Posted on 07/26/2015 4:57:56 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It isn't hard to figure out what's driving the so-called Donald Trump phenomenon that just prompted one-quarter of America's likely Republican voters to say in a poll he's the one they want to be our commander-in-chief.
What's harder to figure out is why the Trump phenomenon blindsided the Republican Party's presidential pack, the working press and the parasitic punditocracy. And why we keep being surprised every time this happens.
After all, this political driving force isn't really about The Donald or his billions; and it is as old as politics itself. It's about the way things happen -- and often collide -- at the campaign trail intersection of populism and pandering. As we've noted here before, it's no phenomenon, just a fact that was documented way back in 1968, by a young Newsday Washington correspondent covering an independent presidential candidate who seemed to have just a regional appeal -- Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace.
Earlier, in 1963, Wallace famously declared "Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!" and tried to block the integration of the University of Alabama. But President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy sent federal officials and 100 Alabama National Guard troops who escorted two African-American students peacefully to school. Five months later, President Kennedy was assassinated. Five years later, in 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April. And then, then-Sen. Robert Kennedy was assassinated on the June night he won California's Democratic presidential primary. In September, Wallace took his anti-big government crusade up North -- and drew big crowds.
Northerners cheered Wallace's jabs against "pointy-headed intellectuals who can't even park a bicycle straight," federal bureaucrats whose briefcases contained "nothing but peanut butter sandwiches!"
Folks whooped every time he told anti-war protesters he had two four-letter words for them: "work" and "soap."
So Newsday's correspondent began asking Wallace rally-goers one question: Which candidate did they like before Wallace came north? Many answered: "Bobby Kennedy." It sounded mind-boggling to 1968 ears. So the correspondent asked: Why did you shift from a big-government, pro-integration, liberal Vietnam War dove to a small-government, state's rights, pro-segregation, Vietnam War hawk? Folks replied they never thought of it that way.
"Sure I voted for Bobby," in New Jersey's springtime primary, said a Newark postman proudly wearing a Wallace button (and proud of his Bobby Kennedy autograph back home). "He had the same thing Wallace has got that none of the other politicians have: guts. Bobby was a good man because he was not afraid. Now Wallace is the only guy who isn't talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time trying to please everyone at once."
Mrs. Clifford Dupree, an Edison, N.J., housewife saw her shift from Kennedy to Wallace as a consistency, not a contradiction, because: "They say what they mean and they don't beat around the bush."
Fast-forward to 2015: Those 1968 answers should seem familiar to you. That's what today's voters say they like about Trump, what 1992 and 1996 voters said they liked about billionaire presidential candidate Ross Perot -- and what many say about statewide tea party candidates.
People are drawn to candidates who make things sound simple and make promises people want to hear. Even when candidates offer no actual plan. If you can't trust a man who made billions to make good things happen, who can you trust?
Still, you can also trust Trump will go too far. Hours after his shameful Saturday belittling of Sen. John McCain's Vietnam prisoner of war heroism, the Washington Post/ABC News poll showing Trump at 24 percent also showed his support was dropping.
Millions who watch reality TV believe they are watching reality. The Donald knows reality is like sincerity -- if you can fake it, you've got it made. So Trump's believers aren't bothered by his birther blasphemies and reality distortions. The reality they know is it's harder than ever for middle class people to pay their bills, while only the rich are getting richer.
Trump's believers are our reality. That's why it was wrong, but understandable, for a fed-up McCain to call Trump's audiences "crazies." They are America's fed-up voters of 2015. They desperately want to be led and are easily misled.
They are drawn to Trumps, Perots and tea party fulminators for the same reason they might heed the impassioned command of filmdom's iconic Howard Beale -- if that truth-talking anchor in "Network" (played by actor Peter Finch) implored them on today's reality TV, as he did in that 1976 film classic:
"I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell: 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!'"
If you hear those words echoing through America's swing-voting cul du sac suburbs on election night 2016, you will know America's fed-up, mad-as-hell voters just chose your next president.
The amusing thing is that Trump could actually win 30 of the state primaries, with the rest split among five candidates, and still lose the convention because of the VIP/special delegate rule (#13). They’d ensure he doesn’t win. By doing so....it would tick enough right-wing voters to just stay home and Hillary would win.
