Republicans have Rejected the Republican Party
By Thom Hartmann A...
Now that John Kasich and Ted Cruz have dropped out, it’s pretty much official: Donald Trump is the 2016 Republican nominee for president.
The pundits never saw this coming, but they should have. The Republican Party has been running a scam on its base for decades now, and voters were bound to discover this scam sooner or later.
Ever since Nixon initiated the Southern Strategy, Republicans have tricked millions of mostly white Americans into voting for them by giving lip-service to old-timey racism and anti-immigrant xenophobia.
The purpose of this all this pandering, of course, was to rally the masses around the real goal of the Republican elites, which is to push through economic policies that help out the billionaires and corporations that fund the Republican Party.
This strategy worked best when it conflated economics with race.
Reagan advisor Lee Atwater described this process in pretty blunt language back in the 1980s.
That kind talk, talk that essentially converts the language of racism into the language of economics, is powerful, and it’s been important - perhaps the most important piece - of the scam Republicans have been running on their base for decades.
But it was always a risky way of rallying people around the GOP brand because it depended on the Republican base continuing to believe their economic interests are aligned with those of the Republican donor class.
But, at some point, the Republican base was going to realize that the Republican elites didn’t actually give a damn about them.
At some time the scared and bigoted white people who vote Republican were going to realize that the people they were voting into office only cared about the billionaires and big corporations who wrote their campaign checks.
At some point the mask was going to fall off and the base was going to revolt against the elites.
Well, “some point” is now, and with Donald Trump’s clinching of the nomination, the base has finally had its revenge on the Republican elite.
The irony, of course is that the racism and xenophobia that’s motivated the Republican base for the past few decades hasn’t gone away.
If anything, Trump has made it more explicit.
But one thing that Donald Trump hasn’t done is bow down before the altar of small government.
In many ways, he’s completely rejected orthodox Republican economic thinking on key issues.
For example, not only does Trump blast so-called free trade deals on a daily basis, he also talks about protecting Social Security, and has called for a massive infrastructure investment program. He’s also called on the government to close the carried interest loophole.
And you know what? The Republican base loves it.
Republicans aren’t voting for Trump in spite of the fact that he’s kind of a big government Republican.
They’re voting for Trump BECAUSE he’s a big government Republican.
They’ve finally realized the scam party elites have been running on them for the past few decades, and just like Trump, they’re rejecting small government Republicanism once and for all.
There’s an opening here for Democrats if they care to take it.
By cleaving the Republican base away from small government crowd ever so slightly, Trump is making it OK talk about big government again, and if Democrats were smart, they’d use this to their advantage.
They’d go to Donald Trump voters, show why Trump’s ideas are wrong, and demonstrate why their vision of government works better.
If the polls are any indication, the American people are ready and waiting.
For example a recent Progressive Change Institute survey of likely 2016 voters shows that Americans overwhelmingly support big government solutions to things education, healthcare, and the economy.
75 percent of Americans poll support fair trade that protects workers, the environment, and jobs.
71 percent support giving all students access to a debt-free college education.
71 percent support a massive infrastructure spending program aimed at rebuilding our broken roads and bridges and putting people back to work.
70 percent support expanding Social Security.
59 percent support raising taxes on the wealthy so that millionaires pay the same 74% rate in taxes as they did in 1980.
58 percent support breaking up the big banks.
55 percent support a financial transaction or Robin Hood tax on Wall Street traders.
51 percent support single payer healthcare, and so and so on.
Americans, it turns out, really, really, really like big government.
It’s a shame that it’s taken Donald Trump for them to realize it, but Democrats should be excited.
They now have an opportunity build a broad progressive coalition for decades to come, one that believes, like FDR did, that government has the power to do good.
It will take a lot of work to break through the racism that motivates a lot of Trump supporters, but the groundwork for a new era of big government progressivism is there for the taking.
Let’s hope that Democrats don’t let this moment go to waste.
Comments
#2
If Democrats end up nominating #CorporateClinton, Bernie or busters will be rejecting the Democratic Party as well.
http://www.examiner.com/article/bernie-or-busters-to-hillary-clinton-fra...
#3
Bernie cannot beat Trump. Too many Dems and Independents do not want a socialist government.
#4
The Democratic base won't be taking advantage of anything... Thom ignored the 800 lb donkey in the room: For years the Democratic party has been scamming their own base and had people rally around entitlement largesse and each citizens right to get their share of government pie from the pockets of those who actually worked and made the money.
Democrats are headed for their own rejection of the Democratic party, felt when Sanders has to say bye, bye due to the "special delegate math " which ensures a Clinton nomination.
The irony will be not that hand out entitlements have gone away, it will be that those who want more entitlements and have been groomed to see them as a right will reject Hilary and the Democratic party precisely because they are not given their pot of public gold and a true socialist government.
So many plan to NOT vote for Hilary also.
Isn't that funny? BOTH parties hoisted by their own petards because after decades of fooling their bases and cultivating a certain mentality... The FAILURE to pay up means a lot of birds are coming home to roost for BOTH PARTIES.. And it smells like CROW. EAT UP. Lol
#5
Judging by Thom's blog it looks like by far, even if they don't realize it, the vast majority of citizens support Democratic Socialism. This also means the vast majority would support Bernie if only they could hear his message of economic, social, and environmental justice.
