When DT won the Republican primaries, I thought to myself..

[SummerSnow]

How did he win? All of his opponents were career politicians. They know politics more than him. Every debate all he did was argue, insult people, and act like a child. That says something about the Republican party.

[Laurian]

1. Did Russia help him during the primaries?

Use the same social media tactics, etc. as they used in the general election?

[Botany]

3. they sure did

n/t

[joet67]

10. yep

[uponit7771]

17. Yes, no doubt

[Matthew28]

2. The republican

base loves this kind of shit and wanted a thug over all else. They're tired of human beings being president and that is why they elected a monster...

The base is full of monsters and haters of human rights.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

6. They're angry

bc the "angry bit' didn't pan out for them. So, just cheat and club everyone else down w a sense of power that is illusory at best. Nice job gop. This is why we can't have nice things anymore. Rich people....need more.

[brooklynite]

4. ...and it says something about the Democrats...

A number of registered or nominal Democrats voted for President Obama, and then voted for Trump or other Republicans. They don't feel that politicians of any stripe are addressing their needs; that's why they shifted their votes in 2010, 2014 and 2016

[SummerSnow]

5. Wonder if they are sorry now?

[In It to Win It]

16. ..and my response...

My two questions to that is "how did you think Donald Trump would have addressed your needs?" and "if you had known what you currently know about the administration, how it runs, and its policy objectives, would you still vote for Donald Trump?"

[Arkansas Granny]

7. I think he appealed to a meanness and cruel streak that I have noticed in many

right wingers I know. The more religious of them seem to think that suffering and retribution are gawd's will, (but only when it involves other people, not themselves).

[sweetroxie]

8. It says even more about the American people

[UTUSN]

9. "all career politicians" but also nutcases

[Laffy Kat]

11. Maybe he didn't.

There is still more than a nagging suspicion, at least for me, that he "won" the same way Gore lost FL.

[poli3]

15. Nah, he won the rethug popular vote fair and square

Just like Hillary did in '08, the difference is that Trump had Manafort to crush the delegates into submission to ensure his nomination. Hillary's '08 campaign was outmaneuvered on the delegate front.

[poli3]

12. Amnesty

The GOP wanted to pass immigration reform after 2012 despite knowing that their base hated it all because the donors asked them to push this after Romney lost.

They were trapped between the donors and the base.

[JI7]

13. The Republican base is made up of bigots. They felt betrayed when a black man became president

They felt like their party didn't do enough to stop that from happening.

[In It to Win It]

14. My first thought...

Out of all of the Republicans they had to choose, they chose THIS GUY. Really??? This guy??? The conservative who is not really a conservative??? The candidate that acts like a child??? Instead of reasonable Republicans (Bush, Kasich)???

I thought Republicans wanted someone who is not of the "elites", yet they chose the corporate billionaire known for taking advantage of "the little guy". They wanted to "drain the swamp", yet they voted for the swamp. Wow! This guy's entire platform is "Undo Obama."

[Crunchy Frog]

18. That's what the R base has been conditioned to want

and to respond to. That's what Faux News, RW radio, and various RW crazies have been working on for decades.

I guess it really doesn't surprise me.

[pansypoo53219]

19. he won using reagan's use of dog whistles and anti obama.

racism wins in amerikkka. plus hillary ran on i am not him.

[lapfog_1]

20. he didn't win... he was first among 17

and later 1st among 7 or 8...

all the rest split the opposition vote so much that he could sneak through.

wouldn't surprise me to learn that many of the others were secretly funded by the Russians to ensure the splitting of the opposition vote.

much like the support for Jill Stein in the general

[justgamma]

21. Triumph the Insult dog

would have won the puke primary. They don't give a darn about policy. They will go for whoever throws out the biggest insults. That's why they love the quitter and the shitter.

[TheBlackAdder]

22. First thought, "Party of Reagan, my ass!"

[leftstreet]

23. All the 'career politicians' thought they'd lose to Hillary n/t