this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2024
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A key line for me ...
Partly out of confirmation bias as I've been saying this since before his victory in 2016 and highlighting it as the thing lefty/intellectual/"elites" don't get about his appeal. Trump hits the "right" buttons while his wildness, lack of "refinement" and apparent sense-making are all features. So many want "change" ... Trump is "change", right from his personal nature and demeanour.
Another ...
Oh ... JFC!! I suppose this is a good predictor of how the west collapses. Deepening class separation across all spheres of civil life allowing chaotic manipulation by demagogues. Can't help but think of the fall of the Roman Republic and Dune here. Also can't help but think that the whole Hitchens/Dawkins anti-religion thing, which feels like it got a bit old for the mainstream, really has an essentially important fundamental point ... as a whole type of institution and cultural phenomenon, it may simply not be worth it on the whole.
Back in 2016 when Trump as sill "new" I fell very squarely into this. I was still too young to vote and had just started learning about politics. Looking at both major parties all I saw was people who didn't care about normal people, politicians that seemed too involved in the political game to actually get anything done. I remember seeing Trump as a kinda of wild card that would hopefully stir things up enough to hopefully get something done. That someone removed from the traditional nepotism in politics could make real changes.
Unfortunately that's not what happened, and not really how any of this works. It seems like his presidency just made new problems, and all the old ones still persist.
Thanks for the personal perspective!
On the new and old problems front, in-line with the article … I wonder how many don’t see it that way. Getting the Supreme Court to take down abortion for instance seems like a big one for some conservatives , like maybe “best president in our life time” big. Not just because of the decision itself, but also knowing that the Court is now on “their side”.
By the way: His rambling does make sense.
Informally many people do speak in half sentences, zig zagging on tangents, especially schizophrenics. It takes a lot of energy to follow if you are not used to it and Republicans think we are the stupid ones for not being able to follow.
Try to follow his much derided nuclear uncle speech. It isn't that hard when you give it a go.
The best description I've heard, is: "finally a politician who speaks his mind!"
What people don't realize, is that Trump doesn't really "speak his mind", like a schizophrenic would. His longer rambling tirades are actually rehearsed, while the shorter ones he's been practicing for decades since becoming a professional con man, to the point where they've become second nature.
It's all a smoke screen, very effective at fooling those less experienced. He's particularly talented at saying something, and the opposite, plus a tangent. Which is something an actual schizophrenic would never do, but a con man can use to first get people to only hear whatever each one prefers, then over time cherry pick those same words and spin them into any narrative that's best for themselves.
Or in other words, but the same, don't you love words:
The best and worst description I've heard, because hearing is important, is: finally, at the beginning of it all, when someone changes things, a politician like you and me, running the country like a business, who speaks his mind then shuts up, because respect is important, I respect that!
Do you know of any examples of him being eloquent? That would bolster your hypothesis.
There is this video showing Trump's public speech evolution since the 1980s:
https://youtu.be/_FLo14GMYos
He started quite eloquent and on point, then went on adding trick upon trick. I don't think he's gone out of character for a long time, as demonstrated by the infamous "grab them by the p🙊" private-ish conversation.
As a better test of his abilities, I propose you pick any of his speeches and see how many rhetorical devices you can spot:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_device
(fair warning: don't make it a drinking game)
Yea. And in a way, Trumps greatest political achievement may be that he proved or materialised the "elitism" facade around US Democracy and Government. While previously, to many, especially urban and higher/"educated" class types, it might have just been a Fox News culture war wedge, with Trump and how "no one" saw him coming or understood his appeal, the whole elitist facade and the safe bubble many had taken for granted was revealed.
To be fair, Bernie Sanders did see his appeal. He came from the same down-to-earth angle (even more so, not being a billionaire) and addressed many of the same issues except offering a genuine solution rather than a scam.
The Democratic party did not like that because they are part of the elite, playing good cop to GOP's bad cop. USA is screwed until it eliminates its backward two-party system.
https://fairvote.org
Oh for sure, and this was known at the time IIRC, when some polling it something revealed that “Bernie bros will vote for trump”. And, IIRC, the mainstream media response was that it made little sense.
He just spent an entire speech confusing his own press secretary with Nanci Pelosi...
He confused former house speaker, and now presidential rival, Nikki Haley with Pelosi.
Didn't know he also confused his press secretary with Pelosi too. You sure about that? I can't find it online.
He also claimed he ran against Obama.