Why can't people see Trump is a con man?

[extvbroadcaster]

It's so obvious. He inherited a bunch of money, and then has spent a lifetime lying, losing money, making bad deals, running businesses into the ground, and ripping people off. He's a despicable human being too, from grabbing women to leering at teenage beauty pageant contestants to cheating on his wives. Respectable people would not associate with him, banks would not lend him money. The whole President thing was a branding con that went off the rails. Now that he is in office, it is more clear than ever that he is way out of his depth and has no interest in governing anyway. It is amazing to me that a huge hunk of the voting public still supports this guy, while he does things in office that would make Nixon blush. I am not sure what is leading people to blindly follow Trump, but it is scary.

[Shell_Seas]

1. Because they hate liberals and brown people more than they care about Trump.

[Takket]

11. You took the words right out of my mouth

They don’t give a damn what drumpf is. They care what he is NOT. and that is what the LOVE about him

[Cosmocat]

29. YEP

nm

[RhodeIslandOne]

43. Bingo

[DaveJ]

69. What's most frustrating

When confronted with the planet Earth being doomed by carbon emissions, ultimately they're like "I'll be dead then anyway," but when it comes to diversity they want the U.S. to by all white and male controlled even beyond their graves. They'd rather kill the planet and have white men in charge than accept diversity that most the rest of the world accepts as commonplace.

[manor321]

2. Sunk cost fallacy

Those who first supported him would now have to admit they were stupid and didn't see it. Many are unwilling to do that.

[uponit7771]

25. +1, this is basically everyone I know supporting him

[DownriverDem]

40. trump is giving them

what they want. Repub judges!!!

[LiberalLovinLug]

44. Its that attitude that is really scary.

These arrogant idiots will double down next election rather than admit anything. Counting on Trump winning again (lord help us) so they can use that fact to soothe their wounds to their own conscience and self doubt, deducting that if the majority also still voted for him, then they WERE wrong to ever doubt their initial support, and Fox News was right again, and it must have been those evil libtards and the liberal fake news media that made me ever doubt my first vote for him. Twisted logic? Yes. But all they need is the simplest "reason" to justify their vote.

[marylandblue]

3. "People see what they want to see," is the conman's greatest gift.

Our emotions color our thoughts. They create what people wish to be true. They want to see a successful business, someone who gets things done, who is strong and capable. So that's what they see. They credit him with a successful economy and accept his excuses for failures. They want to see that our social and economic problems have simple solutions. They want to see these things because it would be better if they were true. The conman knows they want to see these things, so that's what he shows to them.

[Wounded Bear]

4. It's easier to fool someone than to convince them they've been fooled...

[riverine]

8. Just beat me. He was the greatest American, imo,

His life was a reflection of true America.

[DownFromTheMountain]

9. The Royal Nonesuch

Perfect:Trump is The Royal Nonesuch in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

The con men can't make money performing Shakespeare: "So the duke said these Arkansaw lunkheads couldn't come up to Shakspeare; what they wanted was low comedy -- and may be something ruther worse than low comedy, he reckoned."

"When the place couldn't hold no more, the duke ... made a little speech ... and at last when he'd got everybody's expectations up high enough, he rolled up the curtain, and the next minute the king come a-prancing out on all fours, naked; and he was painted all over, ring-streaked-and-striped, all sorts of colors, as splendid as a rainbow. And -- but never mind the rest of his outfit, it was just wild, but it was awful funny. The people most killed themselves laughing; and when the king got done capering, and capered off behind the scenes, they roared and clapped and stormed and haw-hawed till he come back and done it over again; and after that, they made him do it another time. ... Then the duke he lets the curtain down, and bows to the people ... .

"Twenty people sing out: 'What, is is over? Is that all?' The duke says yes. ... Everybody sings out 'sold,' and rose up mad, and agoing for that stage and them tragedians. But a big fine-looking man jumps up on a bench, and shouts: ... 'We are sold -- mighty badly sold. But we don't want to be the laughing-stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. No. What we want, is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the rest of the town! Then we'll all be in the same boat. Ain't that sensible?' ('You bet it is! -- the judge is right!' everybody sings out.) 'All right, then -- not a word about any sell. Go along home, and advise everybody to come and see the tragedy.'"

