From what I've seen it's people angry at the status quo and looking for a change in a desperate effort.

This is exactly what happened with Brexit.

It's not really all that complicated. The Democrats represent the status quo. The status quo sucks. The Republicans present themselves as an alternative to the status quo. So, people vote Republican.

All the centrist messaging just makes it worse. The Republicans can explain why things suck by scapegoating the poor and marginalized. But the Democrats won't call out the rich and powerful who are the actual reason things suck, so instead they just try to tell people that things don't suck at all. They "reach across the aisle" to people like Dick Cheney who are clearly part of the political establishment which only serves to help Trump present himself as an outsider. They adopt all these right-wing positions on immigration, the military, etc, but the people that appeals to already have a party waiting on them hand and foot, giving them exactly what they want. And all the bad shit he does doesn't matter to them because they believe in lesser evilism and hate the establishment.

Of course, Trump is part of the billionaire class and isn't any sort of real alternative to the existing system, but as long as Republicans are able to paint themselves that way, and are the only "alternative" game in town, people are going to turn to them when they dislike the way things are going, no matter how shitty they are.

I felt surprised and confused in 2016 when Trump won, but it's been 8 years. It's long past time to start figuring out where the Trump phenomenon came from.

Granted I don't understand those people, but this difference between now and 2020 is lack of support for Harris, not increased support for Trump. I'll add people sitting at home to the list of people I don't want to associate with.

Oh it definitely will. Just his tariff plans are gonna turn everywhere into a 3rd world country, not just the republican backwaters.

It's going to impact an enormous amount of people who didn't vote for him either though.

We can't either

Seconded. The first time I was willing to write it off as frustrated voters being misled by a conman. This time is different. You all had four years under this rapist conman and enough people decided they'd go back for seconds. Despicable.

As a fellow Australian, I don't understand why you're surprised.

"Hold your nose and vote for the lesser evil" may be pragmatic, but it doesn't get people emotionally engaged. It doesn't get you infectious enthusiasm and passion. It gets you reluctant, dejected compliance, and that simply does not catch fire.

On the other side you have nothing but emotional engagement; god knows it's not a rational or pragmatic choice there. Trump does nothing but pander to hatred and cruelty and fear and the power fantasies of gullible idiots, and it fucking works. Cheap shallow emotional satisfaction, no matter how stupid an idea it is. You know, like junk food and binge drinking and cigarettes and pokies; things that people know full well are ruining their lives, but they continue to seek them out regardless.

If the dems ever want to win, they will have to make the progressives fall in love with them, and you don't get that by backing genocide unconditionally, you just don't.

They didn't get the oh-god-yes, just a not-no, and that does not equal consent.

Actually it's not gonna be "again". It's gonna be way, way worse.

And I wouldn't be surprised if Taiwan was next now

How much do you make? I'm up for some light marriage fraud if you'd like a Finnish citizenship.

I would say the same thing but just drive a car somewhere some time. People are the stupidest most selfish garbage you can imagine. And nothing brings that behavior out of them like driving a car.

To the camps, I think?

I'll be there once he gets to the gay part of the list.

I love hearing a positive message right now.

But we just observed the majority wanting the racist misogynist horror show. Hard work doesn't fix that.