Why do you think so many people back Trump?

[MannyGoldstein]

Serious question.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. my simple answer - they've broken with reality - they think reality TV IS reality.

total lack of critical thinking skills. They simply buy into the product.

[MohRokTah]

2. Because he made it okay to be openly racist again. eom

[doc03]

3. +1

[DesertFlower]

9. i agree. nt

[RKP5637]

11. Sadly, I do think that's a lot of it. Enabling racism and hatred as OK. n/t

[hibbing]

17. Yeps, it is his open racism

You said it well.

Peace

[MADem]

27. Yes-that,and some people like openly obnoxious assholes. They're drawn to them and cheer them on.

If someone is peeing in the punch, it brings them perverse joy.

[smirkymonkey]

62. It's like siding with the bully because you think it will protect

you from getting your ass kicked in the future. People are idiots.

[MADem]

75. That is a very astute observation--and it does sum up the way a lot of these supporters think.

What they don't realize is that The Donald would wipe his ass on them if he had a need. He doesn't "care" about them in the slightest.

[Scootaloo]

36. What, you think that's Trump's doing?

Naw man, it's been "okay" since 1994 at least, and all the pushback against so-called "political correctness" (you may know it under its proper term, "not being an asshole.&quot

Trump isn't "making it okay." he's embracing that it's been okay.

[Maru Kitteh]

42. THIS

Thinking about complicated things is .. . . well . . .. complicated.

"White is right." Yeah. That's easy, familiar, comforting.

Trump and/or the GOP says "YOUUUUUU are the REAL 'Merica".. - They feel nostalgic, safe, validated.

[Kermitt Gribble]

49. Yep, simple as that.

bush made it ok to be openly ignorant again, now trump is legitimizing the racists.

[uponit7771]

76. +1

[arcane1]

4. TV has become reality for them, and he speaks its language and frames things in its context n/t

[elias49]

5. I don't think people will back him at the polls.

Not anything close to how he's polling now.

[EL34x4]

65. I fear the opposite

And wonder if there are a lot more people who agree with Trump in their hearts than would ever tell friends, family, coworkers --or pollsters.

[Doctor Who]

66. I agree..

I think Cruz wins Iowa, Christie wins NH, SC goes to Cruz or Rubio. After that it's anyone's guess. I still think it's gonna be Rubio.

[MADem]

79. I think you are right. I think a lot of his supporters are day trippers, curious, appalled even,

some of them; enjoying the train wreck, saying "Oh, **I** would never actually vote for him, but I like some things he says..." (shudder).

I think most people will chose a more predictable choice in the ballot box. Someone they think is more traditionally "prepared." I think there aren't a slew of those on the GOP ticket, though!!!!

[RKP5637]

6. I think a lot of it's his showmanship. It's like reality TV to some and he's a branded TV image. n/t

[merrily]

14. I agree, but not as to reality shows. Think Han Solo in Star Wars or John Wayne in a Western.

Americans also like applause lines. Nowadays, we have people planted behind the candidate and in the audience who start the crowd cheering and clapping.

Who needs substance?

[Stinky The Clown]

7. It is far easier to listen to a loudmouth and accept what he says than engage in . . . .

. . . . actual critical thinking.

Plus he makes hate and open bigotry acceptable.

[question everything]

8. Same reason that they like hate radio

They realize that as they are getting older, they are not going to be as rich or as successful as they hoped or as they were "promised." Blaming minorities and women is getting tired, so blaming the government which, in this case, is the same as blaming the "other" is the same.

And with most conservatives, logic and reason do not hold. They need to hate someone, to blame their frustration.

Of course, it was during saint Reagan administration that we shifted from a manufacturing based economy to a service one. When high school dropout could no longer hold a decent job to support a family. When mergers and acquisitions were rewarded when, yes "greet was good."

Factories were closed and manufacturing were shipped overseas. And, of course, those who lost their jobs have never seen the connection between buying cheap stuff at Walmart and the loss of their jobs and shutting down their factories.

Trump expresses their frustration by calling everyone a loser, by saying how everyone is incompetent, even by saying he will be bombing the shit out of Daesh. In short, by doing their shouting "I am mad as hell and am not going to take it anymore."

[valerief]

10. They're stupid and he talks stupid. nt

[840high]

12. He's popular because he

doesn't mince words and he says what a lot of people think. IMO

[Turn CO Blue]

13. I've seen this same phrase repeatedly: "he always says what everybody is really thinking"

There are quite a few rightwinger friends and family in my FB newsfeed. I've unfollowed or unfriended the worst of them, but it does sort of keep me in the loop on the memes and mindset.

There is something about the way Trump expresses himself, and about his bluster, that they like, that they relate to, that they trust.

