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| This pic reinforces perception that Trump supporters are maroons |
Host Brooke Gladstone interviews FiveThirtyEight's Perry Bacon, who points to the negative partisanship in both parties. Forty percent of both Democrats and Republicans belong to their respective parties, not because they agree with the values of their own party, but because they really detest the other side. But more often than not, they do not know what that other side is.
When I think of a typical Trump supporter, the image that comes to my mind is that of a relatively stupid white male who can barely put a sentence together. So when Bill White writes that a Trump rally video is "frightening," he is confirming what I already think. To be honest, there certainly are a lot of those, as the comments here often make clear. But Trump supporters also include some well educated people I know and respect. They even include people of color. I seem to forget about them.
There are also stupid white males who voted for Hillary, rural Democrats, young Republicans, evangelical Democrats, pro-life Dems and pro-choice Republicans. The media pretty much ignores them.
Bacon thinks that it's "probably" true that the media missed the Trump wave in 2016 because they all live in DC and New York. Gladstone sarcastically asked if they should go out to red districts and ask people, "Have you changed your minds yet?," and then follow that up with stories that just re-affirm Democratic prejudices.
Bacon pointed out that 20% of those who voted in the Bronx voted for Trump, as did 32% of those in California." I would love to hear what those people sound like," he suggested. He said they would not be the "rural, hill-billyish" people that are often portrayed by the media in their "frightening" accounts of Trump supporters. Gladstone said the media is too often guided by the stereotype. Bacon said that getting someone to make a racist statement will get more clicks, but people should look for nuanced stories that go beyond tribal identities.
"I just think the whole system is rigged to make us stupid," said Gladstone.
The answer, according to both, is to seek out news sources that don't just confirm what you already think. Bacon pointed out that some of the best criticism of Obama came from liberal publications, and said you could find nuanced criticism of Trump in conservative publications like The Weekly Standard.
42 comments:
Someone told me that they were going to John Hinkley that Trump was having sex with Jodie Foster. That should take care of all the Republicans problems.
NPR is socialized government news. No one is listening to their propaganda.
Slow news night?
I have to admit that I also meet Trump supporters that I wouldn't suspect being so until politics comes up. I met one Trump supporter who was a Vietnam Vet and POW. Despite Trump's statement about POW, he is a die-hard Trump supporter because his old neighborhood in NY had become "Chinese." "Trump will keep America for Americans!"
My own brother is against Trump on everything except his stand on abortion. That's why he voted for him despite the fact that Trump wants to get rid of some of the social programs my brother takes advantage of.
It seems people have one issue as their Litmus Test and can ignore everything else.
The truth is, the Democrats have no message for the American people. There is no vision. There is no agenda. There is no Democratic counter to "Make America Great Again." Nor is there a leader to voice such a vision and stamp it with his imprimatur if there were one.
If raising taxes and larger government was what the people wanted, President Hillary would be bloating the mess in Washington now.
I find the idea of a liberal (Bill White) writing for the Morning Call "frightening". I cancelled my subscription more than 10 years ago. I never dreamed of the day, where I would not subscribe to the local newspaper, but the Morning Call is classic biased media. Just look at the coverage of the Santos shooting, a well documented druggie threatening the public safety and then menacing a police officer, versus the coverage of that innocent 16 year old girl gunned down in South Allentown. The playing of the race card is unbelievable. Where is the rally from people of color in Allentown, who fear for their children's safety from violent criminals? Those parents who rallied against the police because their children are not safe, where were they on this issue, where an actual child was shot in cold blood?
As I see it, and of course you don't, Democratic policies that they pursue are rooted in Marxism. America was and still is to some extent a land of opportunity, but has been tied down by bureaucrats and those who want to be part of the huge government sector. We need less government workers and more entrepreneurs and private sector workers. It is not a racial thing, I see Indians, Chinese and people from south of the border who will be good Americans. if they are encouraged to pursue the American dream with their god given talents, and not purse success as the socialists would like it, with the government redistributing other peoples earnings with the government as the middle man. Basically they have no positive program for the country. Just sell votes with other peoples money. That's why I love Trump, his name could be Dent, Romney, bush, Clinton,or Obama if that were their policy, as we have seen that has not been their policy.
