Study: Trump supporters were driven by fear of losing status as white Christians in America

[RandySF]

New York Times: “A study published on Monday… is the latest to suggest that Trump voters weren’t driven by anger over the past, but rather fear of what may come. White, Christian and male voters, the study suggests, turned to Mr. Trump because they felt their status was at risk.”

Said author Diana Mutz: “It’s much more of a symbolic threat that people feel. It’s not a threat to their own economic well-being; it’s a threat to their group’s dominance in our country over all.”

“Losing a job or income between 2012 and 2016 did not make a person any more likely to support Mr. Trump… Neither did the mere perception that one’s financial situation had worsened. A person’s opinion on how trade affected personal finances had little bearing on political preferences. Neither did unemployment or the density of manufacturing jobs in one’s area.”



https://politicalwire.com/2018/04/24/trump-voters-driven-by-fear-of-losing-status/

[spooky3]

1. Trump voters: We are entitled to our unfair privilege!

[Cha]

2. Thank you, RSF!

Bookmarking!

[Me.]

44. Does This Mean That Anyone Thinking Of 20/20

will have to do a 180 and completely change their message...

[Cha]

50. It means they've been wrong wrong

wrong.. but I doubt if changes anything.

Me

[Blue_true]

64. Nader, Stein, Our Revolution.

They won't change. The same old cart of horse manure will be chased over the horizon, only with the color of the cart having changed.

[Tikki]

3. I guess mommy didn't ever teach them to share; appears many churches didn't either.

We could get so much positive done if we would all work together.

Tikki

[Mariana]

68. Many churches are teaching that Christians are being persecuted.

Then that idea gets echoed and reinforced on Faux and on Hate Radio. Many Christians really feel as if they are living under siege. Most of what they say they're upset about isn't even true - their kids can pray and read Bibles at school, they can say Merry Christmas, they can put a nativity scene on the front lawn of the church, they can advertise their religion on billboards, etc. etc. etc. Nevertheless, they imagine they're being attacked and they are angry. Very, very angry.

[dawg]

4. I'm curious about what it is that makes me different.

I'm a middle-aged, white, Christian male. But today's Republican Party has absolutely no appeal to me.

I wonder what makes me different? (Please don't dissect me.)

[Phoenix61]

7. You have a heart.

[dawg]

9. Thanks.

I sure hope it's something good like that. That's what I want to believe.

I'm sure my life experiences have also been a contributing factor.

[yardwork]

22. Are you fairly self-confident and positive in your outlook?

Interesting studies have shown how certain types of personalities are more susceptible to propaganda. Fear seems to be a common denominator. The people who engineered Trump's campaign used the fears of white people. The propaganda triggered fears of crime, for instance.

I'm a white woman who doesn't believe that people of color and immigrants are "out to get me" in various ways. However, I have relatives who are brainwashed by 30 years of hate radio and Fox News. They believe all kinds of things that are totally untrue.

[dawg]

28. Honestly, I don't think I'm either one of those things.

I'm not a prophet of doom, but I'm not generally upbeat about things either. For the most part, I try to be as realistic as possible with my expectations.

As for self-confidence, I guess I'm fairly confident in the things that I know. But when it comes to social situations, I'm a tightly-packed ball of insecurities.

[yardwork]

38. I would say the same about myself, but apparently many people are far more fearful!

[Yavin4]

32. My guess. You've had exposure to different people and places.

Their fear is irrational.

[Mariana]

69. Do you believe you're being persecuted

for being a white, Christian male? Do you feel you're regularly discriminated against for being a white, Christian male? If you don't, that may explain why you're an exception.

[Maven]

5. Does this mean the NY Times will finally drop the "economic anxiety" narrative?

I hope so.

[IluvPitties]

8. They need to call it racial anxiety.

[EffieBlack]

25. Or at least, "status anxiety" which is the same thing but keeps them from having to openly talk

about, you know {race ...}

[central scrutinizer]

51. Just "racism"

Stop sugar coating it. Dennison hates the same people they hate so their vote is locked up.

[Eliot Rosewater]

29. Jobs never had jack to do with it yet you can STILL see that argument in many places.

Many places includes...cant say more.

[sprinkleeninow]

54. Many places. Many places.....

[Eliot Rosewater]

55. Thank you

[sprinkleeninow]

57. I see what you almost did do there. 😀

Stopped short. 😉
Smart!
Incoming»»»
😘

[Aristus]

6. Exactly!

I don't ever want to hear the words 'economic anxiety' used in conjunction with these bigoted fuckbrains ever again.

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. Self absorbed little shits.