One thing about Trump I keep warning my Foxmerized friends and neighbors about is the reality of who he really is. I tell them to judge him by his actions, not his rhetoric. First of all he's running as a Republican, secondly if he really meant what he says about jobs leaving this country and the free trade that has caused it, he wouldn't be having his clothing line manufactured in China and Mexico. That's like the used car salesman telling you how great the car is he's selling you, but the reality is, you end up driving home a lemon.
Trumps true feelings about the working class have been exposed with union busting efforts at his own Vegas Hotel, not to mention the fact he feels wages are too high in the United States.....Does this sound like a man who really cares about the outsourcing of jobs? Anyone who thinks he really does is a god damn fool. He wants your vote for self gain of endless money and power, nothing more! Haven't we had enough of this? He admits to being one of the Fascists who bought off our government. He's the establishment we're all trying to escape! His lies may sound like he's anti establishment, but not his actions,.....for gods sake wake up!
#6
As an independent see Trump as a problem solver who does not hold much with labels.
Guessing he would staff the federal agencies with a mixture of Dems and Repubs.
Not to worry Tom.
ct
#7
a recent Progressive Change Institute survey of likely 2016 voters shows that Americans overwhelmingly support big government solutions to things
There's a shocker. A biased group came up with a survey that proved the point they were formed to prove. I'll bet you believe BP's survey that says that Gulf Coast residents are very happy with BP too.
The irony, of course is that the racism and xenophobia that’s motivated the Republican base for the past few decades hasn’t gone away.
Republicans have already learned that literally, no matter what they do, they will be labelled as racists, bigots, mysoginists, etc... Democrats have yet to realize that those words are thrown around so much nowadays that they've lost all meaning. Calling someone a racist just proves that you've run out of actual arguments against their policies.
Here's what's going to happen. I'm writing this here, so there's a record of my predictions:
1. Hillary will be said to have a lead against Trump for a few months. Trump will close in on that lead. It makes for a more exciting news cycle if the race is close.
2. There will be a lot of protests at the Republican Convention. The protestors will just come across as annoying to most of the country, and will push more people towards Trump than away from him.
3. Bernie will get to give a nice speech at the Democratic Convention. That will be the end of his national spotlight.
4. Democrats will continue to call Republicans racist, homophobic, ignorant, etc. Republicans will continue to not care.
5. The election map will look almost identical to the 2008 map. Hillary will win. The Democrats will take back the Senate. The Republicans will keep the House.
6. Most state governments will stay under Republican control as well.
7. People will pat themselves on the back and talk about how great this country is, now that we finally have a woman president.
8. For 99.9 percent of people, unless they work for the government (like soldiers), literally nothing will change because of this election.
#8
The real problem for Dems is since Mr Clinton the Democrats have also adopted a small government, protect the elites mentality as well. Pushing Hillary as the nominee demonstrates they don't understand that they are only 8 years from imploding as did the Republican party.
#9
#globalnature: Unfortunately, too many people favor Hillary. The bad part is that they do so for reasons other than her voting record. Either they are voting for her just because she is a female and they'd rather have a terrible female in the WH than a good older male (BTW: Bernie is ONLY five years older than Hillary,) or they are voting for her because she has name recognition and has been around a long time so people feel comfortable that she knows DC and can get the job done. Only that they should do the research and find out exactly what job she will get done and for whom.
I just heard on YT that Hillary supporters have been going onto Bernie websites and uploading porn onto his sites then turning him in for having porn on his websites. This goes to show what kind of a person and politician she really is and how low she is willing to go; no ethics, no integrity, no common sense.
Personally, I am rooting for a Bernie upset and that he will win the nomination at a contested convention. It would be very helpful if she were to just be indicted so we can get on with saving the country from a complete collapse into full bore corporate corruption.
If Bernie doesn't get the nomination for whatever reason, I'm voting Green Party and Jill Stein. Mom, too.
#10
Trump - not the man, but the symbolism he rides to claiming his greatness - is the epitomy of a failed electoral system. Born of money. Boosted into our living rooms as some arrogant, condensending arbitrator of capitalism, and self proclaimed business success with questionable success - a bully pulpit of vulgar insults and hate. the hateful Tea Party ignorant have apparently found their mascot. The irony perhaps is that Trump doesn't hide his world outlook: he hates minorities and women; he is willing to violate the constitution and commit war crimes; he repeated has said Americans are over paid. He is held in reverence by the media, willing to cash in on the circus. The insanity is that the circus is not about one man; rather that Americans have given up and prefer the circus; became numb to stupid - the endless nonsense from the Becks, Savage, and Fox; voting against the gays instead of voting to reduce carbon. America has become a political freak show with a grand prize of 12,000 nuclear warheads.
is the epitomy
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Then the only one who can beat Trump in November is Bernie. Too many people really dislike Hillary. Her record on the environment is abysmal. Supporting Keystone as Secretary of State, ordering the phony feasibility report, pushing fracking, and pushing GMO. And using the office of the Secretary of State to influence bad environmental policy. What would happen as President?