Idiots almost always harm only themselves, i.e.; Darwin's Theory. Marxists, on the other hand, exist to control, or destroy those who do not or will not comply.This is a simple explanation of why O'hare is a Demoncrap.
maybe now you are starting to get President Trump. I did not elect a politician. I elected someone who will rework our government to do what it's supposed to do. You can't imagine what a tough job it is cleaning the swamp. I tried cleaning a swamp over a four year period but the roots of a swamp run deep. And that is at a local level. Someday I would love to sit with you and tell you my stories of the swamp. And other serious issues that I tried to fix but swamped always reared it ugly head. I believe you know who wrote this just by my writing style.
"maybe now you are starting to get President Trump. I did not elect a politician."
There is little doubt in my mind about Trump. He is an embarrassing authoritarian. Don't get me wring. My mistake is assuming that every person who supports him must be a moron. that simply is incorrect.
"NPR is socialized government news. No one is listening to their propaganda."
Your loss. This segment itself was actually something that a Trump supporter should want to hear.
"The truth is, the Democrats have no message for the American people. There is no vision. There is no agenda."
This is an example of negative partisanship. you just hate Democrats, but have all kinds of misconceptions about them.
I consider myself well educated and well read. No doubt in my mind, Trump is providing exactly what this nation needed at this point in history. That is, a re-examination of how our government has been working, and what is required to ensure stability over the long term. To me, that includes . . .
National sovereignty
Adherence to Constitution
Controllable borders
Strong military
Support for law and order
Energy independence
Smaller bureaucracy
Better working Congress
Lower taxes
Employment opportunities for everyone
Donald Trump is addressing ALL of these, and more. It's results that matter most to me.
Must agree with 7:39's comment. Liberals have been reduced to obstructing, distracting, and race-baiting. Our liberal-leaning news media reinforces by fomenting confusion and conflict. What exactly is the Liberal's "Better Way" forward?
If the answer is some new sort of Socialism/Communism/Globalist hybrid . . . we're doomed!
Fred Windish
8:30 "There is little doubt in my mind about Trump. He is an embarrassing authoritarian."
Imposing Obamacare on the American people is authoritarian. Imposing tax reductions on the American worker is liberation.
You really need to redefine your definition of "authoritarian"
55 Americans coming home from North Korea (55 American GIs).
8:34 "This is an example of negative partisanship. you just hate Democrats, but have all kinds of misconceptions about them."
I'm a moderate ticket-splitter. There is good and bad on both sides. I just don't understand now what the Democrats are actually for? What do they want to do besides "Impeach 45" ? I understand the social programs, but I see no way to pay for them other than to tax American families even more. Presently we have to drive a lot of used cars and live in old homes due to their costs. My food bill is astronomical.
I despise Trump. I despise hypnotized Trumpsters. I despise unhinged Trump haters. I despise the whole Trump vortex. Despite his reprehensible behavior, he's done many good things. He's also done many things with which I deeply disagree.
I voted for Trump because I couldn't possibly vote for Hillary. I believe I'm part of a very large voting bloc that is either completely understood, or ignored, altogether. I won't dare defend Trump. I won't dare tell anybody I voted for him. Nobody wants to hear the reasons why. At this time, I'll gladly vote for him again in 2020. Neither side is offering a moderate alternative. Dems have doubled down on crazy by nominating even more strident progressives, the likes of Ocasio-Cortez and Wild, locally. There's a reason the DNC is broke. The next election will be another lesser-of-two-evils affair. And Dems are doing nothing to become less evil. They're still blaming Hillary's loss on Russia and throwing the same tantrum since November 2016. They've not learned the lessons of history and are doomed to repeat them.
*misunderstood
BTW - I work 60 hrs per week, put myself through college at night, have paid taxes since I was 16, I regularly attend church and volunteer with three organizations. Trump haters have called me a racist, sexist, homophobic, climate denying, heartless imbecile gun-loving, fetal-cultist who wants children dead. They seem more interested in insulting me than attempting to persuade me with good ideas. It's reinforced my lesser-of-two-evils decision.
