Posted on 12/31/2015 5:54:01 PM PST by Kaslin
That’s odd. What could Democrats possibly see in a lifelong true conservative like Donald Trump?
There’s something for everyone in Nate Cohn’s new post. If you’re a Trump fan, here’s the smoking gun that he really is a new Reagan, the guy who’s going to broaden the tent and sweep to victory in November by bringing centrist Democrats into the GOP. If you’re a Trump critic, here’s further proof that he’s the RINO of RINOs, a man who’s blended nationalism, center-left economics, and Jacksonian foreign policy into something that tastes better to members of the other party than it does to conservatives. That sounds a lot like Perotism, frankly — except, according to the (Democratic) pollster who provided Cohn with data, Trump’s geographic support is the opposite of Perot’s. Perot did best in the west and in New England. Trump cleans up in the south, up through Appalachia, and into the industrial northeastern states like New York. How do you explain that?
Cohn’s theory, comparing Trump’s map of support to a map of “racially charged Internet searches,” is that prejudice is driving some of his votes. There was nothing comparable in Perot’s campaign to Trump inveighing against rapists from Mexico and calling for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. (There’s no disputing that Trump is the favored candidate of the white nationalists of the “alt-right.”) On the other hand, how many Trump voters in economically distressed industrial areas in the eastern U.S. like Trump’s immigration rhetoric because they “hate” Mexicans and how many simply want less competition from foreign labor in the name of bringing back jobs to America? According to Cohn, Trump’s best state is West Virginia; West Virginia also happens to be the only state in the U.S. where (as of March of this year) less than half of the adult civilian population is employed. Being a protectionist doesn’t make you a racist. Either way, though, this part is certainly true — and important to the future of the GOP:
In many of these areas, a large number of traditionally Democratic voters have long supported Republicans in presidential elections. Even now, Democrats have more registered voters than Republicans do in states like West Virginia and Kentucky, which have been easily carried by Republicans in every presidential contest of this century. As recently as a few years ago, Democrats still had a big advantage in partisan self-identification in the same states.
But during the Obama era, many of these voters have abandoned the Democrats. Many Democrats may now even identify as Republicans, or as independents who lean Republican, when asked by pollsters a choice that means they're included in a national Republican primary survey, whether they remain registered as Democrats or not.
Conn Carroll put it this way:
I think a big part of what explains Trump is the natural growing pains of the GOP assimilating big govt whites leaving the Dem Party.
— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) December 31, 2015
Right. The GOP is gradually becoming older and whiter due to white Democrats crossing the aisle for various reasons — contempt for some Democratic welfare programs, disagreement with progressives on cultural flashpoints like gay marriage, righteous disgust for the left’s insistence on open borders, racial anxiety, and so forth. On “values” issues, that influx of culturally conservative Dems will help entrench the GOP (for a while, at least) as a socially right-wing party despite more centrist tendencies among younger Republicans. Economically, though, it seems likely to do the opposite: Trump’s gone a long, long way this year preaching protectionism and zealous defense of entitlements, and as the Democratic constituency within the GOP grows, other Republican pols will feel pressure to follow suit. The Reagan revolution was about convincing centrist Dems to try smaller government and deregulation; the Trump revolution is about convincing them that big government will work for them with Donald Trump in charge. A populist would say that that’s really no different than what we have now, with GOP candidates preaching Reaganism to get elected and then practicing Trumpism once in office — except it’s Trumpism for the donor class, not for blue-collar voters. Reaganism remains the party’s ideological guiding star, though, at least for the moment. If Trump has a long run this year thanks to centrist Democrats coming out to vote for him in Republican primaries, does that change? How do you build a conservative party if a significant chunk of it is Democratic? Or do we no longer care about conservatism so long as we’ve got nationalism?
That’s the long-term problem. The short-term problem is one for Trump: How do you get these Democratic voters re-registered as Republicans and out to the polls in February? And if you’re Ted Cruz, how do you maintain your position as their second choice when you’re running as the staunchest conservative in the field? Maybe continuing to attack the “Washington cartel” without emphasizing too heavily how right-wing you are is enough. I’d be curious to see how Trump fans shake out, though, in a hypothetical match-up between Cruz and, say, Chris Christie after a month or two of Christie selling his own brand of alpha-male centrism on the trail beyond New Hampshire. If you want a guy who knows how to pander to Democratic voters and ostentatiously doesn’t care how boorish people find him, there’s an obvious choice. And it ain’t Ted Cruz.