[Shanti Mama]

11. Sometimes "status" feels like the wrong word.

I know good people -- honestly -- who voted for him. They are afraid and they don't even know it. They don't think in terms of status. They just don't like change. It scares them.

I try hard to understand this when speaking with one of his supporters. It's not always easy or even possible. Some of them are more than afraid; they're vocally racist and a whole bunch of other things. But some are just scared of the big changes shifting the globe on its axis.

[grumpyduck]

12. "Afraid of change," yeah

I think that, after a president of color, a female one would have been way too much for some people. So, regardless of anything else, they probably voted against Hilary instead of for Trump.

[elleng]

20. Thanks

[Eliot Rosewater]

31. The change they fear is losing their white privilege.

[spooky3]

40. And male and religious privilege, per the article. What I don't understand though

is that we keep hearing about how Trump was the candidate of change, no more "same old, same old", etc. That's why I like to see studies like this, that challenge the narrative, publicized.

[sprinkleeninow]

56. A decent enuff percentage 'good', but an overpowering percentage

of having being duped, deceived, bamboozled.

They are amongst us. One has become unbearable. The others are unusually quiet lately. Mb in shock.

[keithbvadu2]

13. Thou shalt not

[heaven05]

17. excellent cartoon

[LiberalLovinLug]

21. that is actually the perfect biblical analogy of Trump!

I'd almost like to see some highly respected evangelical leader, who is also very well known, in the mold of Billy Graham, (not his son obviously) come out strongly against Trump like Moses did against the golden cow. But sadly, I don't think any exist of that stature at the moment.

One of the reasons that organized Christianity was finally put to bed with me was when leaders backed George W illegally invading Iraq based on lies. Their adoration of him for just telling them he's one of them wink wink nudge nudge. I can understand somewhat, the cult mentality of worshipers following their leaders. So it is up to the leaders of the church to speak out, and by being silent, or worse publicly supporting Bush (and now Trump) they, along with their so-called faith, are proven to be a sham.

[Maraya1969]

46. My white evangelical Christian brother send me a link from Wikipedia on "Just war" after Dubya

went into Iraq. I learned later that it was something the Catholic church, (I could be wrong) cooked up to justifying going to war.

Recently he had a fit when I brought up the study that linked racism with low IQ. I really had not considered him a racist unto that point, (but since then I have remembered some racist comments he has made in the past)

I did send him an email a few months ago where I reminded him that Trump's base is Neo Nazi's, White Supremacists, the KKK and white Christian evangelicals and asked him to explain. He said nothing.

[renate]

24. that cartoon is actually really profound

I guess people who are easily swayed are... easily swayed.

If he had a D after his name but were the same in every other way, evangelicals would be rioting in the streets.

[sprinkleeninow]

53. Ooh. That's a good one. Without a doubt! Thx.👊

[keithbvadu2]

14. Donald has shown that evangelicals/Christians are accepting of sexual predators who ridicule Jesus C

Donald has shown that evangelicals/Christians are accepting of sexual predators who ridicule Jesus Christ.

The Donald who does not have to ask Jesus for forgiveness.

Trump: Drink my little wine, have my little cracker

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/08/13/donald-trump-religion-serfaty-dnt-erin.cnn

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Fear is the Number One weakness that RepubliCONs exploit when conning the RW Authoritarian Followers

[heaven05]

16. I am sure

this is true among other hateful reasons for voting for the racist, sexist POS calling himself potus.

[BobTheSubgenius]

18. I totally get it.

It takes a LOT of courage and fortitude to be a white Christian in America.

I think it goes a step beyond just that, though, at least, in a lot of them. It's not just a perceived or even just feared loss of status and power. Many must fear it will come with a backlash.

[mountain grammy]

19. Finally some truth.

Don’t think shoving the economic anxiety in our faces was “working” so well for them.

[ehrnst]

23. Our candidate got the votes of the people who were fearful for the economy.

We don't need to pander to the ever shrinking group of voters who we lost 50 years ago.

[OMGWTF]

26. Racists Are Afraid They'll be Treated the Way They Treat Minorities if They Become the Minority

Maybe these jerkholes do believe in Karma after all.

[Quemado]

34. Ironic to think that

a white Christian racist would believe in karma.

[whathehell]

37. Seems these men fear losing their Make Privilege too

since what the article actually says is that they fear losing
their status as "White Male Christians".

[Iliyah]

27. Bottom line . . .

They are fearful of losing their message which from my perspective they have done that all themselves.

Many people looks at them nowadays and shake their head and say they are nuts.

[whathehell]

30. ."..fear of losing status as 'White Male Christians'"

to be precise.

[Quemado]

33. If a white Christian thinks his or her status is at risk,

to me, that is a feeling of superiority over those who aren't white or Christian.

