Democrats blind to real reason America elected Trump
Lost in the shuffle of national news last week was the publication of an assessment by Democratic operatives on why my party lost the 2016 presidential campaign.
Their argument? Voters chose President Trump because they had a “fear of diversity.”
The authors – living in New York and San Francisco – concluded that Hillary Clinton’s supporters were “upscale” and embraced an “open society” while Trump’s were “straight, white male Christians” in small town America who lacked an appropriate education.
The message was clear: Democrats stood no chance in the face of ignorant bigots.
For Democrats like me in rural America, studies like this are nothing new. We are used to being cast as racist or homophobic Barney Fifes in modern-day minstrel shows. Our role is to serve as devious characters that explain electoral losses or frighten the Democratic Coalition to the ballot box.
But facts are stubborn. And so too are smart Democrats who see through the intellectually bankrupt theories of party hacks.
So why did we lose the election? Exit polling makes it clear.
It was the economy, stupid.
Counties that voted for Clinton represented 64 percent of the American economy. Said differently, most of the nation’s financial winners – the wealthy, the privileged – pulled the lever for Democrats.
The remainder of America’s counties – measuring only 36 percent of the nation’s economic output – voted for Trump. Tellingly, these counties were also home to the majority of America’s manufacturing industry.
Or what’s left of it.
Since the year 2000, America has lost upwards of 5 million manufacturing jobs. How? Automation gets part of the blame, with robots replacing humans on the factory floor. Apparently, Corporate America prefers its labor to be metallic and non-unionized.
Yet the biggest culprits are congressional Republicans and President Bill Clinton. Nearly 20 years ago, these politicians worked hard to secure China’s entry into the World Trade Organization. It was a decision that slit the economic throats of what would become Trump supporters and their communities.
Meanwhile, Communist China and Clinton counties profited mightily.
How could we have been so foolish? The blame sits squarely with economists. Many had sold our political ruling class on the idea that free trade lifted all boats.
But as it turns out, some boats didn’t make it.
Rather than acknowledge this compelling data, partisan Democrats stick firmly to the culprit of skin color. After all, white working class people did vote for Trump in unprecedented numbers. But here again, facts are not on their side.
In rural counties, exit polling shows that Trump outperformed Obama, Clinton, and former Republican nominee Mitt Romney amongst Latinos as well as whites. That includes Hispanic voters in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona.
But how could this be? Did Latinos fear diversity too?
Of course not. They feared unemployment.
Despite what identity politics might say, Latinos are individuals and they think for themselves. Like white people in small town America, rural Latinos have limited education. They can’t find good paying jobs.
And they’re often poor.
Sadly, they stay that way, too. There’s good data that shows that when you hit financial rock bottom – especially in economically depressed cities – you’re usually stuck there.
But nevermind all that. For the Democratic authors of this latest study, it was far easier to smear these Latino victims with whiteface and toss them in the electoral dumpster with their unemployed white brethren.
Dropping the race card isn’t a new tactic, of course. There is a long line of Republican and Democratic dividers who know how to play this dangerous game.
In my party, it’s gone all the way to the top.
In 2008, President Barack Obama claimed that small town America was “bitter” and “clinging to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them.” At the time, Hillary Clinton correctly slammed him as an “elitist.” Yet despite his offense, many of these clingy racists and xenophobes pulled the lever for him anyway – twice.
Turns out that country folks know how to forgive.
Yet eight years later, my party did it again. Clinton doubled down on Obama’s argument with the “deplorable” slur. (Nevermind that she and her husband – along with plenty of Republicans – gave these voters their deplorable state following the lopsided trade deal with China.)
For liberal readers bursting with examples of Trump’s racial gaffes or Republican xenophobia, let me be clear: I’m not interested in defending the man. I’m interested in explaining why he’s our president.
And that gets to the study of why we lost.
It boils down to this: If voters can’t find a job with dignity – when they have abandoned hope and settled for opioids – why not vote for the guy who blows up the place?
America’s economic orphans had nothing else to lose in 2016. And maybe something to gain.
And that, my liberal friends, explains America and its politics. People in the Rust Belt and Smalltown USA were looking for a disruptor. We gave them a career politician promising more bad trade deals and an assortment of trust issues.
Not surprisingly, my neighbors chose the political newbie with a cranky Twitter account.
Makes sense to me.
All of this leaves my party with a choice. We can double down on the divisiveness of “us vs. them” or we can find inspiration and a new direction taken from our not-so-distant past.
Leaders like President Kennedy and House Speaker Tom Foley represent a time when Democrats offered something special to the American people. We fought for Main Street, not Wall Street. We bankrupted communist governments, not American industries.
And we extended a hand to America’s workers, not a slap in the face.
For the good of the country, I hope we go back to the future. If Trump implodes or leaves his voters wanting, the country is going to need thoughtful leaders to step up.
We better be ready.
Bryan Dean Wright is a former CIA ops officer and member of the Democratic Party. He contributes on issues of politics, national security, and the economy. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/03/20/democrats-blind-to-real-reason-america-elected-trump.html
Their argument? Voters chose President Trump because they had a “fear of diversity.”
The authors – living in New York and San Francisco – concluded that Hillary Clinton’s supporters were “upscale” and embraced an “open society” while Trump’s were “straight, white male Christians” in small town America who lacked an appropriate education.
The message was clear: Democrats stood no chance in the face of ignorant bigots.
For Democrats like me in rural America, studies like this are nothing new. We are used to being cast as racist or homophobic Barney Fifes in modern-day minstrel shows. Our role is to serve as devious characters that explain electoral losses or frighten the Democratic Coalition to the ballot box.
But facts are stubborn. And so too are smart Democrats who see through the intellectually bankrupt theories of party hacks.
So why did we lose the election? Exit polling makes it clear.
It was the economy, stupid.
Counties that voted for Clinton represented 64 percent of the American economy. Said differently, most of the nation’s financial winners – the wealthy, the privileged – pulled the lever for Democrats.
The remainder of America’s counties – measuring only 36 percent of the nation’s economic output – voted for Trump. Tellingly, these counties were also home to the majority of America’s manufacturing industry.
Or what’s left of it.
Since the year 2000, America has lost upwards of 5 million manufacturing jobs. How? Automation gets part of the blame, with robots replacing humans on the factory floor. Apparently, Corporate America prefers its labor to be metallic and non-unionized.
Yet the biggest culprits are congressional Republicans and President Bill Clinton. Nearly 20 years ago, these politicians worked hard to secure China’s entry into the World Trade Organization. It was a decision that slit the economic throats of what would become Trump supporters and their communities.
Meanwhile, Communist China and Clinton counties profited mightily.
How could we have been so foolish? The blame sits squarely with economists. Many had sold our political ruling class on the idea that free trade lifted all boats.
But as it turns out, some boats didn’t make it.
Rather than acknowledge this compelling data, partisan Democrats stick firmly to the culprit of skin color. After all, white working class people did vote for Trump in unprecedented numbers. But here again, facts are not on their side.
In rural counties, exit polling shows that Trump outperformed Obama, Clinton, and former Republican nominee Mitt Romney amongst Latinos as well as whites. That includes Hispanic voters in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona.
But how could this be? Did Latinos fear diversity too?
Of course not. They feared unemployment.
Despite what identity politics might say, Latinos are individuals and they think for themselves. Like white people in small town America, rural Latinos have limited education. They can’t find good paying jobs.
And they’re often poor.
Sadly, they stay that way, too. There’s good data that shows that when you hit financial rock bottom – especially in economically depressed cities – you’re usually stuck there.
But nevermind all that. For the Democratic authors of this latest study, it was far easier to smear these Latino victims with whiteface and toss them in the electoral dumpster with their unemployed white brethren.
Dropping the race card isn’t a new tactic, of course. There is a long line of Republican and Democratic dividers who know how to play this dangerous game.
In my party, it’s gone all the way to the top.
In 2008, President Barack Obama claimed that small town America was “bitter” and “clinging to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them.” At the time, Hillary Clinton correctly slammed him as an “elitist.” Yet despite his offense, many of these clingy racists and xenophobes pulled the lever for him anyway – twice.
Turns out that country folks know how to forgive.
Yet eight years later, my party did it again. Clinton doubled down on Obama’s argument with the “deplorable” slur. (Nevermind that she and her husband – along with plenty of Republicans – gave these voters their deplorable state following the lopsided trade deal with China.)
For liberal readers bursting with examples of Trump’s racial gaffes or Republican xenophobia, let me be clear: I’m not interested in defending the man. I’m interested in explaining why he’s our president.
And that gets to the study of why we lost.
It boils down to this: If voters can’t find a job with dignity – when they have abandoned hope and settled for opioids – why not vote for the guy who blows up the place?
America’s economic orphans had nothing else to lose in 2016. And maybe something to gain.
And that, my liberal friends, explains America and its politics. People in the Rust Belt and Smalltown USA were looking for a disruptor. We gave them a career politician promising more bad trade deals and an assortment of trust issues.
Not surprisingly, my neighbors chose the political newbie with a cranky Twitter account.
Makes sense to me.
All of this leaves my party with a choice. We can double down on the divisiveness of “us vs. them” or we can find inspiration and a new direction taken from our not-so-distant past.
Leaders like President Kennedy and House Speaker Tom Foley represent a time when Democrats offered something special to the American people. We fought for Main Street, not Wall Street. We bankrupted communist governments, not American industries.
And we extended a hand to America’s workers, not a slap in the face.
For the good of the country, I hope we go back to the future. If Trump implodes or leaves his voters wanting, the country is going to need thoughtful leaders to step up.
We better be ready.
Bryan Dean Wright is a former CIA ops officer and member of the Democratic Party. He contributes on issues of politics, national security, and the economy. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/03/20/democrats-blind-to-real-reason-america-elected-trump.html
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The election is over. The Dems are politically irrelevant. Their problems are irrelevant.
What are your / Republican / conservative plans for governing the country?
The plan is to destroy socialism and replace with individual responsibility and capitalism.
''If Trump implodes or leaves his voters wanting, the country is going to need thoughtful leaders to step up.''
Trump is heading in the implodes direction.
And it Trump implodes and resigns, Mike Pence gets the office....that's how it works.
Now that I think about it, perhaps Trump should have chosen a VP who absolutely NOBODY wanted to be the POTUS (maybe Bannon, or Sarah Palin?). With that possibility maybe the lefties might have stopped trying their damndest to destroy Trump's presidency.
Trump is destroying his own presidency, Buzz.
Have you noticed that no republicans came to his defense after yesterdays hearings.
Ask Andrew Napolitano and the idiots and the tuna fishes on Fox. They are complaining about the lefty/commie conspiracy daily.
Buzz....Typical RWNJ response. If it doesn't work repeal or replace with something worse. Would have thought a more intelligent answer from you.
I guess for some it really IS necessary to add the "/s" to a comment.
Don't expect too much from useful idiots...
Useful???
"Would have thought a more intelligent answer from you."
I do respect Santanyana's warning that those who ignore history are bound to repeat it. One does learn from history, and my comment was drawn from philosopical history. I did, you see, pay attention to what Phadrus had said, around the 4th century in his dialogues with Plato:
"Submit to the present evil, lest a greater one befall you. ..."
by Phaedrus
And so it is from ancient philosphical history that I came to the conclusion that I did.
So perhaps you should look into a mirror before insulting another NT member, criticizing their intelligence..
Thanks for that information Spike. I wasn't aware of that./s
Mike Pence gets the office....that's how it works
I don't like Mike Pence and disagree with him on just about every issue, however he has one huge advantage over Trump. He is sane.
Reality is not something liberals willingly confront. Witness:
"Russia hacked the election"
Talk about reality Sean.
''Obama wiretapped me''......That's Trumps version of reality. Sadly for him, he alone on that island.
'Obama wiretapped me''......That's Trumps version of reality. Sadly for him, he alone on that island.
Just a couple of hours ago, Chairman Nunez of the House Intelligence Committee, having himself gotten a briefing from the leaders of the intel agencies, briefed the President on the question of surveillance of him and his campaign and transition staff by those agencies. Check the news channels, Trump was right all along, they were doing it. I'm pretty sure that some people in the intelligence community are shortly going to be facing ten years in Leavenworth. When that possibility is pointed out to them, they WILL roll on the person who gave the orders.
Nunes clarifies: still no wiretap evidence.
CNN interview today.
I see these as threeof the most important takeaways from this article:
For liberal readers bursting with examples of Trump’s racial gaffes or Republican xenophobia, let me be clear: I’m not interested in defending the man. I’m interested in explaining why he’s our president.
And that, my liberal friends, explains America and its politics. People in the Rust Belt and Smalltown USA were looking for a disruptor. We gave them a career politician promising more bad trade deals and an assortment of trust issues.
All of this leaves my party with a choice. We can double down on the divisiveness of “us vs. them” or we can find inspiration and a new direction taken from our not-so-distant past.
Divisiveness is just that. If it persists, it will open the door to the left attacking itself and dividing itself even more during primary fights for the 2018 elections.
The Clintons and friends live in a world all their own. The Spielberg bash is just an example. IMO, divisiveness is just the new word and means nothing to them......you practice it while I won't, but I will say that I do.
The average person just saw through H. Clinton with her arms waving in the air not even pretending that she could possibly connect with them. Pres. Trump gave them a reason to hope......jobs!!!!!! With her it was all about minorities and their plight, but what about the white population that suffers as greatly?
During one of the debates between Clinton and Sanders the two of them were going on and on about the poor blacks and one of the debate moderators (a black lady) asked "what about the poor whites". It was an "oh, them, too" moment.
An higher education in itself does not make one necessarily smarter in living than one who has had to scramble all their lives to carve out a life for their self and their family. It is called "street smart" and having to use common sense to survive.
I am not pleased with Pres. Trump right now. He needs to suck it up when it comes to the "fake news", wiretapping BS, and tweeting like a 10 year old. Get on with the program!
Well said, magnoliaave. Doubt that many Orange Peckerwood supporter here, outside of Spikegary would see your rational approach to the problem. But thanks any way.
The real reason Trump won the election is the Democrats were trying to show those deplorables and you know what always happens when the Democrats try to hurt you!!!!! Here chickie chickie chickie.
The Democrats gave us Donald Trump as sure as I know the sun is coming up tomorrow morning!!!!!
Plus at least one Supreme Court Justice and only four years of hell.
The Democrats gave us Donald Trump as sure as I know the sun is coming up tomorrow morning!!!!!
Please spend the next 10 minutes spanking yourself. Now is not the time for finger-pointing. We are all to blame. Let me repeat: WE ARE ALL TO BLAME! Now is the time to work together and get ourselves out of this mess. Not only have we become the laughing stock of the entire planet, but it's becoming more clear every day that we will be in some really serious trouble if we don't remove that idiot from office. How do we go about doing that? (and yes, that is a serious question)
When the FBI shows that without a doubt that he was either involved in or aware of his campaign colluding with the Russians in the 2016 elections. Which is criminal.
The ONLY people responsible for Trump being president are those who voted for him.
Hillary Clinton received over TWO HUNDRED newspaper editorial endorsements. Trump got NINE.
In itself, this fact makes it plain as day that Trump was a looming disaster if elected. Newspaper editorial boards are the most well reasoned and thoughtful deliberative bodies in the country. When over 95% of them agree on a presidential candidate and that candidate loses, it is the voters that are wrong.
The ONLY people responsible for Trump being president are those who voted for him.
John, I am aware of that, as you well know. But the fact that he remains in office is everyone's fault. I feel like we are just sitting back watching this nightmare happen and I can't stand it. Waiting 4 years to do something about it will be too late.
Editorials over voters according to some.
The Democrats gave us Donald Trump as sure as I know the sun is coming up tomorrow morning!!!!!
Please spend the next 10 minutes spanking yourself. Now is not the time for finger-pointing. We are all to blame. Let me repeat: WE ARE ALL TO BLAME! Now is the time to work together and get ourselves out of this mess. Not only have we become the laughing stock of the entire planet, but it's becoming more clear every day that we will be in some really serious trouble if we don't remove that idiot from office. How do we go about doing that? (and yes, that is a serious question)
Spank yourself sister. Who cares if we're the laughing stock of the world? Look around the world see if you can tell me any countries that can laugh about their own problems, must less anyone else problems?
Who cares if we're the laughing stock of the world?
Every American should because most of the other countries who think we are a laughingstock are our allies and we need them. This is not the 1950's, 60's or 70's. We don't run the world an longer. We need our alliances as much as they need us. Most of our allies have no idea who to listen to when it comes to the U.S. anymore. Trump's credibility is worthless now and Pence just seems to be hanging around waiting to take over. Our Secretary of State is doing his best imitation of a silent movie star, except for threatening war. We have NO head of government any longer and haven't had since January 20th! No one is running the place!
What's worse are the countries that hate us also think of us as a laughingstock because they see us as scatterbrained, being run like keystone Kops, a joke, uncoordinated, a mess and weak and they are right! We have no foreign policy and no united front on any foreign issue! Except we hate Muslims! Having your friends see you as a joke is bad enough, but having your enemies see you as one practically begs for more jet liners flying into more skyscrapers!
The Democrats gave us Donald Trump as sure as I know the sun is coming up tomorrow morning!!!!!
Oh hell no you don't! This is on you. YOU voted for him KNOWING who he was. You need to own it and not be a chicken shit now that things are imploding. Be a fucking man and take responsibility.
now that things are imploding.
Could you be more hysterical & inaccurate ... seems unlikely . Any implosions are from the left wing snowflakes !
Could you be more hysterical & inaccurate
Yes, yes I can. hahahahaha (good to see you posting again Petey. Even at my expense)
I think you must not be watching the current news. Things are imploding starting with the "repeal and replace" healthcare.
YOU voted for him KNOWING who he was.
No PJ, we voted for him because we knew what Hillary Clinton was. You don't want somebody like Trump elected, don't run a sleazy dirtbag candidate against him, thinking that you can get away with it because you think we're too stupid to know what you're trying to do.
The dismissive attitude you're showing right now toward the Trump voters is a big piece of why he got elected.
You don't want somebody like Trump elected, don't run a sleazy dirtbag candidate against him, thinking that you can get away with it because you think we're too stupid to know what you're trying to do.
"You made me do something stupid"
What a childish argument.
"You made me do something stupid"
Hardly. Voting for Trump was not stupid, voting for Hillary Clinton would have been. When you have two poor choices, intelligent people choose the LESSER of the two evils. That was Trump.
When over 95% of them agree on a presidential candidate and that candidate loses, it is the voters that are wrong.
Since when are the Commissars of Propaganda smarter than the voters? Who the hell cares what a bunch of newspaper sloggs think! I'd sooner ask for the opinion of a professional politician and they rate lower than a pimp.
The dismissive attitude you're showing right now toward the Trump voters is a big piece of why he got elected.
You guys are trying to make being smart a bad thing. I'm not going to fall for that narrative. I'm not going to allow Trump voters/supporters to try and shame me because I value intellect and education. I AM educated and I do make educated decisions and I'm proud of it.
With that said, I hope and pray that Trump is able to push through all that he claims he wants to do because it will cripple the very people who voted him into office.
How charitable. THIS is a real liberal attitude...
How charitable. THIS is a little real attitude...
Stop.....
You're embarrassing me. I do like to give credit where credit is due. You guys get to claim this one all on your own.
I don't wish suffering on my poltical opponents. That's all you...
What's wrong with hoping and wishing people get what they asked for?
Better get some more (moral) education...
Sadly my moral compass is slightly damaged. I'm working on fixing it but it may take anywhere from 4 - 8 years.
Probably 16.
It will never happen.
Oh hell no you don't! This is on you. YOU voted for him KNOWING who he was.
I agree. You dumped this pile of stinking, steaming horseshit on America! YOU own him! He is all yours!
PJ, even though I didn't vote for Trump, watching the reaction of progressive lefties to the surprise result along with the moderate and balanced posing as independents but in reality liberal has been priceless. I enjoy watching/reading the response of those disappointed in the results. That has made the whole post election time so good.
It is not disappointment in the results. It is having a turned Russian asset in the White House that concerns most of us. His connections to Putin are far, far to close and his staff and campaign personnel read like a GRU agent list. He might just as well submit a Bill to Congress to change the name of our country to The United Soviet States of America. It's not the loss, it's having an active Russian agent in the job that bothers me. I would just as soon we remain a Democratic/Republic and not become an Authoritative dictatorship. He is the most un-American and anti-American person who has every sat his diapered ass in the Oval Office. He is not my President. He is Russia's.
I am waiting for him to change our flag to more closely resemble Russia's.
X- I knew you had a bit of the devil in you. I bet you even like to kick a dog or two once in awhile. You almost had me fooled with the whole "Christian" act.
No worries. I have no problem feeding your perverted enjoyment through my continued aversion to stupidity.
I'd never cause harm to a pet or any other animal I personally encounter. Christianity is an act only to secular progressives actual and those posing as moderates.
X- we still need to work on that funny bone
Good find XX. I must say however, there is nothing new in what he writes. It's been said over and over again since November. The only thing new is it was written by a democrat.
Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. That a democrat wrote it was the primary reason I seeded it. Those on the left here hate articles from on of their own more than an American Thinker seed.
Fox news, another daily low for you XX. Made my day, there is one con. here who just cannot learn.
You do realize that Democrats work for Fox News don't you?