Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
One of the core aspects of Trumpism is this idea that if you can keep your base happy, nothing else matters. While most Presidents once elected govern center-left or center-right, Trump is governing from the far right and his white, rural, religious, Southern base loves it. While Trump's approval ratings are less than stellar, those who do support him are more likely to strongly support him than has been typical of other politicians. It's also created a situation where he enjoys extreme popularity among his own party but polls poorly with Independents and is despised by Democrats.
The other side of this is that it could energize Democrats come 2018 and 2020 against Trump and the GOP. If that happens, we could experience a significant backlash against Trumpism. Trump supporters either forget or overlook the fact that two-thirds of the country are enraged right now. Question is, will they vote? Trump's re-election chances and the overall success of Trumpism depends on whether or not Trump's opposition is as energized as his base.
I can't think of any time this kind of politics has been tried on such a large scale. I am a bit concerned about an era of politics where Presidents rule like dictators, catering to special interests at the expense of the majority. Problem is, democracy requires compromise and in my opinion, trying to force a far-right or far-left agenda on the country sets a bad precedent. Other Presidents have known this. As much as the right might hate Obama, he was a center-left President, not a far left one. Bush was center-right. Trump is something completely new. Do you think this is good for the country? Are you prepared for what will happen when the pendulum swings back in the other direction (and it will)?
It all depends on how much the Democrats pander to the working class. The next election cycle will have Democrats pretending to be the party of FDR. I’m sure there are strategy sessions going on behind closed doors as we speak: “How can we continue to support neoliberalism and corporate interests while appearing to care about labor?”
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
