This article, however, states that felons are disproportionately young, male, African American, and less educated than general voters, and young black males are more likely to be Democratic than the average voter regardless of criminal history. In fact, most of the research cited in the article on the political preferences of felons is not from real statistics on the felons themselves, but is merely extrapolated from the political preferences of non-felons of similar demographics.
I’m not seeing anything therein indicating that people with criminal records are more likely to be Democratic than their law-abiding peers.
Fair enough. I’m not sure why it would even matter, what the larger point is; when it was clear that the analogy failed even if the claim were 100% true, I got lazy with digging into the analysis :).
We shouldn’t be afraid to address existing racism (which yes does indeed exist), but TRUMP voters are the best prospects for the Democratic Party to fish out of the GOP in this election cycle-they are the ones who’ve seen through the naked and blatant plutocratic, economist agenda of the Republican Party.
What the everloving Christ on a Christmas cracker? I take it that if Democrats want to find the Republicans who’ve seen through the naked and blatant theocratic agenda of the Republican Party, they should court Santorum supporters?
Edit: Goddammit, you’re whooshing me, aren’t you. Gotta be.
One similarity is the fairly widespread belief among the left that the Tea Party and Trump supporters are, as the the OP thought of the KKK, a bunch of redneck yokels. This is a short sighted, though perhaps comforting belief (classism aside).
Leftist intellectuals have been predicting a right wing backlash for years, but I think Chris Hedges pretty much predicted Trump and Cruz right here.
Empire of Illusion was 2009. A tad cynical, but it fits.
No I’m about as serious as a human being can be. As this article notes, TRUMP supporters are disproportionately ex-Democrats as well working-class in background. It is no coincidence TRUMP is running economically to the left of most other Republicans in the race and advancing a populist agenda palatable to the white working-class.
That was the 20th Century KKK. The original, Reconstruction-era KKK was mostly gentry – classically educated landowning, former-slaveowning gentry. The sort whose descendants in the 1950s found expression in the Citizens’ Councils or “Uptown Klan”.
The SPLC covers hate-groups in general (including black nationalists, the Jewish Defense League, sovereign citizens, etc.). They don’t overemphasize the Klan, and I know not a single instance of their exaggerating the size of any.
Everyone but the WNs is happy about that. It is possible to be happy smallpox and polio are no longer with us without relaxing about AIDS, Ebola, Zika, bird flu, etc.
And to extend the analogy even further, just because one person (someone like astorian) isn’t at risk of contracting polio doesn’t mean another person (someone who is not white) enjoys the same low risk. It is easy for those outside of the hot zone to be cavalier. They aren’t the ones being hurt.
People who support Trump don’t see themselves ever being the ones being thrown on the other side of the wall he promises to build. They believe their skin color, religion, and cultural backgrounds will protect them from his wrecking ball. I almost hope he becomes president so these fools will learn how much he cares about the “common” man.
No, they believe their nationality will keep them on the right side of the wall. Pan-racial nationalism is more and more of a thing, and Trump has tapped into it.
To be fair, I don’t think Trump is really a racist. Racists think they’re better than other people based on the color of their skin. Trump thinks he’s better than everyone based on the fact that he’s Donald Trump.
He’s perfectly happy to exploit racism and racists for his own benefit, of course, just as he’s happy to exploit everything else to that end. He’s The Donald.
To expand on monstro’s comment, ask any Indian American (many are Hindu or Christian) if they think that their nationality will keep them on the right side of the wall. There are quite a few Mexican Americans who also feel that their nationality will not keep them on the right side of the wall.
No racists think people of their race are superior to those of other races. This is independent of whether or not they think they themselves are the best ever. Trump clearly believes the latter (or at least plays that game openly). That doesn’t mean he’s racist or not racist. It’s other statements he makes which indicate racism.