I still think George W Bush provided the best one line description of the Trump administration in the first minutes after his inauguration speech, and it still holds up: “That was some weird shit.” 🫣
An on-point if depressing read. What's so odd about such attitudes is that I really don't see anything out of the ordinary in my daily life. Some people do well, some less so, but I walk around my suburban neighborhood and I feel safe and the people are friendly and, yes, inflation is a pain but it's not killing me, nor anyone else I know, there are plenty of jobs around and I see new buildings going up all the time. In other words, it all looks relatively prosperous.
That's because you are a normal clear headed thinking person who doesn't believe all the stuff the media is (are?) selling. I bet the majority, if not all, of the readers of Chris fall in that category.
After 30 years of white grievance talk radio and Fox News telling their consumers that all is doom and the end is near, we should not be surprised at what motivates the MAGAts and a majority of Republicans.
The "Deplorables" (who really are deplorable) don't like it that the fact they slept through 12 years of school in the back of the class doesn't get them a good job for the accident of their birth and the color of their (white) skin any more. Never mind that the policies of the political party they vote for are why they all make less than dear old grandpop did and their spawn will likely do worse than they do if their dreams are fulfilled and the biggest sack of shit in American history returns to the White House.
The sad fact of the matter is that hatred sells. Anger sells. Malevolence sells. Optimism? That's sooooooooooooo 1980s. Even 1990s. Now, what (Republican) voters want to hear is why their life sucks and who is (allegedly) to blame for said suckiness.
Negativism and anger sell - Rupert Murdoch saw this and later it became the entire social media business model. Don't try to make me happy because I enjoy being angry.
Serious journalists have to STOP giving Trump the attention he craves!! The only thing serious, honest journalists should report from Trumps speeches and rallies is: Trump delivered a ton of rubbish and lies today and we refuse to publish any of it. It is not worth our time writing it or your time reading it!
I predicted when Scott entered the race that there was no way GOP voters would support someone like him (the only black Republican senator). There may have been other reasons why they didn't, but he was fighting an uphill battle from the start.
Some Republicans may accept Trump's gloomy picture of America, but the vast majority of Americans obviously do not . And that is one of the reasons why Trump was voted out of office in 2020 and will be rejected again by Americans at the polls come 2024. The only time there was doom and gloom in America was when Trump said ''there are fine people on both sides'' during the white Supremacist's rally in Virginia shouting ''Jews will not replace us'' and also when Trump described the Heroes and Heroines who fought and died for the Country as losers and suckers.
Scott didn’t have the right message at the right time. Simple as that. However, nobody seems to have the right formula for the Republican Party, except Trump. Trump is who they want. Period. End of story,.
This reminded me of the Trump rally I covered in Poughkeepsie. Trump essentially cut a bad guy cheap heat wrestling promo about how horrible Poughkeepsie was, and everyone cheered.
So important use of that phraseology "hell hole." I think it can be readily explained by a band who may have been dismissed, but who would have thought that low those many years ago that the washed up English headbanging band, "Spinal Tap" could have been so prescient???
Their important oeuvre on this topic is relevant so relevant today:
The final lyrics says it all --- trying to escape life's hell hole doesn't cut it...some want to immerse themselves in living in a hell hole because it's comfy!!
"I'm going back to where I started
I'm flashing back into my pan (must be an English slang expression)
I walk through my favorite cities' downtowns, and you have to watch the urine, human feces, used needles and hope you don't get shot with cost of living out of control since Biden took office. You made it a hellhole- it wasn't before. And we will fix your mess and hopefully that will correct your emotionally dysregulated perception and thinking. America is the last best hope for freedom in the world no matter how hard you try to wreck it.
I’m not as confident that the base of the Republican Party have lost all hope. I believe the majority of the Republicans (or at least a sizable percentage) still believe in this country and have faith and hope for the future. They believe in the people and “American spirit”. The problem is Trump. In full disclosure, I have been a life long Republican until this past year when I have dissolved my association because the leaders of the party have gone astray from basic Republican principles and values. The reason they have gone astray is because they have drunk the Trump kool aid. They are addicted to him. From Psychology Today, “A person with an addiction uses a substance or engages in a behavior, for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeat the activity, despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances such as alcohol, inhalants, cocaine, and nicotine, or behaviors such as gambling” or Trumpisim [my add]. They find the anger and negativism thrilling. It’s a powerful emotion.
I should have added. While still a registered Republican in 2020, I could not vote for Trump and went for the Libertarian candidate for many of the same reasons I left the party.
I still think George W Bush provided the best one line description of the Trump administration in the first minutes after his inauguration speech, and it still holds up: “That was some weird shit.” 🫣
An on-point if depressing read. What's so odd about such attitudes is that I really don't see anything out of the ordinary in my daily life. Some people do well, some less so, but I walk around my suburban neighborhood and I feel safe and the people are friendly and, yes, inflation is a pain but it's not killing me, nor anyone else I know, there are plenty of jobs around and I see new buildings going up all the time. In other words, it all looks relatively prosperous.