Unfortunately, I don't think the following will happen, there won't be a third night:

"The third night the house was crammed again -- and they warn't new-comers, this time, but people that was at the show the other two nights. I stood by the duke at the door, and I see that every man that went in had his pockets bulging, or something muffled up under his coat -- and I see it warn't no perfumery neither, not by a long sight. I smelt sickly eggs by the barrel, and rotten cabbages, and such things; and if I know the signs of a dead cat being around, and I bet I do, there was sixty-four of them went in."

[JDC]

48. My favorite writer I think.

[riverine]

5. The greatest American tells us

“It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

― Mark Twain

[DownFromTheMountain]

6. I had an Insurance Executive tell me

in a drunken rant while I was restoring some cabinetry in his Pasadena home that "everybody get's screwed, it just depends on if you like the way they're screwing you". But I don't know anyones who likes getting hustled. Trumps WWF crowd loves being in on the hustle, but thinks they are not the Mark. So, I started to ask myself things like: "Is, say, Chuck Todd in on the Hustle?" Is Mitch McConnell in on the Hustle? Is Melania in on the Hustle? Is Joe Manchin in on the Hustle? Is Tulsi Gabbart in on the Hustle? Think it's a provocative question? See, nobody likes to get Hustled.

[fescuerescue]

7. Because he bought them off with a tax cut

a wall and fake news about a better economy.

[Nuggets]

59. Was there an actual tax cut for middle classes

on down? Or was it just decreasing the withholding amount ?

[fescuerescue]

68. Depends on where you live

If you live in a high local tax state no. If your local taxes are low, yes.

[Hoyt]

10. They know he's a con, cad, etc., but they don't care because he's a liberal bashing racist.

[Cosmocat]

30. YYEEPP

nm

[GeorgeGist]

12. Because they are ...

easy M A R K S !

[Brawndo]

13. Because tRump gives them license to express their true selves out in public, to them, it's priceless

“If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” Lyndon B Johnson

[meow2u3]

14. If you can't see that Trump is a con man, then you're the mark

Enuf said.

[kentuck]

15. The accidental President....

He never thought he would actuallywin. Now he is in a job that doesn't match his skills.

[StarfishSaver]

16. Because, in order to convince people of this they have to admit they've been conned

And people don't like to admit they've been made fools of.

[Kota]

17. they think they are in on the con and that hes only conning dems.

[Cosmocat]

31. Yep

nm

[Beartracks]

49. "He's not hurting the people he needs to be hurting."

Republican mentality...

Link to tweet

(Note: The image came from non-twitter blog site; I couldn't get the twitter image to display)


============

[KY_EnviroGuy]

18. A huge hunk of the voting public was pre-brainwashed for this point in history.

Many years of Faux News and talk radio throughout the hinterlands, their co-opting of many churches as well as our MSM, and their infiltration into thousands of local and state governments restricts millions of Americans against rational thought.

This is a tightly closed right-wing bubble. Any external contrary information - no matter how factual - is discounted and painted as a conspiracy against the bubble.

That plus the corporate world's decades-long brainwashing almost everyone into rampant consumerism and worship of Wall Street.

Whew! Is that enough reasons?......

[Lars39]

19. Long before Trump entered the race,

my MIL was warning me about fake news. I think it came from the pulpit or Facebook or the RW sites she frequents. My husband and I were gobsmacked, since she had never even showed an interest in current events, yet all of a sudden she was warning us about fake news with a smug look on her face.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

20. It's frightening that a person can be so easily influenced.

However, I have to often remind myself that many others don't think like I do, having a scientific background and history of being open minded, yet question everything until validated. Many people I know nowadays have little or no natural curiosity or craving for broad-based mental self-improvement. They seem to only want to be entertained.

When you ask people questions, their face instantly goes to their "smart" phone. That's the easiest way imaginable to dumb-down and control our populace.

I must confess I'm at a loss as to how we can reverse this trend.....

[Lars39]

21. Everything you say applies to them and then some.

They are Creation Museum enthusiasts fwiw. I could brush it off, but they have quite a bit of influence on at least one grandson. It’s truly like stepping into an alternate universe when being around them.

[Cosmocat]

35. DECADES of the conservative propoganda machine

separating people from reality set this up.

45 is a literal moron, but his one master skill is stoking the lesser elements of the human spirit. He ran as a republican for a reason, and took the whip from them.