If I were to guess, the phenomenon reminds me of the over-the-top adulation for Palin after her nasty, snide, redmeat speech on becoming nominee for VP. It was negative, insulting spew mixed with what passes for rightwing humor.

And that speech and the ugliness hit some happy spot in their brains that turns them into fangirls.

At the time, my brother brother un-ironically exclaimed to me the next day, "Oh I LOVE this girl!"

But back to Trump and his appeal, I do think we need to understand the draw, at least for social science purposes.

"He is always saying what everybody is thinking".

[merrily]

16. +1

[pampango]

43. "He is always saying what everybody is thinking". Ask them, "Who is 'everybody?"

My guess if that 'everybody' consists of right wing friends who already believe that our problems are caused by THEM (Mexicans, Muslims, Chinese, immigrants, refugees, gays, minorities in general, etc.) rather than by rich, white guys.

[Turn CO Blue]

50. Yup, I mean it's rather like unplugging from the Matrix, isn't it?

Once you realize that most media is some form of propaganda - to either sell you something, or to invoke some emotion or response, or to move you one way or another, then it is like reaching a new level of awareness.

And with meta-propaganda, yes, at the far end of the string, there is some very rich white guy trying to get more power or money.

[Glamrock]

15. People are completely ignorant of politics.

They are more interested in fantasy fucking football, American idol, and the Kardashians than they are in finding out the causes of this nations problems. Couple that with a news media that insists on showing both sides of the issue instead of the truth and you get an asshole polling at 40%.

Oh yeah, and racism.

[merrily]

18. Part of it had to do with DWS's delaying the start of the Democratic debates.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/128052564#post4
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=805897

[Earth Bound Misfit]

19. Because tRump is the poster boy for the "Southern Strategy".

[moondust]

20. Bigots for Bigshotism.

Biggest bullshitter with the biggest bucks bags the biggest bunch of barnyard boobs and bigots.

[seafan]

21. A likely reason so many support Trump....

[onecent]

59. AMEN Seafan!!!!

SICK OF THE PUPPETS...and sick of the lies.

Trump doesn't have any reason to lie. All the other morons in our congress are nothing but low down crooked
PUPPETS....who are making all of us have's or have nots.....I have NO idea what will happen if Trump wins,
but I for one...can't see it COULD BE ANY WORSE THAN WHAT WE HAD DURING THE BUSH YEARS.

Trump SAYS THE THINGS THAT MOST AMERICANS ARE THINKING AND DOESN'T GIVE A RATS ASS IF HE IS POLITICALLY
CORRECT...AND IT ABOUT DAMN TIME SOMEONE DID THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[neverforget]

22. Loudmouth rich white guy hating on people different than him.

[Martin Eden]

23. They're angry and ignorant. He says what they think.

Also, they have no trust in government or the career politicians therein. Can't blame them too much for that, though their distrust is largely founded on cynical efforts to alienate The People from their own government (Saint Ronnie said government is the problem, not the solution).

[kwassa]

24. Trump appeals to a vanishing version of white male America

I call him a billionaire Archie Bunker, for those of you that remember that series. Trump, like Bunker, speaks to old biased cultural norms.

Most of urban America is multi-racial, multicultural, and getting browner every day. Other places, not so much

Those white people in more stagnant economic settings, with less change, are finally seeing that their paradigm is getting changed, and they can't handle it. They're still living in the world of Frank Capra and John Wayne movies. Their version of America is being re-defined, and they want it to stop, and go back to what it used to be.

[pampango]

44. "I call him a billionaire Archie Bunker". That is a perfect description. Thanks. n/t

[hedda_foil]

25. Easy. They expect President Trumplestiltskin to tell the whole government "YOU'RE FIRED"!

Then he can be the boss they always wanted to suck up to.

[libodem]

26. I'm not taking the hide

No way.

[Ed Suspicious]

28. They are attracted to his reactionary brand of populism.

[IsItJustMe]

29. So many?

It's relative I think. 35% of the Republicans now support him. Republicans make up about 30% of voters. Not a math major, but that comes out to about 10% of the population. And how many of those people truly support him. The news media is hyping Trump constantly. If you watch and read a lot of news, I think you would come away with an unrealistic idea of "So Many".

I was going to be snarky and say that so many Americans are bat $#!T crazy. There is quit a bit of truth to that statement also.

[Docreed2003]

30. It's the plainspoken populism mixed with outright racism and bigotry...

This is the violent death gasps of Americas past...a vocal minority feels that Trump speaks to/for them. I pray that this minority continues to die out in the coming decades.

[underahedgerow]

31. Because they are mindless effing morons. These are the same type of people that fall for cults and

for nutcases like hitler.

People by and large are not particularly intelligent.

