Missing the point

Rss@dailykos.com (doctor Rj) · Monday, January 23, 2017, 10:32 pm

Last week, NPR had a story about rural voters in Yadkin County, North Carolina, and their expectations of the new Trump administration. The voters profiled in the report were largely the white, working-class demographic which has been the source of a lot of speculation and hand-wringing in pieces debating the future of the Democratic Party. In the piece, there’s definitely a frustration with government, where Barack Obama gets the “Thanks, Obama” blame for any negative that’s happened over the past eight years. But one fascinating aspect is how all of Donald Trump’s business history, which has been the source of a lot of controversy, is seen as a positive by many of these voters. There’s a belief he will bring back $30 and $40 per hour manufacturing jobs, or revitalize the tobacco market because of his business experience, no matter his past bankruptcies, losing billions, or lack of transparency with his finances, even before getting into the shittiness of the policies he’s proposing. And this view is backed up in some polling as well, where Trump’s greatest issue strength is seen as being able to handle the economy.

When I went to a Trump rally last year, this attitude was also indicative of many of the people I met and talked with. Trump’s wealth and status as a “businessman” was repeatedly a common refrain for why many in the crowd thought he’d be a great president. One woman started talking about it as a mark of Trump’s greatness that he had his own 757, while everyone else was flying commercial or using a bus. But if bragging about bling and material goods was the basis for electing a leader, then Ric Flair should have been president. When the Trump plane landed and the Trump logo became visible, the crowd went wild and it was better than any opening act could possibly be.

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