Has Trump forever dumbed down American politics?

[Sonikku]

Politicians may not like to change their stances, but they do at least seem highly adaptable when it comes to changing the ways they market themselves and the way in which they package their agendas to the American people to get them to go for it. Trump has consistently broken all the pundit's rules all the way up to clinching the nomination and he did so with hardly any money or backing from donors.

Do you think in future cycles we may start to see more and more up and coming prospects, desperate to break out from the crowd in the clown car with little money and few endorsements, by adapting this one man rebel going for broke "Tell it like it is this" strategy? Has Trump forever left his mark on American politics going forward?

 

[zinfamous]

I think there is a very real sea shift. It may not be permanent--it's always possible to rise above it--but that will take some time and the damage is clearly done. This has already been happening for some time as the GOP has long pandered to these elements: exploiting their fears for votes all the while praying that these same people would just remain as quite as possible, as long as their miserable lives could be adequately explained away by the underhanded machinations of others: blacky and brownie, muslims, jews, liberals. You know, the worst of the worst. I'm not saying this is the republican party, but it is the dependable base that will always vote for them and has been doing so repeatedly for decades now. It isn't controversial, either.

But now they are louder and they are even angrier--and rightfully so--of course their target both remains the same but has also now been turned against the hand that has fed them for so long, so shamelessly. And the liberals are to blame as well, for being so complacent and so willing to accept that these people's frustrations can so easily be explained away by their racism, their ignorance--that they are unhappy for unreasonable reasons so, in the end, aren't really relevant so it isn't worth courting them.

For several consistent cycles, now, it seems we are always telling ourselves that it really can't get worse than this! But it always does, every cycle. Let's hope that this is rock bottom, but I would be shocked if it isn't. When societies go through this type of civil rancor, returning to normalcy means a decent into "interesting times," which certainly isn't something that anyone wants, despite how many of us seem so restless while living in stable, reasonable, "boring times."

I think much hinges on what becomes of the so-called "Trump conservatives" after this election, what becomes of their leader--does he retreat back into normal, civilian life and try to save his brand, or does he pivot to this alt-right icon industry and keep this consitutency going, sewing fear and resentment in these people, convincing them that the Modern USA is a dystopian farce where the true patriots are the ones being punished, their blood and sweat harvested for the betterment of "the elite" that always there to ridicule and impoverish them. It also remains to be seen if both the GOP successfully realigns to become a more moderate, truly conservative coalition of adults and if the Dems and liberals can manage to effectively address the complaints of these very same people.

In the end, it doesn't really matter if large swatch of the population base their fears in fantasy and unreasonable assumptions about the economy and about modern democracy--their pain is still very real to them. Trump is the only one that seems to be speaking to them directly. So what if he's just feeding the beast and exploiting those fears, only making it worse for them in the end? They're clearly here and they are clearly looking to be heard.

 

[Jaskalas]

Trump is a symptom, not a cause.
Remember that people had to vote for him in the first place, or he wouldn't even be where he is at today.
Four years from now, GOP still has to deal with those voters. How can they possibly respond to achieve a different outcome next time?

 

[MongGrel]

Globalization marches on.

Even if Trump manages to win, I doubt he would do anything to slow ii at all.

He would make it worse, he already has been offshoring things for decades now.

He just does it badly, oops I mean bigly, and avoids paying taxes on it.

I guess he could try puittng the US in Bankruptcy with China as a foreign policy, as long as he received a personal kickback for another future real estate deal with his name plastered on it.

Not enough poll options from the OP to begin with.

 

[ivwshane]

Trump is a symptom, not a cause.
Remember that people had to vote for him in the first place, or he wouldn't even be where he is at today.
Four years from now, GOP still has to deal with those voters. How can they possibly respond to achieve a different outcome next time?

Exactly! To blame this on trump would completely ignore what has been happening for decades and it would totally undermine any necessary solution to fix the problem and it is a problem. Democracy's biggest weakness is an uneducated populace, especially one that doesn't know how its government works.

