19 November 2023

Quora On Trump Supporters

What do liberals not understand about Trump supporters?

What liberals may not understand is that Trump supporters do feel that he did something for them. He didn’t help them financially at all, in fact he hurt them with his idiotic policies. He didn’t provide any services for them; exactly the opposite - he cut funding for any service that would help them. He didn’t ‘solve’ immigration, because he had no clue how to deal with immigrants in any intelligent, useful way. He didn’t ‘represent’ them, because he is actually disgusted by them; they were and are only a tool, a means of getting votes from the gullible.

But what he did do was legitimize their racism, their hatred for brown immigrants, their hatred for and abject fear of anyone who didn’t look, sound, or act exactly like they did. He legitimized their evangelunacy, even though he has never read a bible in his life. He legitimized their hatred of progress by attempting to roll back each and every intelligent measure made by the previous government. He legitimized their hatred of women being equal to men. He legitimized their hatred of the LGBTQ. That’s all it took - legitimizing their hatred of change and of ‘other.’

7 comments:

Dave Barnes said...

That is so uplifting.

andrew said...

We are at a downer moment in history.

George Herold said...

So is this tongue in cheek, or do you believe it? I'm not a Trump supporter, but I live in Trump country and the above is.. well like a joke to me.

andrew said...

@GeorgeHerold

It isn't the whole truth, but it is a significant part of it. A racist and homophobic worldview is the best predictor of Trump support.

andrew said...

See, e.g., "Study: racism and sexism predict support for Trump much more than economic dissatisfaction" https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/1/4/14160956/trump-racism-sexism-economy-study

andrew said...

@GeorgeHerold

If you have more insight into why anyone is who isn't a horrible human being would support Donald Trump, I'd welcome it. The vast majority of his supporters that I've met (and sometimes have to do business with) are horrible human beings.

andrew said...

#2 probably does imply that you are a pretty bad person.