It's disrespectful.

It's un-American.

[whathehell]

42. It says the fear is of losing status as "White Christian Male",.

The OP forgot to include that word, for some reason.

[Orsino]

35. Is that the excuse they gave?

I guess it sounds a little better than racist, sexist and homophobic.

[NastyRiffraff]

36. And THIS is why you can't effectively "reach out" to these people

This is why the normal, logical arguments DON'T WORK. Telling them that the tax cut doesn't benefit them, or that the promised jobs are clearly not coming, or ANY economic argument DOESN'T WORK. Unless you want to try to convince them that they won't lose their privileged status as White Christian males, you're wasting your time. They won't believe you anyway.

I STILL can't understand the 53% of white women who voted for Trump, and that's my demographic.

[Initech]

39. No wonder the Christian right loves this guy so much - they're as big of egomaniacs as he is!

[Yavin4]

41. When you're amongst the dominant group, you can get away with being incompetent

Before Jackie Robinson, MLB probably had a lot of really mediocre White players who would not be playing baseball at all if it wasn't for racial discrimination. Those spots would have gone to better players who were African American.

There are a lot of White people in America that have jobs, homes, wealth, etc. largely because they're among the dominant racial group and nothing else. Without it, they would be nothing.

[whathehell]

47. "a woman has to be twice as good as a man"

to get (and keep) the same job a (mediocre) man gets more easily.

After working harder and smarter to attain the job, she'll likely then be paid less for doing it .

Ain't life grand when you're not a man?

[Yavin4]

48. This explains why truly talented people tend to be Liberal.

They don't need the protection of their race to succeed. They can rely on their talent alone.

[nolabels]

67. To me, it only explains how they are taught to be bigots

Actually, when people learn how different they from others but then again how so much the same they are but in just different ways, things that were supposed to be high priority start to look kind of unimportant. I spent a couple hours this morning at the Washington Post reading the obituaries and it made me wonder why we do all this stuff.

[Me.]

43. And Therein... The Truth

Finally

Now, maybe, the pandering can stop.

+1

[Behind the Aegis]

45. Christian privilege is something many don't discuss, though it is quite prevelant.

And yes, it exists just like other forms of privilege; and no, one does not have to be Christian to use it or defend it.

[whathehell]

49. Christian privilege exists in Christian- majority countries --

The same can generally be said of race privilege.

How 'about Male privilege?.. It spans religions and nations -- Just saying.

[Behind the Aegis]

59. You don't think the US is majority Christian?

What about Male Privilege? I don't see many people not wanting to discuss it or race privilege here.

[whathehell]

60. Of course, but all societies tend to cater to their majorities.

If I lived in Israel, I'd be a little silly if I complained about "Jewish privilege", wouldn't I?

[Behind the Aegis]

61. If you lived in Israel, no, it wouldn't be.

Because, Jewish Privilege" would actually exist and does exist in that sole country. "Catering to majorities" is privilege. It is the reason so many non-white people are kept down. It is why so many women are kept down. Because white and male privileges are real issues and should be addressed, just like Christian privilege, which exists in this country. And, no, it isn't silly to call it out for what it is. Obviously, if you actually read the article, it is one of the identities people are afraid of losing power.

[whathehell]

62. Sorry, but I don't agree.

It's natural (if unfortunate) which is why we have laws to guard against what is called "The Tyranny if the majority's and no, itt doesn't really relate to women, because -- in numbers-- Women are a majority in the US. That said, they are TREATED like a minority which is why we have, and need more laws to protect us from the greater physical, economic and social power of males.

[Behind the Aegis]

63. Laws do not take away the existence of privilege.

Male privilege exists, so does white and Christian versions. Whether you agree or not is immaterial, because they all exist in this country.

[whathehell]

65. Lol.."Whether you agree or not is not material"..

Sorry, but if my opinion isn't "material" to you, why are you talking to me?...If you're only interested in your own opinions (stated as indisputable fact, no less) why bother tallking to anyone?

I'll let you figure that out, bro..In the interim, I'll say 'adieu' as I'm not interested in those who take that approach. Bye.

[Behind the Aegis]

73. Christian Privilege exists in the US, just like heterosexual privilege. n/t

[RKP5637]

52. Which means timid White, Christian and male voters who can't function unless the system is rigged in

their favor. To use a term ... Man Up and Lady Up and Grow Up, get with the world.

[leanforward]

58. This closes the loop for me.

You can never go back. I had previously felt it related to jobs or some other item related to the old ways. Now it jumps out, it is the loss of status of the white privilege to the male or female. Evoked through the use of the Bible and the voting privilege.