If people, who think like a lot of trump supporters, continues to grow, this country will be facing some serious issues.

 

[woolfe9998]

Trump is a symptom, not a cause.
Remember that people had to vote for him in the first place, or he wouldn't even be where he is at today.
Four years from now, GOP still has to deal with those voters. How can they possibly respond to achieve a different outcome next time?

For one thing, they can stop contributing to the Trump problem by priming their voters for this type of demagogue. Take, for example, Trump's most noxious allegation: that the election is rigged. Voter acceptance of that allegation didn't come in a vacuum. Since 2009 the GOP has been pushing these voter ID laws for political reasons, and in doing so, they have exaggerated threadbare evidence of voter fraud, priming GOP voters to believe that election results should be considered questionable. All Trump has done is take it up a notch, a difference only in degree, to an audience already primed for and receptive to the message. In fact, almost everything about Trump is that way - much like the mainstream GOP, just quantitatively worse.

The GOP might consider notching down its inflammatory rhetoric. Their voters already get enough of it from the internet as it is.

 

[theeedude]

No, he exposed the stupidity and bigotry that has been there for a very long time. It's the whole basis of southern strategy and fiscal conservatism. To get people to vote against their own self interest by pandering ti their bigotry and hurting the minority poor even more. Hence the black welfare queens in Cadillacs, hence the trickle down, hence the war on drugs. Now that it has been brought to the surface, it can be addressed. It's a learning moment.

 

[theeedude]

Trump is a symptom, not a cause.
Remember that people had to vote for him in the first place, or he wouldn't even be where he is at today.
Four years from now, GOP still has to deal with those voters. How can they possibly respond to achieve a different outcome next time?

Especially because they have gerrymandered themselves into safe districts where the Trumpists pick the winner in primaries. So for 2018 they have to pander to this crowd, and for 2020 primaries, and then have a few months to make a sharp left to the middle without losing them.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I do think he (along with Bernie to a lesser extent) set precedent for both parties to consider more outspoken and outrageous candidates in the future, since that clearly has its value. American politics have been about dividing the voting population and pandering for a long while now, if it hasn't always been that way, so ideologically I don't think he's done much except draw new lines (and the parties often face significant shifts every couple generations or so). Some of Trump's most offensive stuff (e.g. crying conspiracy everywhere) seems to hurt him more than anything except with his (insufficient) base, so I don't see that as a viable strategy for the future, unless the economy tanks and there are even more angry people voting next cycle.

 

[shortylickens]

trump didnt do it.
Americans did it.

We kept throwing ourselves at the loudest yeller and they just put up louder candidates year after year.
Its our fault. Not Trump. If there werent millions of hateful assholes supporting him he never would have been seen on TV.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

it started with palin and bachmann, imo. They 'validated' being vapid and elected.

 

[pauldun170]

I remember the phase of dumbing down that occurred during the 90's with Gingrich and we all saw what the Tea Party accomplished.
The Republican party is filled with people who are focused on the "Brand" and their marketing (talking points, positions and ad campaigns etc etc ) has focused so much on selling the brand they forgot what their actual responsibility is.
People are running for office not to serve their constituents, they are running and getting elect for the sole purpose of being part of the "brand".

When approach government that way, where you are their to support and sell a product you cast a net to capture the lowest common denominator.
You dumb everything down so your brand beast out the opposition.

Toss Trump into the mix. Where you have someone who takes narcissism top the extreme.
Someone with zero clue on how government works or constitutional rights or even how the world works.
Trump does have years of experience brand building. A brand built NY tabloid style where zero fucks are given. No need to for PC checks and balances.

The Republican brand got stale. Evangelicals and southern politicians (everything is a like a football game) screwed up the party.
Trump offered a release.
With Trump, you're not bound to all the nonsense inherent with southern politics or old christians

Trump proved that the market was receptive to more risks in terms of branding and PR.
You don't have to hide behind allegory anymore.
You can openly discuss what people say behind closed doors.