I love the hypnotized Trumpkinheads. You would think his piss-poor performance in Helsinki would have opened their eyes, but a pissy performance is Trump's forte.
Allegedly.
"Imposing Obamacare on the American people is authoritarian."
That was a law that passed both houses. Nothing authoritarian about it.
Trumpism beats dem-socialism !
Trump Derangement Syndrome is a condition best handled with deportation preferably to bastions of functioning socialism such as Venezuela or N. Korea.
President Obama had a phone and a pen in the Oval Office. He used it to make one-man, authoritarian policy on immigration and a host of important issues that went far beyond signing proclamations for National Left-Hand Masturbation Awareness Week. He seemed to forget he might eventually hand over that phone and pen to someone from his opposition. This was a major oversight for a highly touted Constitutional Law professor. To paraphrase Obama's former minister, Rev. God Damn America Wright, the chickens ... are coming home ... to roost. Congress ceded a lot of power to the executive branch after 9/11 and through the Obama years. The executive branch should not wield so much power, regardless of whose guy/girl is president. Bernie's been slow on the authoritarian uptake due to his Trump derangement, but our authoritarian presidency has been in place for 17 years.
Bernie left handed ?.
I just saw today that Trump is eliminating fuel efficiency standards for cars:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-fuel-economy-standards_us_5b106b1ae4b010565aaa80e4
This of course will worsen global warming and increase our usage of non-renewable energy resources. Of course Republicans are happy with this. So, is this a case where the opinions of both sides are "equally valid"? Or are the Republicans who voted for Trump just plain wrong? Are people who decided to vote third party also to blame? I say yes to the last two questions.
This would not have happened if Hillary Clinton was President.
EverybTrump suooorter I know is well educated & very far from a hillbilly. You are totally misled by the education of the business community that supports Trump & most of them are college grads including advanced degrees.
Being unemployed hurt. Having to pay outrageous sums for healthcare hurt. Particularly when you have no health ailments. You take care of yourself and you have to pay for all the idiots who don’t. Part time work at min wage filled the void. After deductions for healthcare, there was nothing left. No party or candidate has helped me. Yes, the economy has rebound, that may help. Health insurance is still the major challenge. Trump managed to appeal to people who have been hurt and forgotten. He does not have the answers, but he has made an effort. No party or candidate has offered any hope or promise for anything better. I usually vote Democratic, but, today, I hesitate at that alternative. That is the sum of where we are. For example, Bob Casey has been a Senator for six years. What has he done to deserve another term? Taking shots at the White House May appeal to Trump haters. But, that nonsense does nothing for me.
Every working American got more money in their pocket in February paychecks & not just “crumbs” as Pelossi would alledge. Steelworkers are returning to work in Illinois & other Midwest cities due to tarriffs offsetting illegal dumping from around the world.
What more can demonstrate the Trump commitment to working class Americans? The only people hurt by the tax cut are the rich overpaid executives/lawyers/Hollywood types who won’t be able to deduct their state taxes anymore on their McMansions & overblown salaries.
Seems to me that Trump is acting more like a Kennedy establishment democrat. He certainly offers a brighter future then the socialist Democrats making everyone miserable by calling for $15/hour minimum wage—will result in shutdown of most fast food restaurants that employ high school kids & first time employees.
I love it Bernie! You have an absolutely brilliant ability to turn a phrase!
My comment above was supposed to be preceded by Bernie's admission his farts could kill a cow. I don't know how the quote got dropped.
It's sad seeing so many people here buying into Trump and FoxNews's BS about what Democrats want. Seriously, if you want to know what Dems believe, ask us. Don't let Republicans tell you what we believe. They have no incentive to be honest about it.
In addition to the NPR piece Bernie is discussing here, Perry Bacon Jr. wrote a piece for 538 describing this phenomenon (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democrats-are-wrong-about-republicans-republicans-are-wrong-about-democrats/). It's really a good read, and should encourage us all to be more critical of what we think of others' political beliefs.
