As Donald Trump marches (apparently) to the Republican Presidential nomination in the 2016 election, there has been much written by politicos and pundits on the subject. Most of them negative on Donald Trump and his voters. With apologies to Shakespeare, I come to praise Trump voters, not to bury them.
Civitas Institute, of which I’m the President, has always tried to encourage people to take part in the political process through training, education and information. This year, thanks to Donald Trump, a LOT MORE people are taking part in the process – this is good!
By bringing new people into the process he helps to increase awareness in the general public about the electoral process and to the extent more people watched Republican debates. He helped all the candidates increase their name ID and recognition. I say welcome those voters with open arms!
Unfortunately many people, some of whom I agree with on most things, find his brand of politics discomforting. I voted for Ted Cruz and have long supported him because I believe his dedication to constitutional, limited government and a restoration of the state/federal balance of power is what we need to get our country back on track.
But that does not mean that I think the issues Trump has brought to the table or his upsetting of the apple cart are bad.
Our current political establishment has given us an over $19 trillion national debt; chronic unemployment/underemployment; welcomed terrorist and illegal immigrants; disrupted the moral structure of our country; weakened our military and more, with no vote or assent of the people.
This is a governing establishment long past needing disruption. But for the critics, make a case for your candidate. Do not disparage the other candidate’s personalities or foibles and especially don’t demonize their supporters. Shout your candidate’s attributes. Finally, please don’t attack, or call Donald Trump voters names like my friends Becki Gray and John Hood have done.
Instead welcome and celebrate them, invite them to learn more about the issues and policies that will keep making North Carolina and the nation a better place. I extend an open invitation to all Trump supporters and any other presidential candidate’s supporters – yes even those feeling the Bern – to check out what we do at Civitas and learn more. You will find us at www.nccivitas.org.
Francis,
I agree with you.
Hood and Gray clearly stand with the “establishment” Republicans. And they are the problem that has led to the Trump phenomenon.
I too vote for Ted Cruz, but millions of Americans obviously believe in what Trump has to say, crude though it sometimes may be. He is facing reality and is a straight talker. These people cannot be dismissed–at our peril.
Trump’s a con artist, the worst of capitalism. Trump has no ethics and the kind of Capitalist that would tele-market the elderly looking for those with enough dementia to be easy prey for his scam. I suspect many of his current supporter may also lack basic thinking skills.
Conservative propaganda think tanks like Civitas Institute, NRA and American Family Radio have been working the fear mongering, bigotry, scapegoating gig for decades, blaming “those people” without political power or wealth for the declining wages. American Capitalist refused to pay living wages after unions were crushed under Reagan’s presidency. Capitalist also rigged the political system, with gerrymandering, tax burden shifted to the middle class and the poor with cuts to government services like public education, higher fees and sales tax.
This article will explain much of the Trump appeal.
“Hodson and Busseri (2012) found in a correlational study that lower intelligence in childhood is predictive of greater racism in adulthood, with this effect being mediated (partially explained) through conservative ideology. They also found poor abstract reasoning skills were related to homophobic attitudes which was mediated through authoritarianism and low levels of intergroup contact.
What this study and those before it suggest is not necessarily that all liberals are geniuses and all conservatives are ignorant. Rather, it makes conclusions based off of averages of groups. The idea is that for those who lack a cognitive ability to grasp complexities of our world, strict-right wing ideologies may be more appealing. Dr. Brian Nosek explained it for the Huffington Post (link is external)as follows, “ideologies get rid of the messiness and impose a simple solution. So, it may not be surprising that people with less cognitive capacity will be attracted to simplifying ideologies.”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/millennial-media/201304/do-racism-conservatism-and-low-iq-go-hand-in-hand
Lonnie – good to see you posting frequently. Also thanks for not disappointing us by your quick move to call those who disagree with you less intelligent. Why didn’t you just save time and call us all stupid. Of course it makes you and your fellow progressives/liberals feel superior when you can say those with who you disagree are of “lower intelligence.” Look forward to more of your enlightening posts in the near future.
Francis
These are not my words but the results of scientific studies.
Francis
Who are the voices of reason, justice, thinking and solutions on the right?
Rush Limbaugh?
Ted Nugent?
Sarah Palin?
Mike Huckabee?
Glenn Beck?
Ted Cruz?
Trump?
You know you have no equal to President Obama’s high intelligence because you have been playing to the least intelligent of the GOP base for decades. You ( conservatives strategist ) play to bigotry, scapegoats, racism, greed and fear.
You have no Ann Richards, Tammy Duckworth, Elizabeth Warren, George Marshall,Henry A. Wallace, Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow, Bill Maher or John Oliver.
You are right,Lonnie.
Ostupid is highy intelligent,that’s why he said he had been to all 57 states.He is even smarter than you.