Trumps problem was that he spend ZERO effort trying to learn about government or world affairs. He didn't even try faking it. He literally just rehashed shit he read on the internet while taking shit at 2AM. The guy is 70 years old and he is EXACTLY like the retired guy in the doctors office who believes every email forward he recieves is true. "I read the other day (insert conspiracy chain mail)...."
If Trump had at least one clue about anything and was able to articulate a coherent message this would be one hell of an election.

Someone else is going to try and capitalize on the the markets trump exposed. Political PR\Marketing companies are going to refine Trumpism.
Schools specializing in Political Science, specifically those popular with republicans are probably going to revamp their programs to incorporate "Trumpism".

Thankfully the democratic party is more diverse and segmented. Unified branding is tougher due to the regions where Democrats are strong.
It would suck if we were bombarded from both sides with what we saw from the GOP and trump.

 

[Ken g6]

I just wish the Tea Party and Trump followers would break off from the Republican party already and form their own party. It's clear many current Republican politicians want to separate from Trump.

 

[feralkid]

No, he exposed the stupidity and bigotry that has been there for a very long time. It's the whole basis of southern strategy and fiscal conservatism. To get people to vote against their own self interest by pandering ti their bigotry and hurting the minority poor even more. Hence the black welfare queens in Cadillacs, hence the trickle down, hence the war on drugs. Now that it has been brought to the surface, it can be addressed. It's a learning moment.

Except they'll probably never learn.

 

[trenchfoot]

I really don't think Trump dumbed down the party.

It was already that way when he did a classic snatch and grab/ loot and scoot of the Repub base that was primed and ready for a con artist like Trump to come along.

He slid his slippery ass right in between the party and the base full of nutjobs the GOP spent decades grooming into what we all see today. Even before the establishment old boy network had a chance to do a double take on the takeover by Trump it was way too late for them to pull the red carpet out from under him, and the rest is history.

The only thing I'm curious about is how the GOP is going to keep it's base in the dark while being able to prevent another Trump from jacking their base........again.

 

[sandorski]

It seems to me that the Republican Party decided not to play Democracy anymore at least a decade ago. Not all at once, it's just an idea that has slowly been growing and first reared it's head under President Clinton, but has become more pronounced since. At least with Clinton they had an underlying motivation, albeit one that was suspiciously fluid, to undermine good governance for the People. Under Obama they have thrown any pretense of that out the window. What the People want no longer matters, it is Their Way or No Way.

So far that attitude has been contained to the Political arena, but I don't see how it can remain there and not spill out at some point. That's what makes Trump's suggestion that the Election is rigged before it even has happened so troubling. People on both sides are already half expecting turmoil regardless what happens and that can get out of control quickly.

 

[Puffnstuff]

"Trump conservatives"

When speaking of Trump those two words don't belong in the same sentence.

 

[wingman04]

I like Trump he wants change, he is wealthy with hard work.

 

[theeedude]

Trump Conservatism is Real Conservatism. What you've been sold as Conservatism, the tax cuts, and small government stuff, is just a better dog whistle.

 

[trenchfoot]

When speaking of Trump those two words don't belong in the same sentence.

Looks like your modesty prevents you from stating the cold hard truth about those two words. IMO, those two words don't belong in the same space time continuum that we presently exist in.

And yes, I agree that Trump's supporters being called conservatives is grievously insulting to the ones who actually are.

edit - @senseamp - I get what you mean, so how 'bout we agree to have Trump's "conservatives" and the other non-Trump "conservatives" meet in front of the RNC headquarters and let them have a go at it winner take all.

 

[DrDoug]

His supporters sure help to dumb it down...

When you protest a Trump rally but no one realizes your shirt says “Latinas AGAINST trump” so they take pics w/ you like you’re supporters pic.twitter.com/5ce8SZw5Mh

— CC (@cecicardelle) October 21, 2016

She be trollin', Latina style!