Maybe.
Trump is catching an emotional wave of anger that people feel toward the government, but Trump is a cerebral guy too. You don't make billions unless you're smart. Trump is smart. So the emotional side of his campaign is just part of the picture.
And as a Plan B -- If Trump flames out by over-playing the outrage and anger, we have Cruz who is more politically savvy, a very smart guy, and just about the best debater in the world.
If Trump doesn't go the distance, he will at least prepare the ground for Cruz to win it all. Full disclosure: Cruz is my #1 and Trump is my #2.
My aunt who lived in Atlanta, GA, actually met Wallace, and said that in person, he was quite charismatic.
And he was forced to hold his tongue.
Now as a candidate, Trump can say all the things he was thinking about lowlife politicans back then.
He's been unleashed....free to be....must feel good.
I agree.
Why would we want to hire this narcissist after what we’ve experienced with the current one?
Yes, Trump is saying all the right things. Saying them. And, many agree with his points, including me. But lets face it. He’s always been out for himself, and that’s not going to change.
These people are so clueless and smug. They really do not deserve to earn a living in this field. Sure, just compare him to george wallace or eugene mccarthy. It is articles like this that are so simplistic and yet off the mark that gives trump appeal. The author talks about pandering? The republican base has been pandered to for 30 years. This author will never grasp it.
Why nothing about Reagan, who's probably the best comparison to the Trump phenomena? Oh, shocker....Stephanopolous just gave an honest, objective appraisal. Has hell frozen over???
He's already got everything any man could dream of. He's more like wanting to be the pilot of the plane....he survives the ride and we'll survive. I want that pilot to be out for himself! His ultimate legacy will be saving the US!
I’ve heard that from a number of people who actually met the guy, including black people. One even told me he was more charming that Bill Clinton without the suspicion he was lying to you. All of that grandstanding about segregation early in his career was the only thing which was political and not sincere about him.
Of course none of this has to do with people tired of Obama and socialism. It is the lower intellectuals fighting against what is good for them.
Pray America is waking
I see things pretty much as you do: Cruz/Trump—in that order seems like a dream team to me.
I hope you’re right. I just can’t see it that way. Yes, he has everything any normal person could possibly need or want. A narcissist always wants more.
I believe his best use is to drive the narrative more to the conservative side and get more conservatives out to vote. He’d be useful in another role in a Cruz administration. But he would not settle for that. His talk about a third party run would only hand this over to the left, and he knows it.
The writer uses Wallace but never once mentioned he was a Democrat. How typical is that. All the better to set the stage later for Trump as a racist. They haven’t really played that card yet but sooner or later will.
The masses have always craved bold, strong leadership.
Hitler appealed to that craving, rising to power from war-torn Germany to lead a nation to the brink of world domination.
Trump and Cruz both appeal to the same desire. Neither one will be a Hitler, but, like Hitler, neither has a real track record beyond their speeches.
When you look close, you see disturbing signs. Trump’s support of abortion, liberals and gay marriage. Cruz’s support for Iran, TPA and H1-B visas.
Would either be better than Obama? Yes, but our standards should not be that low.
Would either accomplish much beyond their speeches? Nobody knows for sure. Look at Obama....nice speeches, no real accomplishments.
Neither Trump nor Cruz have shown an ability to bring people together. Like Obama or Hitler, both have a “my way or no way” mindset.
Reagan had true leadership because he brought people to his cause by explaining (in very simple terms) why he was right.
Cruz has some of this talent, but has not employed it in his role in the Senate. I would like to see 8 years of a Governor Cruz before I pass judgement on him.
Trump may have written “The Art of the Deal” but his negotiations were typically with only a handful at a time, not with 535 at a time.
I guess this “author” is trying to insinuate that those wanting a closed boarder are racist.
Why else use Wallace as an example?
What a pantload.
Are you high, drunk or both?
Comparing Trump to Wallace is just a transparent smear.
Maybe Trump, being of that era, wants to wake up the beast, US citizens, and also clean out the DC sewer? It's a common desire among my peers, whatever our politics.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.