That's because you are a normal clear headed thinking person who doesn't believe all the stuff the media is (are?) selling. I bet the majority, if not all, of the readers of Chris fall in that category.
After 30 years of white grievance talk radio and Fox News telling their consumers that all is doom and the end is near, we should not be surprised at what motivates the MAGAts and a majority of Republicans.
The "Deplorables" (who really are deplorable) don't like it that the fact they slept through 12 years of school in the back of the class doesn't get them a good job for the accident of their birth and the color of their (white) skin any more. Never mind that the policies of the political party they vote for are why they all make less than dear old grandpop did and their spawn will likely do worse than they do if their dreams are fulfilled and the biggest sack of shit in American history returns to the White House.
12 years of school? I think you are being overly optimistic.
Give them as much credit as you can. They needed a lot of sleep.
Spot on!! No accident that Drumpf polls best with least educated.
The sad fact of the matter is that hatred sells. Anger sells. Malevolence sells. Optimism? That's sooooooooooooo 1980s. Even 1990s. Now, what (Republican) voters want to hear is why their life sucks and who is (allegedly) to blame for said suckiness.
I would strongly suggest to them that they will find the answer to their sucky life by looking in the mirror. Yeah, that'll happen.
Negativism and anger sell - Rupert Murdoch saw this and later it became the entire social media business model. Don't try to make me happy because I enjoy being angry.
Serious journalists have to STOP giving Trump the attention he craves!! The only thing serious, honest journalists should report from Trumps speeches and rallies is: Trump delivered a ton of rubbish and lies today and we refuse to publish any of it. It is not worth our time writing it or your time reading it!
I predicted when Scott entered the race that there was no way GOP voters would support someone like him (the only black Republican senator). There may have been other reasons why they didn't, but he was fighting an uphill battle from the start.
... and ... it didn't help that he's way too much the Southern gentleman ...
Of the "wrong" background...
Some Republicans may accept Trump's gloomy picture of America, but the vast majority of Americans obviously do not . And that is one of the reasons why Trump was voted out of office in 2020 and will be rejected again by Americans at the polls come 2024. The only time there was doom and gloom in America was when Trump said ''there are fine people on both sides'' during the white Supremacist's rally in Virginia shouting ''Jews will not replace us'' and also when Trump described the Heroes and Heroines who fought and died for the Country as losers and suckers.
Soon they will be wearing brown shirts
Scott didn’t have the right message at the right time. Simple as that. However, nobody seems to have the right formula for the Republican Party, except Trump. Trump is who they want. Period. End of story,.
This reminded me of the Trump rally I covered in Poughkeepsie. Trump essentially cut a bad guy cheap heat wrestling promo about how horrible Poughkeepsie was, and everyone cheered.
Christopher,
So important use of that phraseology "hell hole." I think it can be readily explained by a band who may have been dismissed, but who would have thought that low those many years ago that the washed up English headbanging band, "Spinal Tap" could have been so prescient???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk9aThIovMA
Their important oeuvre on this topic is relevant so relevant today:
The final lyrics says it all --- trying to escape life's hell hole doesn't cut it...some want to immerse themselves in living in a hell hole because it's comfy!!
"I'm going back to where I started
I'm flashing back into my pan (must be an English slang expression)
Yeah, this is what I do.
Right now,
It's better in the Hell Hole
You know where you stand
In the Hell Hole.
Folks lend a hand
In the Hell Hole
Girl, get me back
To my Hell Hole
I walk through my favorite cities' downtowns, and you have to watch the urine, human feces, used needles and hope you don't get shot with cost of living out of control since Biden took office. You made it a hellhole- it wasn't before. And we will fix your mess and hopefully that will correct your emotionally dysregulated perception and thinking. America is the last best hope for freedom in the world no matter how hard you try to wreck it.
I’m not as confident that the base of the Republican Party have lost all hope. I believe the majority of the Republicans (or at least a sizable percentage) still believe in this country and have faith and hope for the future. They believe in the people and “American spirit”. The problem is Trump. In full disclosure, I have been a life long Republican until this past year when I have dissolved my association because the leaders of the party have gone astray from basic Republican principles and values. The reason they have gone astray is because they have drunk the Trump kool aid. They are addicted to him. From Psychology Today, “A person with an addiction uses a substance or engages in a behavior, for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeat the activity, despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances such as alcohol, inhalants, cocaine, and nicotine, or behaviors such as gambling” or Trumpisim [my add]. They find the anger and negativism thrilling. It’s a powerful emotion.
I should have added. While still a registered Republican in 2020, I could not vote for Trump and went for the Libertarian candidate for many of the same reasons I left the party.