1/ Trumpism is not about ideas. It’s a politic of grievance, which grafts policy onto disaffection as an afterthought. This is why we can’t defeat it with policy proposals or logical appeals to supposed self interest. Trumpers aren’t motivated by these things, but by rage alone..
2/ This is the most fascist thing about Trumpism: its lack of coherent ideology. That vacuum is what makes it possible for a fascistic cult of personality to thrive, and the notion of an autocrat motivated by grudges and the desire to dominate for domination’s sake to flourish...
3/ It’s not even necessarily a conscious fascist politic but a fascism that derives from the base’s “nothing matters” mentality...the idea that owning the libs, making liberals cry, or hurting one’s perceived race, ethnic, religious, gender and sexual enemies is everything...
4/ Any attempt to defeat this through normal means — “oh here, look, here’s our great plan for health care and affordable college and blah blah blah,” or “look, the problem is really the rich” (who they clearly don’t hate, thus their love for Trump) — will fail to move them...
5/ It is time to abandon the idea of flipping these people. Time to focus on two things: rallying/motivating those who are clearly opposed to Trumpism to stand up and overwhelm Trumpists, and to inoculate younger and newer folks to politics against the right...
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