sonoftony
Supporter
- Apr 3, 2005
- 29,217
- 23,393
Donald Trump is running for president
Nike Jordan
Supporter
- Jun 27, 2002
- 33,935
- 81,189
sonoftony
Supporter
- Apr 3, 2005
- 29,217
- 23,393
superblytrife
Supporter
- Mar 20, 2002
- 21,039
- 22,759
I love the Internet.
kdawg
Staff member
- Jun 25, 2003
- 11,191
- 12,840
That's like the whitest crowd ever too. Truly awful.
- Apr 15, 2004
- 44,368
- 74,044
- Jun 28, 2004
- 6,971
- 17,045
One of things I love about Russian History and the great Russian novels, is this idea that nobles and the commoners spoke different languages. The nobility was not just different in terms of economic life, the nobility of Russia inhabited a completely different cultural and social and linguistic universe then did the common people. The GOP in 2015 is like Russian circa 1900.
From the mid 1960's to the mid 1970's the GOP became the party of the rich and the racist. They were able to bind cultural conservationism and white resentment with moneyed interests. For a while, this coalition was quite cohesive and successful.
Up through the early 80's, the rich and the commoners attended the same churches. The rich went to college, the working class aspired to see their children go to college. Unionization raised the lot of working class whites while high marginal tax rates and a regulated financial services sector insured that most rich people never became super rich. There were middle class and upper middle class Republicans who could act as a bridge between the money and the masses.
Today, the middle class has been gutted. Deregulation and deunionization have amplified the difference between the rich and the poor. Poor Republicans go to evangelical churches, rich Republicans are atheists who might pay an occasional holiday visit to their Episcopal church. Republican donors send their kids to liberal arts colleges and Law School. Working class Republicans, believe that higher education is inherently subversive. GOP elites take George Will, Tom Friedman and Fareed Zakaria seriously, Republican voters like Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones and the 700 Club. GOP voters use short and declarative sentences, GOP elites engage in elaborate acts of circumlocution. Today, most donor class Republicans live on the Coasts, downtown and in posh zip codes. GOP voters live in Middle America, in the exoburbs and in poorer rural places. GOP voters genuinely fear abortion and gay marriage, GOP donors have gay sons and their daughters get abortions.
Despite this schism, the GOP has done fairly well in recent elections, particularly mid term elections. However, the schism is very real and the cultural and economic gaps are just waiting to be exploited. Trump may be a Democratic plant, a rank opportunist or a man who is earnestly seeking the GOP nomination but what is clear is that he is ruthlessly exploiting the gap that exists between Republican commoners and Republican elites. Trump sees Bush's staid comportment, Rand Paul's theoretical Libertarianism, John Kasich's tenure at Lehman, Lindsey Graham's tepid defense of immigrants and Rick Perry's sad attempt at being an intellectual ad he ruthlessly pounces. To cap it all off, he disguises his shrewd attacks as spontaneous truth telling.
Like early 20th Century Russia, the GOP is a big, brutish hegemon that can still throw it weight around. Also like late Czarist Russia, the GOP is so internally divided that it relative might can dissolve rather quickly if someone can articulate and exploit the divisions between it people and it rulers. Donald Trump appears to be Lenin in 1917 on a fateful, East bound train.
From the mid 1960's to the mid 1970's the GOP became the party of the rich and the racist. They were able to bind cultural conservationism and white resentment with moneyed interests. For a while, this coalition was quite cohesive and successful.
Up through the early 80's, the rich and the commoners attended the same churches. The rich went to college, the working class aspired to see their children go to college. Unionization raised the lot of working class whites while high marginal tax rates and a regulated financial services sector insured that most rich people never became super rich. There were middle class and upper middle class Republicans who could act as a bridge between the money and the masses.
Today, the middle class has been gutted. Deregulation and deunionization have amplified the difference between the rich and the poor. Poor Republicans go to evangelical churches, rich Republicans are atheists who might pay an occasional holiday visit to their Episcopal church. Republican donors send their kids to liberal arts colleges and Law School. Working class Republicans, believe that higher education is inherently subversive. GOP elites take George Will, Tom Friedman and Fareed Zakaria seriously, Republican voters like Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones and the 700 Club. GOP voters use short and declarative sentences, GOP elites engage in elaborate acts of circumlocution. Today, most donor class Republicans live on the Coasts, downtown and in posh zip codes. GOP voters live in Middle America, in the exoburbs and in poorer rural places. GOP voters genuinely fear abortion and gay marriage, GOP donors have gay sons and their daughters get abortions.
