Another thing you are forgetting or ignoring is how strong political identity is to many people. Each party has a base that would vote for whomever had the party label.
I would not have voted for Trump, even if he ran as a Democrat. And I consider myself part of the party’s base.
Well, in my defense, do reads screen names? Lol
Yes, but do they actually realize that trade is a positive sum game? That when both parties to a negotiation walk away happy, that’s the best solution?
Most of the rhetoric on the right indicates that they believe that trade is zero sum, or even negative sum. They complain about automation / immigrants / offshoring is taking their jobs, while ignoring all of the benefits that come from reducing the cost of producing goods and services that we all use.
I’m not saying everyone who disagrees with me politically deserves to die. Just to clarify.
But the older white generation has some deeply dysfunctional people in it. Not all white people over 50 are dysfunctional voters (wildly misinformed, arrogant, OK with treason, dogmatic, zero concern for competence and professionalism, etc), but most dysfunctional voters who fit that bill are white people over age 50.
As I mentioned, 2/3 of the tea party is whites over 50. Another ~20% is whites under age 50 and 11% is non whites.
Even if only 1/3 of them pass on and are replaced by more moderate millennials, that’ll make it near impossible for someone like Trump or Moore to win in the future.
Right now we just have to keep the crazy aspects of the gop under control until enough die of old age to stop hurting the country.
I had my reservations on all the 17 or so republican candidates, but if any one of them were up, and trump was the dem candidate, I would have voted for the R. There are a few that I wouldn’t even have to really hold my nose for, even.
I’ve been happily here on the Emerald Isle for 12 years now, thanks. Got dual-citizenship through my mother’s mother who was born in County Galway.
I’d encourage any of you (Americans) with Irish ancestry who are concerned about the course of events to check into Irish citizenship. Was just a bit of paperwork and a couple hundred bucks to get an Irish passport which is - more importantly - also an EU passport. Never hurts to have extra options! 
I don’t think they would. Studies show the right has more authoritarian voters than the democrats in modern society. It may not have been that way 50 year ago but it is now.
If modern Trump ran as a Dem (he was a Dem for a long time) I wouldn’t vote for him. I’d vote R or third party.
Nothing fucks up this whole process more than this “It doesn’t matter how low my party sinks, if I repeat “They do it tooooo!” over and over and over again” mantra. There is no shame, no self-respect, no guilt-just soulless “winning”.
For this reason I think back to the McCarthy era when I’m looking for an example to reassure myself that we can survive Trump. A fascist Demagogue comes to power uses fear and hate to popularize the worst elements America and turn put it into practice. But eventually we overcame and now McCarthyism is generally recognized as a stain on our national character. So too in the decades to come will be Trumpism.
I am less concerned with the rise of the alt right than others on this board. I see this as a last gasp reaction to the steady progress towards equality over the last 60 years. Basically, the battle of the bulge in response to the Normandy invasion represented by Obama’s election. We take a few steps back as the rats that were content to sleep in the shadows are now motivated to bare their teeth, but the progress continues inexorably forward.
There are however two potential legacies of Trumpism that will be much harder to ferret out.
First, is the emperors new clothes realization that facts are irrelevant. Previously a propagandist was limited to spinning, exaggerating and reinterpreting the facts that existed. Now Trump has demonstrated that one can make statements totally divorced from reality and suffer no real coast. Now the only limits are the imagination and I don’t see how we go back to before this revelation.
Second is the conservative court packing. Six years of Republican obstruction combined with a brief interval of unchecked power and an utter lack of integrity, will mean that for the next 40 years or so over half of the judiciary will be made up of judges who the promotion of conservative ideology as the primary basis of jurisprudence. This combined with a Republican party that has no problem with taking whatever means necessary to ensure that elections are tilted in their favor, will mean that approval by simple majorities of the populace will no longer be sufficient to put Democrats in office.
So while there is always room for hope there are also strong causes for deep concern.
True but only one party actually had a candidate as toxic as Trump actually win the nomination. As a Democrat, Trump would probably have been lucky to come in 5th behind Jim Webb.
That’s total bullshit and you know it. Go back and read the post I responded to. That kind of post is almost a liberal signature and I, for one, really don’t want people like that in positions of authority.
This is the most worrisome thing of all IMHO. Especially “Republican party that has no problem with taking whatever means necessary to ensure that elections are tilted in their favor.” Party first, last, and always.
Ok. Your one vote doesn’t negate anything I said though.
You realize that the fear of global trade, automation, offshoring, and unrestricted migration are different fears and not even a left wing/right wing schism? It’s a can I compete in this environment concern. My family can. We are highly educated and compensated. We also think in terms of decades not week to week. Many others don’t have that luxury.
Which is why I think protectionism and isolationism are dangerous. I’d like to see a basic income and some spending increases in certain sectors. Unfortunately, that’s a tough sell.
It’s not just a few votes, democrats would not have elected him.
It is the party that you tend to identify with that promotes protectionism and isolationism. It is the party that I affiliate with that promotes things like a basic income and increased spending.
Realistically, can they just create a bunch of new judges like that? What mechanism do they have to do that?
The number of judges is set by congress. Congress can increase the number of seats to fill, then fill them.
It was tried about 100 years ago, and kinda shut down, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be tried again.
That’s easy to say. The truth is we don’t know how an alternative reality would have unfolded.
No. The Republicans are generally not anti trade. Times are changing and political coalitions are shifting. At the moment, “America first” talk is resonating. And it’s not resonating with just the typical Republican. It’s resonating with a lot of people in the US. Enough to help Trump win. I’m not going to re-argue the whole election cycle but I will remind you that the left helped Trump tremendously in order to troll the Republican primaries.
Proper increased spending is key. With regards to a basic income, get the Democrats to do a better job selling the idea while removing barriers to growth and you might start crushing the right.
They don’t have to create new judge positions. They will be filling vacancies. Read and weep.
“Trump Is Rapidly Reshaping the Judiciary. Here’s How.”
“Conservatives have a breathtaking plan for Trump to pack the courts”