Patrtiot2, please stop using the memory of "Kennedy" in your republican propaganda. It is a phenomena now that republicans cherry-pick certain quotes and actions by a beloved dead president and claim he was one of them. He was no republican and certainly had nothing in common with todays republicans. He advocate da tax cut in the days of 90% rates. Without a massive deficit in existence.. He wanted Medicare, Medicaid and supported social security. He pushed for civil rights, knowing it would make southern democrats republicans. What they are to this day.
Please stick to Reagan and Bush, and leave our presidents out of your delusional world.
My point was that Trump cares for the working American & putting Americans first & putting them back to work like democrats used to act. He is not your typical Republican & why so many Blue collar dems teamed up with white collar business people to support Trump & his agenda.
The Charlie Dent Republicans have been replaced in the Republican Party by people that want a sovereign nation of law & order & bring good paying manufacturing jobs back to our inner cities.
The new dems want open borders & willing to pay Mexicans $3/hr to make cars instead of employing inner city blacks to do so & want to pay $15/hr to hamburger flippers & ice Cream scoopers & pay welfare & unemployment to the manufacturing worker who lost his job to the mexicans?????
It was the corporations who sent the jobs to other companies not the Democratic Party. Get out of the echo chamber. Since the 1980"s shareholders returns were more important that any social contract or peoples jobs.
People, like corporations are all about the dollars. They have destroyed the unions, killed real pensions and exported jobs. As you well know it is republican farmers who want the illegals to pick their crops for next to nothing.
Stop selling bullshit and claiming it is patriotism.
9.24
So let us kill two birds with one stone.
apply for a job--meet the same requirements that republicans want for voting.
Fine business owners one thousand dollars a day for every day an illegal worked for that business or sub contracted to that business.
Use that money generated to pay for deportation and Comrade trump's stupid wall.
The people causing the problem will have to pay to fix the problem.
Business owners who are repeat offenders will have their assets seized just like drug dealers.
the first time say some company like Tyson chicken who had 80 percent illegals at a processing plant has that plant seized and sold they will make sure no illegals are hired.
Of course that means business will have to pay more to attract workers so the republicans will be against that.
Agree with holding businesses accountable & Trump will do that as he is not the establishment Republican that is beholden to these corporations you speak about pushing free trade while using illegals. Trump is the only politician willing to take on your suggestions & he will do this after the midterm elections-trust me.
I am not defending prior Republican practices that championed the corporation free trade agenda—that is why you should like Trump as he is not one of them.
10.10
And Comrade trump has spoken about cracking down on business owners hiring illegals?
When did that happen?
there has been no push from the tea party or republicans in general to punish the employers of illegals.
The best example is the convicted sheriff Arpaio who never ran an operation on any business that donated to his charities.
ICE did and bagged plenty of illegals.
So a hero of the right wing made sure his buddies were safe from him being such a tough guy.
Trump pardoned him for what reason?
Seriously Patriot deuce, what exactly has he made better? He lowered your taxes a bit and the debt is growing even faster. He has said a lot and nothing has really happened. We are now in a trade war not only with a state sponsored economy but even our ally partners. The Russians are still manipulating and N.Korea is building more missiles. I guess in some circles the adage that you just claim victory and have a parade works. At least with the Trumpians.
You realize he still employs non-Americans.
Yeah we are really Winning!.
3.9 % unemployment rate, stock market & 401 k savings at all time highs, most employees got at least $1000 pay increase from tax cut, tarriffs put in place to stop unfair trade practices from across the globe, steel plants reopening in Midwest, iron ore mines reopening in Minnesota, Paris accord saving taxpayers from handouts to rest of world!!
It has only just begun!!! Lawmaking justices being booted & new Supreme Court!
You lost the election fair & square & you still don’t get it that the socialist movement is nothing more than a figment of your imaginations as It has never worked anywhere except to bring all down & reduce individual freedom.
most employees got at least $1000 pay increase from tax cut
Not most... 3 million. That's less then 1% of the population.
You lost the election fair & square
What about the 75 million others who didn't vote for him in the election?
Screw them?
Suck it up as we did when Obama won twice.
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