Despite this schism, the GOP has done fairly well in recent elections, particularly mid term elections. However, the schism is very real and the cultural and economic gaps are just waiting to be exploited. Trump may be a Democratic plant, a rank opportunist or a man who is earnestly seeking the GOP nomination but what is clear is that he is ruthlessly exploiting the gap that exists between Republican commoners and Republican elites. Trump sees Bush's staid comportment, Rand Paul's theoretical Libertarianism, John Kasich's tenure at Lehman, Lindsey Graham's tepid defense of immigrants and Rick Perry's sad attempt at being an intellectual ad he ruthlessly pounces. To cap it all off, he disguises his shrewd attacks as spontaneous truth telling.
Like early 20th Century Russia, the GOP is a big, brutish hegemon that can still throw it weight around. Also like late Czarist Russia, the GOP is so internally divided that it relative might can dissolve rather quickly if someone can articulate and exploit the divisions between it people and it rulers. Donald Trump appears to be Lenin in 1917 on a fateful, East bound train.
Nike Jordan
Supporter
- Jun 27, 2002
- 33,935
- 81,189
Rex typed something long and useful, for once that I might actually agree with.
- Jan 11, 2014
- 8,616
- 17,196
Trump called into the stern show this morning because they wanted him to rate Megyn kelly on a scale of 0 to 10. He refused to answer - I was shocked. 
- Dec 9, 2002
- 34,655
- 28,013
Meghan Kelly is annoying as hell but she fine than a mother.
- Apr 15, 2004
- 44,368
- 74,044
^^^ was extremely entertaining.
"Jeb doesnt use his last name cuz hes ashamed of it" looool
"Jeb doesnt use his last name cuz hes ashamed of it" looool
- Nov 5, 2013
- 1,853
- 694
If Trump wins, then we're going to have the prettiest first lady of all time right? Like, by a long shot I guess, right?
- Jul 18, 2012
- 8,837
- 4,739
his daughter slavanicka or however name spelt is decent looking too although she probably had surgery like everyone in that income bracket does...
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- Apr 15, 2004
- 44,368
- 74,044
Ivanka ? slavanika ???
slavanika ???
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- Feb 17, 2008
- 2,998
- 824
trump winning is a long shot.
if you have studied politics the last 8 years, it's very difficult to fathom Donald getting latino or black voters support. I'm curious how he's polling among women overall???
GOP leadership wants to get rid of trump asap, guarantee that, fascinating to watch this play out, he's a court jester and the party is virtually powerless to stop him
if you have studied politics the last 8 years, it's very difficult to fathom Donald getting latino or black voters support. I'm curious how he's polling among women overall???
GOP leadership wants to get rid of trump asap, guarantee that, fascinating to watch this play out, he's a court jester and the party is virtually powerless to stop him
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- Nov 5, 2013
- 1,853
- 694
I didn't say he had good odds, I was just talking about the history of the physical attractiveness of First Ladies.trump winning is a long shot.
if you have studied politics the last 8 years, it's very difficult to fathom Donald getting latino or black voters support. I'm curious how he's polling among women overall???
GOP leadership wants to get rid of trump asap, guarantee that, fascinating to watch this play out, he's a court jester and the party is virtually powerless to stop him
- Dec 3, 2009
- 39,331
- 19,778
Jorge Ramos is one of the most respected Latino news casters of our time, dude has interviewed presidents and all types of important people, burns my heart to see this clown disrespect that man like that, dudes Jimmie Rustling on 100000000000
Smh...
- Feb 22, 2007
- 20,236
- 4,229
I don't get how Donald Trump isn't getting called out for how racist he is towards Latinos.
- Aug 23, 2003
- 7,122
- 1,149
he speaks like a real person and not like a calculating and unctuous politician. I can see why he's so refreshing to many people.
- Jun 28, 2008
- 9,202
- 2,461
I don't hear real people talking about building a fantasy border that will cost millions, probably billions of taxpayer dollar to achieve. No way in hell is another country going to fork up the money for something they don't want.
He's only refreshing because he's going gung ho on all the other candidates and gives no dambs. How does he reflect the every day working American middle class? You don't think his antics and whole campaign is calculated? He knows what he's doing and nothing is "real" about it.
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- Aug 23, 2003
- 7,122
- 1,149
Of course his campaign has a strategy, though he did fire his previous manager and I think he audibles a lot of the stuff he says. But my point is that his demeanor of talking is refreshing regardless of the content. However, I think he will slip up and say something that will hurt him in the end.
- Apr 3, 2014
- 3,903
- 5,011
Speaking from the gut and without filtering your statements like a typical politician has its charm, but why should that matter when the stuff he says is extremely stupid?
- Aug 23, 2003
- 7,122
- 1,149
When has stupidity ever prevented someone from becoming president though?
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- Feb 22, 2007
- 20,236
- 4,229
Which presidents have been stupid?