I read a lead in on the link. Just enough to make me dangerous. A basic constitutional tenet is the separation of church and state.

We learn from history. What did we do with the King? What did the French do with the Catholic Church?

Our country has its strength through diversity. Look at the federal revenue collections by state, then look at the federal social payout data by state. Diversity supports the more conservative states social program payouts.

Personally, I recently found out I'm part of the silent generation. And I have a problem with us older white guys and the BS they espouse. My problem extends into the generation that follows me.

[bucolic_frolic]

66. The deplorables had no status to lose

Next!

[SergeStorms]

70. Yeah, white male xtians have had it rough for so long.

They'd better get used to it. Trump CAN'T change that! I suppose that's what all this "quiver full" bullshit is about as well. They want to populate the country with as many white xtians as they possible can.

White males have dominated this country since it's inception, and we've fucked it up royally. "You better start swimming, or you'll sink like a stone, for the times they are a changing". Some famous musician wrote that.

[Behind the Aegis]

72. This is a common theme in bigotry.

It isn't just that the "other" is an "other" it is that somehow, they have designs on or will take power from them, and in a worst case scenario, make the majority live the lives minorities have had to live. Members of a dominant group seeks to retain their power by using their privilege, ignoring it, or claiming victimhood (reverse racism and the "War on Christmas" are perfect examples). Sadly, those with privilege inhabit all sides of the debate, with many outright ignoring their privilege and mocking and ridiculing those who call them out. No one is ever a "real" victim, except for them.

[SergeStorms]

75. Unfortunately....

the only way these people will ever learn what "empathy" means is by relegating them to a minority status. You can't truly know and feel what racism, bigotry, and discrimination feel like until you've walked a few miles in the shoes of victims of those biases. Even then, some people will never "get it".

[Garrett78]

74. But but but...economic anxiety. No, it's the racism, stupid.

[Gothmog]

76. Trump supporters treated minorities like crap

Trump supporters fear that they will be treated the same when they are minorities

[DFW]

77. Their status as white Christians was never in peril

Their status as decent human beings, however, disappeared down the drain.

[muriel_volestrangler]

78. Link to the study:

Status threat, not economic hardship, explains the 2016 presidential vote

Significance
Support for Donald J. Trump in the 2016 election was widely attributed to citizens who were “left behind” economically. These claims were based on the strong cross-sectional relationship between Trump support and lacking a college education. Using a representative panel from 2012 to 2016, I find that change in financial wellbeing had little impact on candidate preference. Instead, changing preferences were related to changes in the party’s positions on issues related to American global dominance and the rise of a majority–minority America: issues that threaten white Americans’ sense of dominant group status. Results highlight the importance of looking beyond theories emphasizing changes in issue salience to better understand the meaning of election outcomes when public preferences and candidates’ positions are changing.

Abstract
This study evaluates evidence pertaining to popular narratives explaining the American public’s support for Donald J. Trump in the 2016 presidential election. First, using unique representative probability samples of the American public, tracking the same individuals from 2012 to 2016, I examine the “left behind” thesis (that is, the theory that those who lost jobs or experienced stagnant wages due to the loss of manufacturing jobs punished the incumbent party for their economic misfortunes). Second, I consider the possibility that status threat felt by the dwindling proportion of traditionally high-status Americans (i.e., whites, Christians, and men) as well as by those who perceive America’s global dominance as threatened combined to increase support for the candidate who emphasized reestablishing status hierarchies of the past. Results do not support an interpretation of the election based on pocketbook economic concerns. Instead, the shorter relative distance of people’s own views from the Republican candidate on trade and China corresponded to greater mass support for Trump in 2016 relative to Mitt Romney in 2012. Candidate preferences in 2016 reflected increasing anxiety among high-status groups rather than complaints about past treatment among low-status groups. Both growing domestic racial diversity and globalization contributed to a sense that white Americans are under siege by these engines of change.
...
To date, the dominant narrative explaining the outcome of the 2016 presidential election has been that working class voters rose up in opposition to being left behind economically (2). Those who lost jobs or experienced stagnant wages purportedly punished the incumbent party. These claims were made on the basis of aggregate demographic patterns tied to voters’ education levels, patterns that could occur for a multitude of reasons. This study evaluates the “left behind” thesis as well as dominant group status threat as an alternative narrative explaining Trump’s popular appeal and ultimate election to the presidency. Evidence points overwhelmingly to perceived status threat among high-status groups as the key motivation underlying Trump support. White Americans’ declining numerical dominance in the United States together with the rising status of African Americans and American insecurity about whether the United States is still the dominant global economic superpower combined to prompt a classic defensive reaction among members of dominant groups.

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/04/18/1718155115