I don’t trust her.
Tom Cotton ? Maybe. Rand Paul? Maybe.
@ Mike K-
Maybe Pence has grown tougher since then (I hope)?
The explanation of the small twists and turns of politics — small over the long run — is just so many “just so” stories.
I’ve lived to see so many explanations about how demographics favours the Democrats in the long run, and just as many about how changing social structures will favour the Republicans in the same time. We can’t predict the future very well, and only a fool tries.
“The election of Trump glued populism to conservatism,”
In order to be populist you must run with the people’s wishes. You literally can’t do it successfully and also be glued to a firm political line.
Trump isn’t a conservative anyway. He has a few features that help the conservative cause — largely being able to work with conservatives. But his instincts are entirely populist.
He could have run on his current ticket and won as a Democrat. There’s nothing inherently non-Democrat about firm borders and not getting into foreign wars. The protectionist economic policies he favours are pure Democrat. The only reason he didn’t is because the Democrats are mental and because Hillary had the nomination in her pocket.
Picked up this list of President Trump’s accomplishments at Conservative Tree House – if he keeps up this way, 2020 is in the bag (barring massive election fraud, of course, and maybe even then).
Eleven pages of winning for some popular constituency or another, as opposed to the uniparty elites.
Even if some of them sound more “Democrat” than “Republican” — many of them have been on the “we promise to get right on that after the next election” list of both parties, but have not been delivered until now.
Most of them, despite being more progressive than conservative, would never have seen the light of day under Hillary Clinton and her cabals.
https://www.docdroid.net/KDaSuMo/trumpaccomplishments.pdf
Public revulsion vs. never-Trumpism has growing potential to inspire a lasting realignment.
I now have a bit more hope than before, that an anti-SJW backlash is gaining ground, vs. the whole Lefty tantrum vs. DJT and his backers.
At https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/12/29/nyts_dean_baquet_and_wps_marty_baron_alternative_facts_inside_the_weaponization_of_disinformation.html ,
the WaPo and NYT wheels are quoted as telling NBC that
“we have to do a much better job, I agree with what Marty said, understanding some of the forces that drive people in parts of America…. that maybe are not as powerful in New York or Los Angeles. We have to do a better job understanding why some people support Donald Trump.”
Before this, I was betting that the Lefty elites would continue, to ratchet up the HATE of all supporters of the White Patriarchy (personified by DJT).
In my view, the Republic’s survival hinges on moderate liberals following guys like Dersh, in his defying the drift of this Lefty hate (e.g. in the film No Safe Spaces).
For Baron and Baquet to both imply, that they’ve not been understanding of why some people support DJT, makes me hope that powerful folks, who respect Dersh etc., have been giving these MSM elites a juicy earful!
This is Hayward’s post that Kate referenced, with his trademark wit.
As he also notes, this is not just a speed bump on the elite’s road to complete domination.
He quotes from the book “National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy” by Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin, and adds this observaton, which looks to me a lot like what Zito said.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/12/getting-populism-right.php
“Eatwell and Goodwin think that much of the mainstream analysis/panic over populism is too short-term in its outlook, ignoring (sometimes willfully) what has been building for years. The book debunks a lot of the current myths about populism, and is especially strong in its understanding of the nature and causes of the rising distrust of our institutions. One conclusion: our populist movement is just beginning, and is not merely a short-term reaction to the financial crisis of a decade ago.”
“Revolt Against Liberal Democracy”
A misnomer if there ever was one.
It is precisely “LIBERAL DEMOCRACY”, so called, that has gone off the rails; that is no longer “liberal democracy” but that has become a preening, elitist, utterly corrupt, totally dishonest, conniving, self-interested political mafia that uses the words “liberal democracy” as though it still means what it actually used to mean, and which many believe it still does.
A self-righteous, grossly intolerant, moral crusading mafia….
“Populism”, so called (a very dirty word according to all the “beautiful”, all the “smart”, all the “right” people), is actually an AFFIRMATION of liberal democracy in our current, global “Through-the-Looking-Glass” predicament.