Speak to the mindless and afraid, tap into their deepest fears and you will have a cult following for life. Shout really loud too, that helps. Screaming gets into thick skulls.

Speaking quietly and making sense gets into the intellect.

Trumpie is following the steps hitler took to take power. Fortunately today, we have much more choice for and access forinformation. Back in the 'old days' people were a captive audience.

[3catwoman3]

33. You read my thoughts...

...just as I was preparing to type that exact phrase - mindless effing morons.

[newfie11]

32. I'm not sure but it's scary as hell

This guy is hitler reincarnated and l don't understand how he can appeal to anyone!!!

[bettyellen]

34. Some people like bluster and tend to buy whatever crap is peddled with obnoxious certainty.

You see it here a whole lot too.

[steve2470]

35. in addition to what others have said, about 20% (if not more) of our voters tend to be fascists

so Herr Trump fits the bill nicely. He said he doesn't mind the comparison, so be it.

[Ford F-150]

38. They are binary thinkers with no time for critical thought.

And 30 years of RW propaganda doesn't hurt either.

[davidpdx]

39. I wonder myself about that as well

We talk about it at work (I work at a university with people from many different countries) and I can tell you in the eyes of people from other countries Trump makes us look like fools.

He appeals to the racist element in the country, which is higher than any of us wants to admit. Even in the year 2015, some people act like it was 200 years ago. I spent nine years of my life (starting half way through the 5th grade) in a racist city. There were very few PoC in the area. I personally disown having grown up there and if anyone asks, I tell them where I went to grad school and lived for 11 years.

[pansypoo53219]

40. the teevee gnewz keep showing he matters. NEVER questioning the shit he says.

[pampango]

41. He 'answers' economic and cultural insecurities with simple (racist, xenophobic) solutions. There

are many (too many) people who are suckers for simple US vs THEM explanations.

[smirkymonkey]

63. True, simple people like simple answers.

And they want to direct their anger at a definite target instead of complex system designed to keep them oppressed.

[Mopar151]

45. I've been told (by people who I think less of now)...

Guns, Bigotry, Xenophobia - and "strenth". They're big on the strenth part....And not paying for "free stuff". These are the folks who still call the Prez a liar and a traitor, no matter the evidence to the contrary.

[cali]

46. Hate. He affirms hatred of those who aren't white

[no_hypocrisy]

47. Trump is the political personification of World Wide Wrestling and it's entertainment,

not serious politics.

He's the candidate who most closely resembles a wrestler on screen, in costume, yelling and screaming. He loves the attention whether it's adoration or loathing; it's still attention.

The more outrageous he is, the more noise from the audience, the more press. People are listening to the nonsense and responding as though it meant something.

[n2doc]

48. Only about 15% of voters

Guessing based on 30-40% of the 30% who call themselves repubs, plus a few so called indies. How many really support what he claims to want? Probably lower, maybe 5%. What are the percentages of neo-nazi's, skinheads, KKK'ers and other core Trunp supporters, out of total voters, I wonder.

And why? Because propaganda artists like the Savage Wiener are constantly selling Trump to the masses with lies and fluff pieces. Not a surprise given the number of folks who think the sun revolves around the earth.

[Renew Deal]

51. The same reason anyone backs anyone

[jeepers]

52. Scapegoating

Most of T-rumps supporters are white middle class workers whose earnings are stagnant, uncertain or dwindling. As their privilege disappears they are watching the rise of the minority and the decline of religion. Gov offers lip service but no solutions. They have been abandoned by what they thought was a true love and are striking out not necessarily to win anything back, but in hopeless frustration. Donald offers them targets. The black, the immigrant, the foreigner, and the poor.

[underpants]

53. Pants crapping FEAR. link to ABC News article.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/anatomy-donald-trumps-south-carolina-supporters-fed-fearful/story?id=35751538

[frizzled]

54. You're not gonna like this, but the Left has gone way overboard with PC. Trump is a reaction.

When you spend more time correcting people on pronouns and race politics than talking about the vanishing middle class and anti-trust law, a lot of people are gonna call bullshit and go for the least "politically correct" candidate possible.

[frizzled]

55. I'll add - outright contempt for all government. Trump's the "Screw you all" candidate

In all honesty, I can't think of anyone else whose presidency would cause such outright chaos.

[nruthie]

56. Because he gives simple solutions to complex issues.

[Vinca]

57. Judging only by interviews with his supporters,

I'd say mental health is a bigger issue for this country than we every imagined. Most of them sound nuts. The GOP has been preaching doom and gloom and terror for so long, their followers are now paranoid to the point of needing therapy.

[MineralMan]

58. Because they're either stupid or deliberately uninformed.

Trump is playing on common fears and prejudices in his campaign. His simplistic positions appeal to people who do not care to or cannot understand any sort of nuance.