 

[zinfamous]

His supporters sure help to dumb it down...



She be trollin', Latina style!

LoL, she got a photo with Uday Trump! Or is it Kusay? I can never tell. Those dbag turds look the same.

 

[Jhhnn]

I think there is a very real sea shift. It may not be permanent--it's always possible to rise above it--but that will take some time and the damage is clearly done. This has already been happening for some time as the GOP has long pandered to these elements: exploiting their fears for votes all the while praying that these same people would just remain as quite as possible, as long as their miserable lives could be adequately explained away by the underhanded machinations of others: blacky and brownie, muslims, jews, liberals. You know, the worst of the worst. I'm not saying this is the republican party, but it is the dependable base that will always vote for them and has been doing so repeatedly for decades now. It isn't controversial, either.

But now they are louder and they are even angrier--and rightfully so--of course their target both remains the same but has also now been turned against the hand that has fed them for so long, so shamelessly. And the liberals are to blame as well, for being so complacent and so willing to accept that these people's frustrations can so easily be explained away by their racism, their ignorance--that they are unhappy for unreasonable reasons so, in the end, aren't really relevant so it isn't worth courting them.

For several consistent cycles, now, it seems we are always telling ourselves that it really can't get worse than this! But it always does, every cycle. Let's hope that this is rock bottom, but I would be shocked if it isn't. When societies go through this type of civil rancor, returning to normalcy means a decent into "interesting times," which certainly isn't something that anyone wants, despite how many of us seem so restless while living in stable, reasonable, "boring times."

I think much hinges on what becomes of the so-called "Trump conservatives" after this election, what becomes of their leader--does he retreat back into normal, civilian life and try to save his brand, or does he pivot to this alt-right icon industry and keep this consitutency going, sewing fear and resentment in these people, convincing them that the Modern USA is a dystopian farce where the true patriots are the ones being punished, their blood and sweat harvested for the betterment of "the elite" that always there to ridicule and impoverish them. It also remains to be seen if both the GOP successfully realigns to become a more moderate, truly conservative coalition of adults and if the Dems and liberals can manage to effectively address the complaints of these very same people.

In the end, it doesn't really matter if large swatch of the population base their fears in fantasy and unreasonable assumptions about the economy and about modern democracy--their pain is still very real to them. Trump is the only one that seems to be speaking to them directly. So what if he's just feeding the beast and exploiting those fears, only making it worse for them in the end? They're clearly here and they are clearly looking to be heard.

There's a lot of truth to that, but it's bullshit to put this off on Libs at all. Repub leaders have been poisoning people's minds & attitudes for decades over our objections & cautions, over our efforts to overcome the wedge issues they exploit so gleefully. Repubs have also induced an enormous sense of insecurity, particularly financial insecurity with repeated beatdowns in a roller coaster economy in which those at the top truly thrive, unlike the rest of us.

Trump Republicans want what most of the rest of us want- decent secure jobs with benefits & a retirement plan, also opportunities for their own children to do as well or better. Add some quality leisure. Modest things. The rest of it is really peripheral. They wouldn't care nearly so much about immigration, race, gender or any of it if thy could feel secure in that.

That's exactly what trickle down economics & progress itself has taken from them. We're the people the Job Creators want to forget about. In this globalized economy, they will if we let them simply because the power of the God Almighty Dollar makes foreign workers and automation more profitable than hiring us. If we want what we used to get out of the front end of capitalism by working for a living we'll need to get the money out of the back end in taxes & use it to create our own jobs, jobs that serve the public good rather than just leaving it up to greed at the top doing that in some miraculous fashion.

 

[Jaskalas]

His supporters sure help to dumb it down...

She be trollin', Latina style!

So they love Latinas... how does that fit with you smearing them as racists?

 

[DrDoug]

So they love Latinas... how does that fit with you smearing them as racists?

Swing and a miss... try again.