Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Not A Comforting Thought



While Donald Trump huffs, puffs and sniffles -- and while the Republican Party tears itself apart -- there will be those who take solace in The Donald's Demise. However, Michael Den Tandt writes, Trump's defeat will not put Trumpism to rest:

Trumpism is bigger than the man. For evidence, juxtapose a map of the two parties’ current support, with one of regional income distribution.

The safe red (Republican) states swing from the Deep South (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina) northward in a band through the Midwest (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota), and into the upper Midwest. These are also the regions with the highest concentrations of Americans living below the poverty line (about $24,000 for a family of four).

The key swing states (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania), where Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders launched their respective insurgencies, are regions where traditional economies have been disrupted by globalization. Hence Trump’s repeated promises to “bring back our jobs,” resurrect heavy manufacturing and re-open shuttered steel mills. He’s giving voters in populous, influential states precisely the comfort they want to hear.

What Trump is selling is "pure fantasy." But that makes no difference:

Trump has given voice to a new constituency. That he is personally unfit to be president is a historical fluke. His losing next month will not prevent states such as Ohio or Pennsylvania from going full nativist in future, unless more people there can see the hope of a better economic future.

Trump's people are not going anywhere. And Hillary -- deplorable though they may be -- will have to deal with them:

A future President Hillary Clinton will need something like a Marshall Plan — a New Deal might be a better term — to bring hope to the Rust Belt. Or she’ll face another revolt in four years, likely led by someone more personally fit, and capable, than Trump.
Not a comforting thought.

Image: Forward Progressives

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here are a couple of reasons just from this morning's news why Trumpism will not die even though it is increasingly certain Trump will lose (and for very deserving reasons):

1. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fobs-hillarys-state-dept-gave-special-attention-friends/story?id=42615379, and

2. http://money.cnn.com/2016/10/11/media/donna-brazile-wikileaks-question/index.html

As WikiLeaks keep releasing more emails, and as the Obama State Department is forced to release more of the emails that they had delayed for well over 2 years (I think) despite being told to do so by a court order, I suspect we will keep hearing how the Russians are really responsible for these leaks.

So Hillary is the lesser of two evils? Would we condone corruption and cheating to stop Trump? Would depend on what the meaning of "evil" is, wouldn't it?

Anonymous said...

I don't think we need to worry much about the GOP suddenly fielding a more personally fit or capable candidate. The two candidates that got the most votes this time around were both vile, depraved and unfit to be president. The rest of the field didn't even close to the votes needed. It's quite clear that Republicans aren't interested in fielding a fit or capable candidate. They're more interested in obstructing government than in governing.

Owen Gray said...

And that means they have a dark future, Anon.

Owen Gray said...

Until the Citizens United decision is reversed, Anon -- and until the capture of the American political system by big money is ended -- the future is bleak.

Anonymous said...

RE;
The safe red (Republican) states swing from the Deep South (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina) northward in a band through the Midwest (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota), and into the upper Midwest. These are also the regions with the highest concentrations of Americans living below the poverty line (about $24,000 for a family of four).

The key swing states (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania), where Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders launched their respective insurgencies, are regions where traditional economies have been disrupted by globalization. Hence Trump’s repeated promises to “bring back our jobs,” resurrect heavy manufacturing and re-open shuttered steel mills. He’s giving voters in populous, influential states precisely the comfort they want to hear.

I have just returned from Oregon ,driving down through Washington State and apart from major centres I see little difference from the areas the article lists.
The whole of the USA is under siege from poor wages and high costs.
The American dream really is just that; a dream with little if any chance of fulfilment.
If! the USA and by extension the rest of the West can accept a less affluent lifestyle then closing borders to globalism and going back to ; if you sell us beef we will buy your steel!! we could slow the world down and be the better for it.

Owen Gray said...

Globalism has caused lots of collateral damage, Anon. It's clear in Europe and in North America that lots of folks have been left behind. And they're angry. If they're ignored, things will get uglier than they already are.