The problem is that many decent people who consider themselves “liberal democrats” don’t truly understand (or wish to understand) what the Democratic Party has become; and they are protected from such knowledge by an equally corrupt media, on the one hand, and on the other, wall-to-wall, 24/7, fanatical, unhinged, but entirely calculated and calibrated demonization of Trump and his supporters (ironically—or maybe not, if Orwell is truly understood—the “liberal democratic project” of the past three—more, actually, with regard to other Republican candidates) years.
Those, such as Dershowitz, who struggle to maintain what used to be understood as firmly liberal credentials who are humiliated, ridiculed, flayed and mutilated by the rabid hordes, which is what “Liberal Democrats”, in their non-stop, righteous indignation and intolerance of other points of view, have allowed themselves to become (with the pernicious assistance of the psycho-SOMA-tic, emotionally hypnotizing opioid known as social, so-called, media; but then enslaving oneself to that is also a personal choice).
Just another gift that keeps on giving….
https://www.foxnews.com/media/rep-al-green-genesis-trump-impeachment-running-for-office
File under: Christmas spirit
“…. We have to do a better job understanding why some people support Donald Trump.”
That’s pretty funny, actually.
(The MSM never—well, almost never—ceases to entertain.)
Anyway, here’s a (related) “new year’s greeting” from Lee Smith—he who refuses to take his eye off the ball and warns us not to, either. (IOW, the bad guys, crafty as ever, are getting cornered and not at all happy about it):
https://spectator.us/crime-progress-russiagate-whistleblowers/
H/T: Powerline blog
I’ve always despised political dynasties of any form, but I follow Don Jr on twitter, and from what I’ve seen, I’d vote for him in a heartbeat.
Yeah, Barry, it’s sort of funny, that the MSM now admits it needs “to do a better job” covering Deplorables.
I must wonder if Todd had any idea before the session started, how heretical these editors would be (by TDS standards)?
Will these editors lift a finger, to slow down the rabid hordes teeing off on heroes like Dersh (and, more subtly, on Jonathan Haidt)?
Or, to otherwise help those who, if they had help, would be open to understanding, what the Democratic Party has become?
John Hinderaker sounds a note of warning.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/01/today-is-the-157th-anniversary.php
This really belongs on the Maddow post, but it’s too far in the past —
h/t Powerline commenter at Year in Pictures
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e22790bbc702a4cb9f4589a7a3c9043184c629a3ab2a8ad528be900550a374d.jpg
Trump the Great Entertainer and Sucker of All the Air of All Publicity, he’ll be gone after 2024. He’s certainly Popular – but why is he a “populist”? Seldom defined, but after he’s gone, big issues will remain problems:
Immigration- and possibly a Wall, and questions about numbers and types of legal immigrants, enforcements of borders, and punishment for illegals.
Middle East- even if the partial modernization of Sunni Islam leads to unlikely Saudi dominance over Shiite Persia — unless there is some miraculous Arab Muslim peace with Israel. (2% likely? Not quite 0 …)
Globalization- issues of free trade vs tariffs vs local jobs.
Climate Change Warming alarmism- unless we’re more clearly in a new Ice Age, where it will be Cooling alarmism. Still with Big Gov’t solutions being offered.
Culture War- the atheist elites and other anti-Christians against Christian values and especially sexual morals.
Abortion – Gay Marriage – the LGBT Queer Agenda to normalize all sexual desires and practices.
College discrimination- against Republicans and Christians will not be solved.
College debt- an issue that will become worse before it becomes better.
Affordable Housing- needed in the nice areas where the best jobs are, but not getting since adding houses makes the area less nice and the nice people now there want more affordable houses, but just NIMBY.
Huge and growing national debts- not just USA, but China, India, the EU; and Japan’s huge 220% of GDP debt isn’t going down.
More publicity of Demographics (it’s destiny!) and the aging of the OECD countries.
There’s not really much talk about what policy makes one a “populist”, but the closest is wanting a real border that punishes illegal immigration.