Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Cognitive Dissonance and the Followers of Donald Trump
Townhall.com ^ | February 15, 2016 | Michael Brown

Posted on 02/15/2016 10:09:20 AM PST by Kaslin

When the legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum was challenged about the veracity of one of his past statements, he famously replied, "Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth."

This leads to the obvious question, "But Mr. Arum, what will you tell us tomorrow?"

There is something about Arum's line that reminds me of Donald Trump, except that: 1) Arum was not running for the office of the President of the United States; and 2) Trump could say the same thing that Arum did but it appears that many of his followers would say, "You see! He's not a politician. He tells the truth."

Have you ever seen the like with a political candidate? And who but Trump could boast that he could shoot someone in broad daylight in New York City and his followers would still follow him? Who but Trump would want to boast of such a thing?

By all fair accounts, Trump did not perform well in the South Carolina debate on Saturday night, but this didn't matter much to his followers, as evidenced by the Drudge Report poll which, as always, declared him the overwhelming winner.

So, when the crowd boos him for his vile behavior, that's just proof that the crowd has been stacked against him.

When competing candidates rightly confront his vacillating positions, they're branded liars, corrupt politicians, and worse, all to the delight of his followers.

"We need an Alpha male," they exclaim. "Trump will get things done."

As to how, exactly, he will do it, no one seems to know.

But be assured that, despite four Trump bankruptcies (which surely affected many people, even if Trump was not personally affected) and the failures of Trump Airlines, Trump Vodka, Trump Mortgage, Trump: The Game, The China Connection, Trump Casinos, Trump Steaks, Trump Magazine, and GoTrump.com, Donald Trump will get the job done.

He always does.

He only wins - as in wins, wins, wins.

And when he doesn't win (as in Iowa)? Actually, second was really first, since, we're told, the winner cheated. And his followers cheer him on.

But this is nothing to laugh about. The future of our country is at stake, especially with the sudden death of Antonin Scalia, which makes the question of the appointing of new Supreme Court justices all the more urgent.

Last August 26th - so, barely six months ago - Trump stated that his sister would make a "phenomenal" Supreme Court justice, despite her strong support for partial-birth abortion.

Now, after being challenged about what kind of justices he would appoint if president, Trump says that he was only joking about his past comments about his sister: "Just so you understand, I said it jokingly. My sister is a brilliant person, known as a brilliant person, but it's obviously a conflict."

Shades of Bob Arum.

"I was joking yesterday, but today I'm being serious."

Dear followers of Donald Trump, are you sure this is your man?

But it gets worse.

During the Saturday night debate in patriotic, pro-G. W. Bush South Carolina, Trump said that Bush lied about Iraq and claimed that he, Trump, was the only one to oppose the war in Iraq. In fact, at a debate last September he said, "You can check it out, check out — I'll give you 25 different stories."

When asked for proof of this on Sunday, he responded, "I wasn't a politician so people didn't write everything I said."

Really? No proof of 25 different stories you told us to check out? No documentation of your very outspoken opposition to the war? You spoke loudly and clearly back then but no one noticed it because you weren't a politician?

Unfortunately for Trump loyalists, Andrew Kaczynski has documented that "in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve Trump noted Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction and targeted Iraq strikes had little impact on their overall capabilities. The Donald said the best course might be against Iraq to 'carry the mission to its conclusion.'" (Kaczynski provides the exact quote.)

It wasn't until August of 2004 that Trump expressed clear opposition to the war, long after it had started and long after the problems with our engagement there had emerged.

This revelation led to the clever tweet from New York Post columnist Robert A. George, "Trump knew Iraq had WMDs before Bush lied abt Iraq having WMDs and followed Trump's advice to finish job in Iraq!"

In response to all this, I posted on Facebook and Twitter, "Trump could say tomorrow 'I've been lying about everything!' And his followers would say 'That's our man! He tells it like it is.'"

And how did some of his followers respond to my comment?

"So explain to me who is better than Trump?"

And, "No he wouldn't. Nobody is ideal, but you have it in for Trump. He is better than all of the socialists and other deceptive liars running."

And, "[people would] much rather give Trump the benefit of the doubt because he does not answer to any special interest groups and because he proves that you can fight the leftwing media and their strongest weapon 'political correctness'."

What makes this all the more disturbing, not to mention downright scary, is that a substantial percentage of his supporters profess to be evangelical Christians, and it still appears that there is almost nothing he could say or do that would dampen their support for him.

"After all," they lamely repeat, "we're not electing a pastor, we're electing a president."

And, if I might borrow a quote, "Yesterday he was lying, today he's telling the truth."

Let the voter beware.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 1stcanadiansenator; 2016election; 2016issues; donaldtrump; integrity; propagandadujour; tds; tedspacificpartners; usualsuspect; willthemudstick
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 221-222 next last
To: Kaslin

They both flip flopped in the past but the bottom line is that Hillary is gonna be hard to beat.
We need someone who will get mad enough about it to stay the course.


41 posted on 02/15/2016 10:44:28 AM PST by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: detch
Then, you've got a story on why we need Donald Trump. He's the only candidate that can beat her.

You beat me to it.

42 posted on 02/15/2016 10:45:04 AM PST by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: freedomjusticeruleoflaw
Yes, we want to see heads roll. It takes guts to make heads roll. Trump has guts.

He's the whiniest candidate I can recall in modern history.

He says he'll make "deals." Whose head has he promised to roll? Whose?

I want a list from you. I want FACTS. Whose?

