You cannot understand the psychology of Trumpism or of the modern Republican Party without understanding the deep and pervasive fear of demographic change among some whites in America.
They go hand in hand.
And, closely coupled with it is the legacy of the “Southern Strategy” and the strategic decisions that the Republican Party has made over the last five and a half decades, targeting mostly white voters while ignoring or showing active hostility to many other groups.
Any student or American history knows that in the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras, a lot of the most xenophobic and racist rhetoric and policies spoken and enacted during those times came from southern Democrats.
What happened to those southern Democrats? Over the course of several decades, those old segregationist Democrats - and those who think like them, even if just under a thin facade - found homes in the GOP. And some of them found leadership positions in it.
So over the course of decades, intentionally and perhaps also subconsciously, the GOP tried really hard to win white voters, which they did and still do. But did not carry out serious and sustained efforts to reach out to nonwhite voters.
And this lack of outreach was combined with having prominent members who seemed to have quite open hostility to the “others.”
While prior to Trump, the GOP was led by many decent men who openly condemned racial hostility, it included a growing rank and file who embraced it.
Now this GOP model works in terms of winning elections when America is 85% white.
It does NOT work when America is 65-70% white.
I’ve mentioned this before, but in most states in recent elections, if the GOP doesn’t win white voters by double digits (higher level of double digits in states that are very diverse), it has lost the states.
It’s pretty hard to simultaneously have a party that is home to a bunch of people who oppose anti-lynching legislation and anti-hate crimes legislation and simultaneously win white voters, many of whom are friends and family of the affected groups, by double digit margins.
The old model which the GOP used since the mid-sixties worked for the old demographic model of America. Aim for the wedge issues that capitalize on deep-seated divisions. Say the “N” word without saying it. Lee Atwater style.
But it doesn’t work today. Not in an America where that is not only more diverse, but, where suburban women are totally fine with Trump’s suggestion that Corey Booker might be moving next door.
And the other variable in understanding Trumpism in particular are the issues of entitlement and victimhood.
“I’m an American. I’m SUPPOSED to have a nice job.” Never mind the fact that hard working people all over the world are competing for those same jobs.
“My ancestors were here in this country before anyone else. We’re all citizens. But I should be a a citizen plus. Why do these people live better than me?” Never mind the fact that that Constitution, the thing everybody said they believed in not long ago, says everybody’s equal.
And the victimhood. If I don’t have the things I think I’m entitled to, that means it’s somebody’s fault. Somebody is robbing me. Somebody is taking from me something that, by birthright, I’m entitled to.
So two things underlie all the mess we see today:
- The GOP painted itself into a demographic corner. Like a shortsighted road paver who suddenly realizes he trapped himself in a cul-de-sac, the GOP is thinking “Crap! What are we going to do NOW???”
And the “Party of Personal Responsibility” now includes as many people who play the victim card as anybody it has ever criticized.
* My grammatical errors occur most often when I’m attempting to multitask (not my strong suit) and/or when I’m trying to reword a tweet but don’t stop to re-read.
Me, looking at Twitter, holding “Will Work for Edit Button” sign.
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Both political tribes play the victim card in different ways. To the far left, the people to blame for every problem are big corporations, big banks and the rich. And, of course, some people blame every bad thing that happens in the lives of any person of color on racism.
But the political right used to piously preach against the “victim mentality.” But many who now align to it play it as well or better as the far left ever did. Who’s to blame for the fact you don’t have a job? The “Mexicans” (whether or not said people are actually from Mexico).
“The blacks,” as some of them term us. Political correctness. The Elites (often aimed at people who attain a formal education). China. India. Other countries taking advantage of us. “Don’t worry,” reassures the Orange Savior. “You’ve been wronged and I’m going to fight for you!”
In Maricopa County, the number of registered Republicans rose from 840,167 in January, 2020 to 915,227 by November. An increase of 8.93%.
But the number of registered Democrats rose from 724,099 in January to 814,343 by November. An increase of 12.46%.
In the state’s second most populous county, Pima, the number of registered Republicans rose from 168,990 in January to 185,946 by November - an increase of 10.03%.
But the number of registered Democrats rose from 223,115 in January to 257,678 by November - an increase of 15.49%.
Serious question. If the US Senate refuses to do anything because the @GOPSenate won’t cooperate on ANYTHING, even a commission to investigate 1/6 and because of a filibuster rule that doesn’t even require the opposing side to show up in person, shouldn’t everyone just go home?
I mean, if no work is going to get done and half of the Senate is vigorously committed to doing nothing at all, why should taxpayers pay to keep flying those guys and gals between their home states and DC?
If you’re going to do nothing, why should taxpayers pay for:
1) Their staffs and offices 2) Their travel expenses and per diem
Why not just shut the Senate down and keep it closed until one party has enough seats to get something done?
We all know that a 60 vote supermajority is needed in the US Senate in order to break the threat of a filibuster.
The thing is, this likely requires Senators who represent even MORE than 60% of the population to agree in order to get anything done.
If you view every US Senator as representing half of their state's population (since every state has two Senators), this means that the 50 Dem Senators represent 56.3% of the US population. And the 50 GOP Senators represent 43.7% of the US population.
This is just the way it is.
Our Founding Fathers constructed the Constitution to ensure that every state, regardless of population, had an equal voice in the upper chamber of Congress and had a voice in Presidential elections. The percentages here are weird but they're not wrong. It's the Constitution.
Currently, there are 50 Republican Senators and 50 Senators who caucus with the Democrats.
But the 50 Democratic Senators currently represent 41.5 million more people than the 50 Republican Senators do.
It's just the way it is.
Every state, regardless how large or small, is represented by two US Senators in the US Senate. This was constructed as a means of ensuring that every state has equal rights and representation in the Senate regardless of the number of people living in the state.
So every state is on a level playing field in the US Senate. All states are equally important. As our founders intended. Population ensures more representation in the US House of Representatives. The Senate ensures equality between the states.