Posted on 01/18/2016 8:47:32 PM PST by Another Post-American
f I asked you what most defines Donald Trump supporters, what would you say? They’re white? They’re poor? They’re uneducated?
You’d be wrong.
In fact, I’ve found a single statistically significant variable predicts whether a voter supports Trump—and it’s not race, income or education levels: It’s authoritarianism.
That’s right, Trump’s electoral strength—and his staying power—have been buoyed, above all, by Americans with authoritarian inclinations. And because of the prevalence of authoritarians in the American electorate, among Democrats as well as Republicans, it’s very possible that Trump’s fan base will continue to grow.
My finding is the result of a national poll I conducted in the last five days of December under the auspices of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, sampling 1,800 registered voters across the country and the political spectrum. Running a standard statistical analysis, I found that education, income, gender, age, ideology and religiosity had no significant bearing on a Republican voter’s preferred candidate. Only two of the variables I looked at were statistically significant: authoritarianism, followed by fear of terrorism, though the former was far more significant than the latter.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533#ixzz3xf7hJoqW
Thanks for being willing to denounce it. I was shocked and horrified that anyone would post it on Free Republic.
I just read this article, and it is spot on.
I’ve been very confused as to why supposed conservatives would not only support Trump, but be so vitriolic about it.
The guy has as many positions on issues as Romney — and probably more liberal.
Then it dawned on me: it’s the same cult of strongman personality that keeps the likes of Putin and others in power.
Lots of people want to be led and told what to do.
If this were true, then Trump supporters would also be Obama supporters, and Obama supporters would also be Trump supporters. But they’re not. So “authoritarianism” has nothing to do with it.
Re: Post 297 by the fascist Trumper
In fairness, the post sounds a lot better in the original German.
Anyone wanting a dictatorship in the US already has one in Obama.
No, Obama is not a strong man. He’s a girly man that uses real men to do his work.
What this group is looking for is a strong man.
Now a “strong man” authoritarian leader can be good or bad.
They come in all types: Mussolini, a Teddy Roseveldt, or Andrew Jackson. Even Bibi Netatanyahu from my home country.
I’d be interested to see how many Trump supporters also spoke fondly of Putin, for example.
Who doesn’t want a strong man in the WH? You want to go with another limp-wristed pussy?
Well, the article is about the supporters, not the candidates. Most Liberals want to feel like they are good people and doing good things (especially for the "victims" in life), and want the TV to validate these choices (which it happily does). The Left's leadership is absolutely authoritarian in it action and behaviors, but that is not what their supporters think they are supporting when they vote Dem. We all know MANY sweet ignorant folks, likely some females in our own families, that fit this description.
As for Trump supporters, I do not know if this pro-authoritarianism is a defining trait for most of them, but I can understand the motivation. The GOP, RNC, media, and Dems all deserve some massive come-uppance, and Trump seems to be a great choice for that... but Trump is also not likely to voluntarily constrain himself to Constitutional principles of Limited Government and Separation of Powers while he sets to doing what he wants to get done, which is why I still want Cruz. I can see the possible link being made in the article... but since the media is always trying to paint Conservatives as all Hitler wanna-be's, I also want to ague against the notion reflexively
I’m not saying a strong man is a bad thing.
I am just saying the desire for a strong man is so overwhelming a tendency for many that they will abandon their conservative principals to get a Putinesque strong man.
1. Trump isn’t remotely a conservative. In fact, he’s the worst kind of crony capitalist. He’s everything wrong with Washington.
2. He is a strong man, however.
And #2 wins over #1, apparently.
I am rather surprised by that.
You think like a woman. "If X Is bad, then we must do the exact polar opposite of X". Dumb.
How about supporting bedrock principles, limited government, the Constitution, and getting back to everything that made us great to begin with? I that so hard to see as an option? Reagan wasn't a ball-buster, but he was the greatest President in the last few generations.
It takes a strong man (or woman) to stand firm for those things, especially at this time in our history. And Reagan was a strong man. He stood firm in the face of the most blistering opposition and criticism.
I would vote for Trump if he won the nomination. I have many family and friends who support Trump. They are not looking for a dictator, strongman, caudillo, or whatever. None of them fits the profile you’re trying to ascribe to them. Not one.
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