Trump Is Working to Alienate Almost Every GOP Constituency

[babylonsister]

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/08/30/trump-is-working-to-alienate-almost-every-gop-constituency/

Trump Is Working to Alienate Almost Every GOP Constituency
by Nancy LeTourneau
August 30, 2019


As Donald Trump is losing support from his Republican base, it is assumed that the drift is being caused by concerns over a faltering economy. While that might be the driving factor, the president seems intent on alienating almost every constituency that has traditionally been part of the GOP.

snip//

“President Trump is the greatest President for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world, not just America, he is the best President for Israel in the history of the world .?.?. and the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel.”

“They love him like he is the second coming of God,” Trump quoted Root as saying.

Since 70-80% of American Jews already vote Democratic, Trump didn’t lose much ground with that group. But between that tweet and his claim to be the “chosen one,” I have, for the first time, noticed that some of my white evangelical friends have taken offense. For them, the “second coming of God” refers to Jesus and it is blasphemous to conflate a human being with the son of God.

Overall, language like this is probably not enough to shake loose the stranglehold Trump has with the court evangelicals and their followers. But as Leonard Cohen sang, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” So I suspect that, for some white evangelicals, there is a glimmer of doubt beginning to take shape when it comes to their allegiance to Trump.

Finally, the pièce de résistance is Trump’s escalating attacks on Fox News. He recently went on a twitter rant about them, which he ended by saying, “We have to start looking for a new News Outlet. Fox isn’t working for us anymore!” He just exposed the truth about his favorite propaganda network: They work for him, or according to Trump, they used to work for him.

That statement leaves Fox News producers in a double-bind. To appease Trump, they need to demonstrate more loyalty. On the other hand, to dispute the suggestion that they work for Trump, they need to challenge him. Which will they chose?

As I watch Trump alienate all of these core GOP constituencies, I have two thoughts. The first is that his behavior is reminiscent of some of the troubled teenagers I used to work with. While on the surface their behavior appeared to be simply rebellious, it was often designed (unconsciously) to be self-defeating. There are times when I wonder if there isn’t some tiny spark of sanity deep down in the president’s psyche that wants him to be defeated—even as he is willing to fight to the death to avoid it.

The other thought I have could overlap with the first. Amidst all of this, there is one constituency remaining that Trump hasn’t done anything to alienate: white supremacists. On the contrary, he continues to say and do things to garner their support. This explanation for Trump’s behavior indicates that he is doing everything he can to ensure that the 2020 presidential election comes down to a referendum on one thing: racism. Perhaps an element of his delusion is that he thinks he can be successful with only the xenophobes on his side.

[Turbineguy]

1. This may be the most constructive thing

to come out of his presidency.

[Shell_Seas]

2. Will it matter if Russia hacks the election and causes him to win anyway?

[randr]

3. He wants to lose

He will become the ultimate victim and create a fake network that puts Faux to shame. He has just begun and must be stopped. Prison is the only recourse.

[machoneman]

4. Nawh! I don't buy this entirely.....

"Perhaps an element of his delusion is that he thinks he can be successful with only the xenophobes on his side."

He thinks he can't lose as he truly believes everybody but the press is on his side. No kidding!

His ability to tally up the sheer number of folks he's alienated is severely limited. I mean, he has pissed off even staunch elements of the Republiscum party at many levels. But he's put this all aside in his mind, perhaps believing his own bullshit that come election day, all will be forgiven since a vote for a Democrat, at any level, is unthinkable....at least to him.

[UTUSN]

5. It was so from the 2016 Repuke primaries, like, the game is *attracting* votes/constituencies!1