Bloomberg Politics held a focus group of supporters of Donald Trump in New Hampshire and let me tell you that the resulting article is dangerous because nearly ever word threatens to leap off the page and taser you with Stupid.
But before I get into all that let me just clear something up. What have I been saying about these folks? Well, I am right.
Trump’s remarks about whether McCain, the Arizona senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, should be described as a war hero rubbed some in the group the wrong way.
“I thought that was disrespectful,” said Jean, a banker. “Regardless of whether he [McCain] was technically a war hero or not, it was disrespectful.”
As for Trump’s characterization of undocumented immigrants as “rapists,” however, many in the room said it didn’t bother them.
Trump’s racism is no obstacle for these people, which they freely admit. What they’re less willing to say is that his racism is his primary appeal.
And if you think the McCain thing bothered them, well, it bothered some of them a little bit, but others not so much.
“I haven’t heard a lot of positions,” Andy said. “But one thing is when he takes a position, and I’ll use the John McCain thing, he didn’t turn around two days later and say ‘Oh no, that’s not what I’m supposed to say.’ He stayed with what he believed in, and that’s, to me, what I’m looking for.”
This is a guy who went around the country for a year telling people that the president was a fraud who was born in Kenya and faked his birth-certificate. And that’s what this guy Andy is looking for.
Now, take a look at this (emphasis mine):
“Donald Trump is strong,” Nick, a home inspector, said. “He carries a sentiment and frustrations that I think a lot of Americans are going through and feeling right now. He’s the one that’s able to articulate that, and bring those frustrations to light. I believe him when he talks.”
“He says it like it is,” said Jessica, a data analyst, during the focus group in the first-in-the-nation primary state, conducted by Purple Strategies at St. Anselm College in Manchester. “He speaks the truth.”
Saying whatever damn thing pops into you head isn’t the same thing as being “strong” or being believable or speaking the truth. But for some people, simply being obnoxious is a precious virtue. This guy thinks he’d be a great president:
“I think he’d be calling out everybody,” John, a construction worker, said. “I think it’d be pretty good.”
This guy can’t wait for the insane press conferences:
“I think it would be exciting,” Roger said. “I really do. I look forward to it. It’ll be an interesting thing every day.”
When asked what a Trump presidency would be like, this woman revealed that she’s never been to Atlantic City:
“Classy,” said Cheryl, a real estate agent.
And this guy wins the award for being a moron:
“Specifically, he said he’ll put a wall on the southern border,” Roger, who works with the elderly, said. “When you talk about common sense, that’s a common-sense thing to do.”
But, for my money, this woman has my favorite quote:
“He’s like one of us. He may be a millionaire, which separates him from everybody else, but besides the money issue, he’s still in tune with what everybody is wanting,” Janet, a former dog breeder, said.
He’s actually a billionaire. You’re a former dog breeder. And he’s in tune with what you’re wanting because he called Mexicans a bunch of rapists and suggested building a 2,000-mile wall to keep the out? Because he called a bunch of people “losers”?
Maybe the next time Janet is clipping coupons she’ll find a discount on a brain.
Shorter Donald Trump:
“Our problems are all because of the {insert various racial epithets here}. I’ll put them in their place and everything will be fine.”
Booman Tribune ~ Trump is Classy, Tells the Truth
The scary thing is that some of these people hold responsible jobs for which an education and some respect for evidence is required… But isn’t it always so much easier to blame all your problems on others? It worked for the Nazis, and Republicans are beginning to look more like National Socialists every day…
I can’t say I entirely agree that anyone else could get the bump Trump is getting if they vigorously espoused some hateful shit. We can’t rule out that Trump’s personal story of obscene wealth appeals to the lumpenproletariat’s “temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”
A lot of these people, if they got rich they’d live and act like Trump. No surprise why he gets their support
Waiting for open mic where Trump will blast these folks, his followers, as the real Stupids. If he were truly as great as he tells them he is wouldn’t he be able to gain favor amongst the smarter or at least better informed set? Why is he only able to grab the low hanging fruited minds?
This is not the least bit surprising. Trump talks like these folks think. And they like it.
Well, I do agree that the presidential press conferences would be interesting. Can’t argue with that.
Yep, folks, The Donald is just like you. And he really truly cares about you and your little lives. Or you could be a sucker.
How did that big, long wall thing work out for China?
a wall doesn’t work as well if you put it in the middle of the country; otoh it’s good for the tourist industry
I think this all is very sad; they have no idea what the job of prez is about. that I blame on the GOP
In the wake of the outrage of the hunting and killing of Cecil, this isn’t going help tRump Photos of Donald Trump’s adult sons hunting in Africa resurface,
Such spoiled little boys.
Just like the sons of Trump admirers. (Well, they will be as soon as their mommies and daddies strike it rich.)
Someone in the media gets it too:
By accident or design the media is enabling the Trump phenomenon. Take his claim of ‘leading’ among Hispanics, for example. This is based on a complete misinterpretation of the favourables in a PPP poll recently in which Hispanics represented a tiny fraction of the population surveyed and Trump’s astronomical unfavourables with them completely ignored. This is pure spin and bollocks. No mainstream article repeating this now canonical claim has mentioned this. All a journalist would need to do is find and open the poll and spend a few minutes reading the crosstabs. But no. That’s not the job any more.
We are dancing with the stars among the ashes of responsible citizenship.
This incident clarifies the question of whether this particular part of the media is enabling the Trump phenomenon by accident or design:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bloomberg-politics-trump-supporter-dispute
“DeBurro told TPM that she believed the video was selectively edited and that the questions [Bloomberg News co-managing editor John Heilemann, who led the focus group] asked were engineered to get the focus group participants to speak positively about the real estate mogul.
“The questions were geared mostly toward the positive,” she said. “They were all ‘tell me something you like about him’ or ‘what makes him appealing to voters.’ It was all positive-focused, not ‘what do you not like’ or ‘why do you like this other candidate better.'”
DeBurro said that focus group participants did voice concerns that Trump was a “hothead” and may “say something really stupid.” She added that she had the impression that the focus group would be talking about all the Republican presidential candidates until the focus group settled into the studio.
“They were looking specifically for conservative voters and they asked us for our three choices,” DeBurro recalled. “So I didn’t realize it was entirely about Trump until we got there and [Heilemann] said ‘Oh we’re going to talk about him, mostly.'”
And then this amusing coup de grace:
“Reached by phone, a Bloomberg Politics spokeswoman declined to comment.”
Fuck calling the spokeswoman. Heilemann and Bloomburg Politics Managing Editor/Matt Drudge fanboy Mark Halperin need to be made to answer to this personally.
I’m sure Joe will really light into Mark and John the next time they’re on the teevee at 6 am EST, disturbing the children with all their mutual cockpulling.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/07/29/morning-joe-host-throws-temper-tantrum-pulls-plug-on-segment-she-d
oesnt-like-video/
Mika can usually be counted on to lend her hands as well.
Appreciate Bai’s shout-out to Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death” — that book was deeply upsetting when I first read it decades ago; it’s even more upsetting and disturbing to see how Postman’s predictions are playing out.
And it predicted the success of someone like Trump, not their failure.
You did have to go and mention that, didn’t you.
Now I’m even more depressed. Thanks ever!
It always seems darkest before the dawn; I’m hoping for catharsis and renewal but pitchforks and torches are apparently still on the menu.
Yeh, well, I just hope that light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a locomotive careening at us.
Goddamn. I’m surprised no one said how modest he is.