# Are we making wrong & lazy assumptions about Trump's appeal & his followers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 7, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167 "2016-03-07T01:46:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/101 "2016-03-17T19:52:30Z")
sadly I know a few Trump supporters and to a person their reasoning is either “It will be fun to watch…” or “He can’t do worse than Obama, the President doesn’t have that much power anyway”. But I would caution any democrat who thinks that a Trump nomniation is an automatic win for Hilary or whomever. Not in a million years did I think our first black president would be named “Obama” so it wouldn’t suprise me if our first celebrity president is named “Trump”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/102 "2016-03-17T19:57:51Z")
> [@Dob](#): > > sadly I know a few Trump supporters and to a person their reasoning is either “It will be fun to watch…” or “He can’t do worse than Obama, the President doesn’t have that much power anyway”. > > But I would caution any democrat who thinks that a Trump nomniation is an automatic win for Hilary or whomever. Not in a million years did I think our first black president would be named “Obama” so it wouldn’t suprise me if our first celebrity president is named “Trump”. The major difference is that Obama wasn’t clearly an idiot and a danger to the American way of life. Trump is. Hillary will win. Book it. (Well, barring some major disaster that forces her out of the race. If that happens, we either hope for President Sanders or we’re all just screwed when His Hairness takes the oath of office.) ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/103 "2016-03-17T20:03:53Z")
> [@Dob](#): > > Not in a million years did I think our first black president would be named “Obama” so it wouldn’t suprise me if our first celebrity president is named “Trump”. Actually our first celebrity president was named “Reagan.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/104 "2016-03-17T20:27:58Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > His Hairness I like that double entendre. Think I’ll keep using it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/105 "2016-03-18T00:37:09Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > Actually our first celebrity president was named “Reagan.” Strictly B-list. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/106 "2016-03-18T00:39:09Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > . . . His Hairness . . . Sieg _Hair!_ ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/107 "2016-03-18T00:58:48Z")
Getting back to the OP: > [@astro](#): > > [David Remnick weighs in with his take on Trump](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/14/behind-the-trump-phenomenon) which I thought might have some interesting analysis given his gravitas as head of the New Yorker, but in tucking into it it’s just more disgusted pearl clutching, more elegantly stated than usual, but still the same as most liberal (and even many conservative) takes on Trump. IE ignorant, racist, gullible followers being led like rats by an evil, bloviating demagogic Pied Piper, rinse and repeat. > > Is this snapshot really accurate though? Yes. And we have to thank Trump for giving us direct evidence. > **[As Election Year Unfolds, Climate Concern Rises](https://thinc.blog/2016/03/17/as-election-year-unfolds-climate-concern-rises/)** > > Gallup: Americans are taking global warming more seriously than at any time in the past eight years, according to several measures in Gallup’s annual environment poll. Most emblematic is the … > **[As Election Year Unfolds, Climate Concern Rises](https://thinc.blog/2016/03/17/as-election-year-unfolds-climate-concern-rises/)** > > Gallup: Americans are taking global warming more seriously than at any time in the past eight years, according to several measures in Gallup’s annual environment poll. Most emblematic is the … **Woman’s question** : “I’m a volunteer with a leading conservation voters group and we want to know about what your plan is to reduce pollution that is driving climate change and endangering public health.” **Trump** : “That’s an interesting question. Let me ask you a question… Ok, so we have global, let me ask you this, ok to [hissing and some boos from the crowd] take it easy… How many people, how many people here believe in global warming? [Turns around looks for hands up] You believe in global warming? Who believes in global warming? Who believes in global warming? Raise your hand, nobody? \* **One person** …” - This is worse than ignorance, it is malpractice. Even professional “skeptics” tell us that global warming is happening but is natural, so the answer should had been yes, but not even that :smack: What fake skeptics deny is the climate change that that warming brings and that it is human caused. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/108 "2016-03-18T01:16:51Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > Actually our first celebrity president was named “Reagan.” Or Jack Kennedy. Or Teddy Roosevelt. Or George Washington. If “celebrity president” means someone who was a celebrity and nothing else before taking office, then Trump is probably it. Reagan had already moved from _mere_ celebrity to state governor before he was elected president. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/109 "2016-03-18T01:19:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > The major difference is that Obama wasn’t clearly an idiot and a danger to the American way of life. Trump is. > > Hillary will win. Book it. > > (Well, barring some major disaster that forces her out of the race. If that happens, we either hope for President Sanders or we’re all just screwed when His Hairness takes the oath of office.) Also a recession. If China collapses and pulls the world into a recession, that could make a difference especially after Trump tacks towards the center. Koch et al plan a big ad drop on Hillary (or any Democratic candidate) as well. Even if the GOP nominates Trump. I question their judgment. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/110 "2016-03-18T01:27:08Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Also a recession. If China collapses and pulls the world into a recession, that could make a difference especially after Trump tacks towards the center. > > Koch et al plan a big ad drop on Hillary (or any Democratic candidate) as well. Even if the GOP nominates Trump. I question their judgment. I would question their sanity too if that happens because Koch already put on the record that: [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/charles-koch-2016-presidential-race-217499](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/charles-koch-2016-presidential-race-217499) > [@](#): > > [Charles] Koch also bashed the candidates currently leading the Republican field — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and businessman Donald Trump. Koch said that **if Trump was successful with his proposal to require all Muslims entering the U.S. to register with the government, then “well, then you destroy our free society.”** > > “Who is it that said, ‘If you want to defend your liberty, the first thing you’ve got to do is defend the liberty of people you like the least’?” he continued. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/111 "2016-03-18T01:49:08Z")
I don’t want to sound like a CTer, but I place very little credence in what Kochs or other high rollers say in public. All of it is chosen situationally to produce a desired reaction and none of it represents their true opinion. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/112 "2016-03-18T01:59:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I don’t want to sound like a CTer, but I place very little credence in what Kochs or other high rollers say in public. All of it is chosen situationally to produce a desired reaction and none of it represents their true opinion. Maybe, but the end result is to get voters and to help elect representatives that are ignorant… with an ignorance that “coincidentally” helps their business to be free of regulations. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/113 "2016-03-18T05:46:48Z")
Googling, I see that [Koch Bros circle mostly decided not to ad-bomb Trump](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/15/koch-brothers-republican-donors-disappointed-donald-trump-attacks). As for this Fall [they are publicly undecided](http://journalstar.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/trump-as-gop-presidential-nominee-could-lean-on-party-money/article_357900dd-ad83-5cf6-ae50-38f36204fe6d.html). Also, there’s nothing CT about observing that these groups keep their cards close to their chests. Part of free speech in the age of Citizen’s United I guess. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/114 "2016-03-18T07:27:58Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Maybe, but the end result is to get voters and to help elect representatives that are ignorant… with an ignorance that “coincidentally” helps their business to be free of regulations. Yes of course. My point was that Charles Koch is no friend of good civics and traditional American “freedom” as a simple reading of his quote might imply. ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/115 "2016-03-21T14:52:35Z")
so I saw this on my FB wall today, shared by a FB friend of mine. I just dont know how you can combat this type of ignorance. It saddens me that people read this and are swayed or inspired to support Trump because of it. Bleh… Troy Life 8 March at 05:55 · Merritt Island, FL · Try to keep this in mind, Donald Trump did not steal your money. Donald Trump did not raise your taxes. Donald Trump did not quadruple the price of food. Trump is not stirring a race war. Trump did not leave any US soldiers in Benghazzi to be slaughtered and desecrated by Muslims. Trump did not send the US Navy to fight for Syrian Al-Qaeda. Trump did not arm ISIS and systematically exterminate Christians throughout the Middle East. Trump did not betray Israel. Trump did not provide financing and technology to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Trump did not give our military secrets to China. Trump did not remove our nuclear missile shield in Poland at the behest of Russia. Trump did not shrivel our military, and betray our veterans. Trump did not cripple our economy. Trump did not increase our debt to 20 trillion dollars. Trump did not ruin our credit, twice. Trump did not double African American unemployment. Trump did not increase welfare to a record level for eight years. Trump did not sign a law making it legal to execute, and imprison Americans. Trump did not set free all of terrorists in Guantanamo bay. Trump did not steal your rights, violate US Constitutional law, or commit treason, hundreds of times. Yet Trump is being ripped apart in the news, non stop. Barrack Hussein Obama, Hillary Clinton and the criminals occupying our government, are not. The media is the Democratic Party. Save our culture. Stop listening to them. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167/116 "2016-03-21T15:23:11Z")
So, “Troy”. Donald Trump did not… Donald Trump did not… Donald Trump did not… Donald Trump is really useless… Bad enough that he is ignorant on many issues that will affect millions (Anti vaccine) It is even worse when his ignorance will affect billions (Climate Change denial) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-making-wrong-lazy-assumptions-about-trumps-appeal-his-followers/748167.md?page=5)