43 posted on 02/15/2016 10:45:20 AM PST by agrarianlady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

“Than what?”

I refuse to believe that the American people would allow a Hitlery presidency.


44 posted on 02/15/2016 10:45:39 AM PST by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: freedomjusticeruleoflaw

And you beat me to it as well.


45 posted on 02/15/2016 10:46:20 AM PST by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: centurion316

As stated.....Trump could say tomorrow.... “I’ve been lying about everything!”.... And his followers would say ....”That’s our man! He tells it like it is.”......

Trump actually announced that his own supporters are so slavishly devoted to him that he could cap someone in the street and his fans are still there wagging their tails for their master. .......He rubs his minions slack jawed faces in the fact that the whole basis of his campaign is a lie:... “When I’m president, I’m a different person. I can be the most politically correct person you’ve ever seen.” and they still don’t hear him they just grin, nod and clap!

....It’s as if Trump’s trying to see how far he can go before his followers wake up...IF they do at all!

Heck he’s made it clear he supports single-payer universal healthcare for all....and they still stand and adore him!...they are willfully, consciously choosing to ignore the truth even when it comes out of Trumps own mouth....especially when it comes out of his mouth.

At this juncture I see no reason to think they can be persuaded of their great error.....their ‘own’ ego’s are now ‘wrapped in his’ and all that they are with it.


46 posted on 02/15/2016 10:47:53 AM PST by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

BTTT


47 posted on 02/15/2016 10:48:01 AM PST by T Ruth (Mohammedanism shall be defeated.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: detch
If you say so. However I doubt that I am the only one that disagrees with you

detch.

48 posted on 02/15/2016 10:48:22 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: EDINVA

Cognitive dissonance is that discomfort and anxiety one feels when one’s inside thoughts to do match the outside realities. Like when we vote for a tried and true Republican Conservative like John McCain.


49 posted on 02/15/2016 10:48:26 AM PST by anton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: dsc
You’re a decade off. It has to be done now.

And we had better hurry. It may already be too late. Even now the FBI/BLM are rounding up oathkeepers for prison at just under 100 people. This is the single most ominous thing happening imo. They are steadily arresting the militia in our country. In preparation for something...

50 posted on 02/15/2016 10:48:45 AM PST by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: dragnet2

You are one of the ones who likely got Obama in there then.


51 posted on 02/15/2016 10:49:02 AM PST by Beowulf9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: agrarianlady

“He’s the whiniest candidate I can recall in modern history. “

Candidate that stands up for themselves and goes after the media and GOPes = whiny

Candidate that keeps his mouth shut to “take the high road” while he depends on a legion of bloggers and talk radio hosts to build him into some sort of God candidate = brave?

As much as we complain about stuff on FR, the left could easily call us whiny too by your definition.


52 posted on 02/15/2016 10:50:05 AM PST by VanDeKoik
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: freedomjusticeruleoflaw
Too many Freepers are locked into the political game. Trump supporters, like myself, are done with the games. Yes, we want to see heads roll. It takes guts to make heads roll. Trump has guts.

Yup, Trump and his pals Mitch McConnell, Scott Brown, Chuck Schummer, and Bill and Hillary Clinton are really going to make the heads roll!

53 posted on 02/15/2016 10:51:13 AM PST by BigBobber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: detch

Actually, he polls worse against Hillary than Cruz. And he has very high negative opinion poll numbers and one of the lowest “second choice” poll numbers.

Not that any of that matters to a Trump supporter...


54 posted on 02/15/2016 10:51:31 AM PST by 5thGenTexan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: caww
You parrot the insider/MSM lines really good. Say, are you not the one who attempted to compare Trump and his supporters to the Nazis? Ya, that was you.

The federation of frauds even stacked the audiences with their donors attempting to sway the TV audience. They're disgusting and corrupt to the core.

Even their audiences were birds of a feather.

55 posted on 02/15/2016 10:53:03 AM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: agrarianlady

Not only is Trump going to win SC, but he’ll get more votes than the next two put together.

The only people crying will be the rest of the field.


56 posted on 02/15/2016 10:53:26 AM PST by CaptainK (...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

https://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/demokratizatsiya%20archive/11-4_Laar.PDF

http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2006/07/01/estonia-creates-economic-miracle

Mart Laar had only read some books when he became prime minister of Estonia, a country in dire financial straits and on the verge of collapse.
What he managed to pull off from reading a few books was a miracle. He was not an experienced politician or knowledgeable about the constitution, law, economics.
He was, I believe, a historian.


57 posted on 02/15/2016 10:55:23 AM PST by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BigBobber

Yes, he is so much like them, right? Well, you know your wrong, don’t cha?


58 posted on 02/15/2016 10:56:13 AM PST by freedomjusticeruleoflaw (Western Civilization- whisper the words, and it will disappear. So let us talk now about rebirth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: dragnet2

The GOP has finally proven it has no interest in ‘we the people’...no more than GW BUSH/CHENEY did.

People are sure slow to give up on their idols no matter HOW they screwed up this country. They got away with it because of the cover given their CRIMES by many of the same people still calling names and demanding more rino’s.


59 posted on 02/15/2016 10:56:20 AM PST by AuntB (Illegal immigration is simply more "share the wealth" socialism and a CRIME not a race!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: dragnet2

I happen to think ‘any’ of our candidates would be far better then Demorat Trump. You shall soon see him without his cloak....

May God truly have mercy on this nation...he may not...A Trump win would mean we’re getting what we deserve...not what we need.


60 posted on 02/15/2016 10:58:02 AM PST by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 221-222 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson