# The Alt-Right is Abandonign Trump, and the Left Will Soon Give Him "Strange New Respect" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 7, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010 "2017-04-07T21:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/61 "2017-04-08T18:31:26Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > If he does so publically, he’s likely in violation of ethic rules. > > [Psychiatrists Reminded To Refrain From Armchair Analysis Of Public Figures : Shots - Health News : NPR](http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/08/13/489807468/psychiatrists-reminded-to-refrain-from-armchair-analysis-of-public-figures) That’s why it falls on the rest of us to call Trump out on his deplorable acts and attitudes. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/62 "2017-04-08T18:32:25Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Not really. Why did you say it in the first place? So this is what Trump supporters are reduced to? The only thing you can latch onto is nitpicking whether Trump is clinically deranged, or merely obviously deranged? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/63 "2017-04-08T19:16:23Z")
My republican sister and her republican friends keep assuring me that I will be “surprised” by what a good, competent president Trump turns out to be. My sister is a well educated intelligent human being; her circle of friends includes successful professionals and retired high ranking military officers, one of whom is a classic example of American success—a self-made\* millionaire who was born and raised in poverty on a hard scrabble dirt farm. Whatever else might be said about these people, they are not stupid and yet all of them voted for Trump. None of them can or will give me any **sensible** reason for doing so. The most popular reason they give is that Trump is “not Hillary.” I have heard a couple of them say that Trump must be brilliant because one doesn’t become a billionaire by being stupid. Another one recently said that he watches only Fox news because he can always depend on Fox news to “tell the truth” and that’s a quote. I confess that sometimes these people make me doubt myself because I absolutely **know** that Trump is totally unfit to shovel shit much less govern my country; I wonder how I can be so assured of that when all those well educated intelligent people assure me that I am wrong. \*I can’t cite the source because I’ve forgotten it but I once read that “self-made men were often perfect examples of unskilled workmanship.” ---
**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:** [April 8, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/64 "2017-04-08T19:37:50Z")
Not much to add to the chorus here. The OP seems to have fallen into the dichotomy that somebody is either a Pure R or a Pure D. There is no mixing between them nor is there any other third or fourth way to think or act. Which is of course nonsense. Trump isn’t R or D. He’s T, a party of one, with the governing slogan of “All for me and me for me!” And actual governance, even by a clown car of avaricious incompetence, is far less litmus-test pure than is campaigning and spouting rhetoric to friendly audiences. He absolutely campaigned and won with the support and connivance of the R party and the R-leaning citizenry. The Ds will be eager to ensure that every harmful thing Trump does is prominently labeled “Brought to you by the R party”. In some sense that’ll be truth in labeling and in another it’ll at least sometimes be an exaggeration. I’d also caution the OP against thinking that Bannon is banished or that Bannon’s ideas are banished. IMO what motivates Trump the most is the chance to obtain money and the chance to experience mass adulation. If sidelining Bannon causes Trump’s applause-o-meter to drop a bunch, expect Bannon or somebody similar to make a comeback. Cause sure as hell, the mainstream Ds and the thinking establishment Rs aren’t going to fill the growing silence with their own applause. We’re what, 80-ish days into a 1460 day marathon? So about 5%. There’s plenty of time for the alt-right to resurge. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/65 "2017-04-08T19:51:09Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > No, but you do have to be a medical professional to make a clinical diagnosis. Do you not agree? So, suddenly we value expert opinions? I thought that was antithetical to the core values of Trumpism (seat of the pants-ism, just saying, etc). ---
**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:** [April 8, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/66 "2017-04-08T19:52:32Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > If he does so publically, he’s likely in violation of ethic rules. > > [Psychiatrists Reminded To Refrain From Armchair Analysis Of Public Figures : Shots - Health News : NPR](http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/08/13/489807468/psychiatrists-reminded-to-refrain-from-armchair-analysis-of-public-figures) Because public pronouncements change the reality. Oh right, I forgot, you’re a Republican. They do for you. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/67 "2017-04-08T20:11:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > … I’d also caution the OP against thinking that Bannon is banished or that Bannon’s ideas are banished. IMO what motivates Trump the most is the chance to obtain money and the chance to experience mass adulation. > > If sidelining Bannon causes Trump’s applause-o-meter to drop a bunch, expect Bannon or somebody similar to make a comeback. Cause sure as hell, the mainstream Ds and the thinking establishment Rs aren’t going to fill the growing silence with their own applause. > … ^This. If Trump goes on lobbing missiles and that results in huge, cheering rally crowds, then the ‘America First’ alt-right and Bannon himself will remain on the outskirts. But if the military coffins start being loaded off the planes at Dover Air Force Base en masse, and the cheering starts turning to criticism, then Steverino will be back in the place of honor. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/68 "2017-04-08T21:50:13Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > then Steverino will be back in the place of honor. Bannon crawling back after getting fired? What a cuck thing to do! ---
**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:** [April 8, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/69 "2017-04-08T22:25:43Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > … > If Trump goes on lobbing missiles and that results in huge, cheering rally crowds, then the ‘America First’ alt-right and Bannon himself will remain on the outskirts. But if the military coffins start being loaded off the planes at Dover Air Force Base en masse, and the cheering starts turning to criticism, then Steverino will be back in the place of honor. I don’t know that you can set up the alt-right MAGA crowd and the anti-Muslim jingoists as separate and antithetical groups. I don’t claim to be an expert on Bannon’s “manifesto” for lack of a better term, but ISTM there’s a massive overlap between membership in the two groups. Or did I misunderstand your point? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/70 "2017-04-08T23:36:25Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Bannon crawling back after getting fired? What a cuck thing to do! He’d find a way to spin it. Long before he became part of the Trump campaign, after all, he did say some not-so-complementary things about Trump–yet managed to go to work for the T. campaign. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I don’t know that you can set up the alt-right MAGA crowd and the anti-Muslim jingoists as separate and antithetical groups. > I don’t claim to be an expert on Bannon’s “manifesto” for lack of a better term, but ISTM there’s a massive overlap between membership in the two groups. > Or did I misunderstand your point? I do see the part of MAGA that’s fairly classified as ‘alt-right’ as being pretty much the same as the anti-Muslim jingoists–however, many of the alt-right MAGA crowd, while being happy to see aggression against Muslims, would prefer to see that aggression take place here in the USA. They don’t like to see investment of American treasure (or even blood) overseas. There’s a strong strain of isolationism in much “nationalism,” even when you consider “nationalism” to be a euphemism for “white supremacist.” A lot of those people, while on some level emotionally responding positively to missile strikes (perhaps identifying with the "big dog’ image inherent in the use of military force), still display overt anger at the idea of getting involved in another boots-on-the-ground war. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/71 "2017-04-08T23:56:16Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Oh right, I forgot, you’re a Republican. They do for you. > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What a cuck thing to do! Neither of these comments are appropriate in Great Debates. Knock it off. [/Moderating] ---
**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:** [April 9, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/72 "2017-04-09T00:00:12Z")
@ **Sherrerd** : Fair enough. Makes sense. The “deport 'em all” crowd would be just as glad to have a muscular large Army that never does much. Especially since the working class does most of the being wounded or killed when the Army does do something. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/73 "2017-04-09T00:19:25Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Neither of these comments are appropriate in Great Debates. > Knock it off. > > [/Moderating] Sorry, it seemed well within satirical norms, i.e. if one wants to destroy Bannon, use the language that his followers typically direct at others in an attempt to accelerate their abandonment of him, rather like spreading a rumour that an unlikable politician who has pandered to extremists has betrayed them by not being extreme _enough_, and watching his former supporters savagely turn on him. Is “cuck” in any context considered inappropriate for GD? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/74 "2017-04-09T02:07:32Z")
It appears to be true that the white-supremacist/alt-right strain of conservatism [url=“http://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2017/04/07/donald-trump-globalist-cuck-alt-rightists-leap-off-of-trump-train-after-syria-betrayal/”]is very distressed with Trump right now. But AFAICT there is no shred of evidence supporting the OP’s contention that the left are experiencing any detectable increase in liking, support, or respect for Trump. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/75 "2017-04-09T03:31:59Z")
If in fact the worst of the alt-right is losing patience with their figurehead after a mere 80ish days they’re demonstrating they’re not a political force with much staying power. One is unimpressed by their mighty revolution. Here’s hoping they go back to watching _Duck Dynasty_ and leave the rest of us (Ds and Rs) to manage the country at least a little like grown-ups. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/76 "2017-04-09T04:06:03Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > 1/2 Cabinet + the VP voting to eject Trump would be 100x easier. It wouldn’t work. First off, the Vice President and the cabinet can’t just decide to remove the President for any reason. They have to declare that the President is unable to perform the duties of his office. Trump may be a terrible President but he is doing the job. But even if Pence and the cabinet were willing to oust Trump, he can overrule their declaration by declaring himself to be capable. Pence and the cabinet can refute this but the matter goes to Congress for them to decide. Congress might as well just skip all those steps and go directly to impeachment if it’s going to end up being their decision anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CatandMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@CatandMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatandMouse)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/77 "2017-04-09T06:50:31Z")
The Left will give Clown Shoes strange new respect. Lol, now that’s funny. I wouldn’t hold your breath. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2017, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/78 "2017-04-09T12:49:42Z")
As others have said … As a leftist I’ll gladly take any crumbs Trump accidentally drops our way. But I’ll be an ungrateful shit about it and won’t accord him any respect over it. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is only slightly better than doing the wrong thing for the right reason. If it turns out that Trump gets played like a fiddle by the forces of Progressivism I’ll be positively gleeful. I also think the odds of that are right up there with me winning the Powerball. Twice in one week. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/79 "2017-04-09T15:44:06Z")
I wouldn’t buy the second ticket, I would be so immersed in every depraved form of hedonism I couldn’t be bothered. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010/80 "2017-04-09T16:39:51Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > It appears to be true that the white-supremacist/alt-right strain of conservatism [url=“http://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2017/04/07/donald-trump-globalist-cuck-alt-rightists-leap-off-of-trump-train-after-syria-betrayal/”]is very distressed with Trump right now. > > But AFAICT there is no shred of evidence supporting the OP’s contention that the left are experiencing any detectable increase in liking, support, or respect for Trump. Like they say, it’s not news until [wehuntedmammoth.com](http://wehuntedmammoth.com) reports it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alt-right-is-abandonign-trump-and-the-left-will-soon-give-him-strange-new-respect/784010.md?page=5)