Exit question: Is Trump’s Democratic support being oversold by Cohn? Look back at the numbers at the top. Even among registered Republicans, he’s just a hair shy of 30 percent support, enough to lead the field. Is that because a bunch of former Democrats have already re-registered as Republicans over the last 10 years and are responding to Trump? Or is Trump appealing in some ways even to longtime righties?
His WHOLE record.
Exactly! As a person, Trump isn't my cup of tea in many ways. (Actually, I don't like any of the candidates this year.) But he does have the most likely "path to victory" in 2016.
And if he can hire Katrina Pierson as his Press Secretary, how great would that be?
>>His WHOLE record.
Good. I did that already. I am satisfied that he is the right leader at this particular time because he possesses a unique set of qualities that America needs to lead it out of the Bush/Clinton/Obama mindset that holds us hostage to fears of succeeding.
Actually, I agree with skeeter.
I am sick of the establishment picking our candidate. I went along the last two elections but honestly, I feel like I was led like a lamb to the slaughter. The establishment arranged things to get the losers they wanted to get the winner they wanted. I am too tired of their game to keep playing.
If they get the loser/outcome they want this time, then what is the point?
You don’t feel like the game was rigged the last two elections?
“You want Hillary to be the new president? Admit it!!!”
Wow. Since I usually advocate not voting at all, then I guess by your logic that means I’m for her thighness as well?
LOL.
Really? I became impressed (not "twitterpated") with Trump when I read "The Art Of The Deal" back in the '90s. You imply that he isn't intelligent or deep ("pole dancer"). You would be wrong. I think that you may be the one guilty of shallow and superficial judgments, probably as the result of watching his TV show, whatever the title was. Just because you're tuned in to the celebrity thing doesn't mean everyone is.
You are most welcome. Happy New Year!
You have my sympathies. Probably best not to talk politics in your family. :-)
Perhaps you was one of them. (actually you are admitting it "Since I usually advocate not voting at all"
Which means I am blaming you and all the others who sat on their behinds for that arrogant pos' reelection.
I can forgive those idiot or uniformed voters who voted for him, but I will never forgive you and the others.
DEAL WITH IT
Would that be open borders, replace Obamacare with Romneycare, and not addressing the military at all, and...
That Romney?
LOL
Did you lean nothing from George Bush? NOTHING?
This electoral shift has been going on in fits and spurts since the Nixon administration. Maybe Trump can make this blue-collar move to the Republicans permanent.
This whole issue reminds me of a quote from The Donald himself from way back in 1990 when the electorate hadn’t transformed so drastically yet (and the Dems weren’t so hard-left cultural Marxist/progressive):
“Well, if I ever ran for office, I’d do better as a Democrat than as a Republican—and that’s not because I’d be more liberal, because I’m conservative. But the working guy would elect me. He likes me.”
Just yesterday, I heard the good news that a couple of social conservative relatives of mine who feel the Republican Party often screws over the little guy are supporting Trump. They voted for Obama in 2008 (I’m not totally sure who they supported in 2012).
It’s very telling. Trump is a big funder of Democrats. Maybe they all feel a sense of loyalty to the man who has done so much for them.
Deal with what? I actually did vote for that useless POS in the general. In a swing state no less. It was quite the epiphany for me and the point when I really started to question whether voting made any sense. Nothing like waiting in line to vote for willard to have you question your own actions.
It’s very possible. I wonder how they feel if is elected and does most of what he plans to with success, like building the wall so that future democrats can not sneak in, and deporting the illegals who are also future democrats?
I have read your homepage and your logic is nuts. You’re not worth replying to.
No one is complaining. Just pointing out the obvious: Trump’s support is not from conservatives because HE’S not a conservative.
If the GOP is going to elect a liberal Rockefeller-type, so be it. He’ll win fair and square. But no one should think this is any victory for conservatism. Quite the contrary, it will be a major setback. Trump is more liberal than any GOP nominee in the party’s, including the execrable Bob Dole and the vile John McStain.
Hank
LOL. And your strategy of voting for the latest uniparty shill with an R after their name has delivered such outstanding results.
“Significance” is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. But I’ve contributed twice and suspect I will at least once more if not more.
I even look forward to the increasingly creative solicitation emails!
Hank
If you’re a Trump critic, here’s further proof that he’s the RINO of RINOs, a man who’s blended nationalism, center-left economics, and Jacksonian foreign policy into something that tastes better to members of the other party than it does to conservatives.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Trump is no RINO, he is a unifier, and knows how to do it.
Yes, even Democrats want a job.
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