For example, he wants to discriminate against Muslims, because people fear Islam. He uses that fear to make a populist argument that appeals to people who equate Islam with recent and past terrorism incidents. His audience knows no better or doesn't care to bother learning any better.

His campaign is populism targeting the basest and least informed people. He doesn't care. It works for him, so he uses it.

There will always be a certain percentage of the population that will buy any sort of argument that reinforces their ignorance or ingrained prejudices. Those people are supporting Trump.

It is that freaking simple.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

69. I don't always agree with you, MM, but when I do...

These are the very same type of people who otherwise have no interest in current events, only personalities with whom they agree. And the reason they agree with personalities like tRump is because these personalities play them like the rubes they are. These rubes, fortunately, have set voting a very low priority, or no priority at all. They simply don't vote for whatever reason, can't be bothered, won't take off work, don't know it's time to vote, don't want to vote, think their vote makes no difference in the grand scheme, or simply can't vote due to a criminal history or they don't register on time.

[H2O Man]

60. Hatred + fear.

[dirtydickcheney]

61. Entertainment Factor, plus I *DO* agree w. his policy on Trade....

...as vague as Trump's trade policy is it sounds a helluva lot better than what I'm sure Hillary will bring w. her support for the TPP.

[bigwillq]

64. I think he says what his supporters think and feel

and what they say between themselves, even if it's racist, sexist, or whatever.

I think Trump is a big bully, but he's gained a lot of supporters with his brand of tough talk.

[Fumesucker]

67. We delude ourselves into thinking that we have a clue about what's going on

So do Trump supporters.

Trump is quite the cipher, I don't think anyone has a clue what he would do if he were elected, maybe not even him. I don't think for a moment Trump believes very much at all of what he's saying.

[Yavin4]

68. They are as frustrated with the economy and scared about terrorism as the left is

But they blame the wrong people for it, and Trump just confirms their bias.

[11 Bravo]

70. Because racism, bigotry, and xenophobia are real things ...

and Trump, being a salesman, knows how to sell them.

[karadax]

71. I believe they're frustrated with the stand still in congress just like

most of us here. They want someone that can break the gridlock and get things done. Trump has people eating out of palm of his hand, convinced that he is the guy that can cut through the BS that exists on Capitol Hill. People seem to think all businessmen are good effective ones that can get instant results. That is not exactly how things work.

[Katashi_itto]

72. He's made Racism Mainstream again.

[olddots]

73. Why did Germany go with Adolf ?

if you have Netflix they are showing a documentary called From Calagari to Hitler that sums up what might be happening .

[MeNMyVolt]

74. There are a fair number of people in this country like you.

[Kelvin Mace]

77. Because contrary to popular opinion

especially on the right, the United States is still a deeply racist and sexist country.

[RedCappedBandit]

78. Lots of people are racist assholes.

Until now they've only been revealing their true selves among their own kind. Now they feel they don't have to pretend.

[Still Sensible]

80. Assholes finally have a champion! n/t

[Skittles]

81. they're cowards who won't say what they think

but are more than happy when someone else says what they think

[JesterCS]

82. Combination of things

All going back to Obama getting elected. People were crying how he wasn't born in the US and he's muslim and a terrorist
Possibly 9/11 as well.
Fox news
Republican rhetoric.
The spread of social media, giving any moron that's breathing a voice.
Being emboldened by fox, republicans, and candidates.
All of these things have brought the cave dwellers out of their hibernation, to spout emotions, from fear to anger, instead of Intelligence and fact checking. MSM just giving these people their 15 seconds of air time, validates it for all those who feel the same, despite how wrong, immoral, and asanine it is.



That's what I think anyway

[winter is coming]

83. He makes the other dudes in suits squirm, which is something they can't do, as individuals. n/t

[hobbit709]

84. Fear is the mindkiller and they are fearful of just about everything.

[Angel Martin]

85. A serious question, here is a serious answer

http://denbeste.nu/external/Mead01.html

it's a long read but worth it.

Trump has perfect pitch for the Jacksonians.

It's like Trump read this essay and constructed his candidacy as an exact fit.

[eridani]

86. Because we still have plenty of racist and misogynist assholes around? n/t

[Rex]

87. A lot of people have a hard time understanding

the political process. Doesn't mean they are not trying and sometimes mentally evolving...sometimes they stop and never progress. A lot of racists in this country, lots of bigots and haters etc.. They watch a Dump show and feel like hurting people. A lot of these teabaggers are skinhead types just waiting for the Don.

It is the radical right and they love him, the M$M loves the ratings. Fat paychecks get handed out. Money cashed.

The Don...don't forget he is The Don.