That is why I am even more skeptical than ever that we are fucked, because IF we manage to get him out of the white house, we will have removed the mass, but not the actual cancer.

Until such time as this country clearly sees, and repudiates conservatism as the cancer it is, we are lost.

[patphil]

22. None are so blind as those who will not see

I am sure they know that Trump is a liar, cheat, racist, and all those other descriptors that we know are true.
They just refuse to admit it because Trump fills some basic need for them.
The common denominator for all of this is hate.
Trump knows this, and he fuels their hatred whenever he can.
It's amazing, but the good part of all this is that we get to see friends, neighbors, family, and relatives in their true environment.
Trump facilitates the stripping away of the trappings of respectability that so many of his supporters had.
Now we know them.
It's sad to see the darkness in the souls of so many Americans, especially people we know, but it's better to know this than be ignorant of their hate.
It also spurs us on to counterbalance hate with love.
Love shall prevail!

Patrick Phillips

[Demobrat]

23. They see. They know.

They admire the con man. They want to BE the con man. They want to BE the person who lies and cheats and gets away with it. They want to BE the person who doesn't pay their bills. They want to BE the person who abuses women and laughs about it. They want to BE the disgusting obese slob who eats and drinks whatever they want and still has a trophy on their arm. So they do the next best thing, which is throw their lot in with the con man. It makes them feel like winners, and the more he gets away with the better they feel - about themselves.

[aikoaiko]

24. 40% of the people are OK with a Pyrrhic victory

Its very sad.

[zipplewrath]

26. Two Words

Fox News

[thegoose]

27. Rubes in America have been played since the days of P.T. Barnum

But this is the first time we've had a painfully obvious two-bit huckster piece of shit in the White House.

Thanks, Russia!

[qazplm135]

28. He triggers the libs

he gets them riled up to get angry at the "other side."

He's a WWF Heel, and his marks love rooting for the Heel.

[misanthrope]

32. This whole thread delivers!

So many correct answers to a multi-faceted question. Most essentially: "It's not that they can't see, it's that they won't."

What Trump has done is laid bare the truth that a "huge hunk" of Americans are not the "essentially good" folks we're always told they are. They're intellectually lazy, selfish, xenophobic, myopic and ethically void so Trump gives them an excuse.

[Mike Nelson]

33. Ah, the Deplorables...

… they will tell you, "It's the White House, NOT the Black House." They don't want "colored" Presidents... they want a world where people "know their place. They think women should be pushed around occasionally - they think women enjoy it - from a virile man. They want to beat up gay people - and God forbid they be able to use a public bathroom that matches how they look. If they look like a woman but were born male, they should use the men's room and get beaten... They want men to decide when women have abortions - and be wealthy enough to get one on the sly... If their white kid steals a candy bar from the 7-Elenen, the say the kid has to lose his allowance to pay... but, if a black kid steals a candy bar from the 7-Eleven - they say shoot him. And so on...

[Codeine]

34. It's about "owning the libz".

This resurgence of rightist policies and energy is not really about ideology, it’s about lashing out. It’s about punishing the people who don’t conform to an old and worn-out philosophy and a defunct culture.

[jmbar2]

47. License to bully...

- uppity pregnant sluts, blacks, browns, and "elitists"

[onecaliberal]

36. They hate the color of modern immigrants and democracy.

[Jake Stern]

37. I've had Trumpers tell me in so many words

they know he’s a con and a vile man but they love him because he whips liberals into a frenzy with a tweet.

They think it’s hilarious.

A bonus reason is that he pretty much rubber stamps their agenda.

[KansasKali]

38. They think "but he's our con man."

[sarabelle]

39. They do see him as a con man. They love con men and they don't care. nt

[dlk]

41. Trump is the Shiny Object Disaffected Americans Can Latch Onto

There has been research done relating to victims of con artists. Even when they have been conned and are aware of the person who conned and fleeced them, some people will, nevertheless, continue to back and support the con artist. It’s what we see with Trump’s supporters. They would rather be right.

Maria Konnikova, PhD, wrote an excellent book on this subject, “The Confidence Game - Why We Fall for it Every Time”. She thoroughly dissects and discusses the con artist’s game. I would highly recommend it.

[MGKrebs]

42. Not sure why, but con men have known this for ages.

People are gullible.

“There's a sucker born every minute.”
― P.T. Barnum

“No one in this world...has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.”
― H.L. Mencken

...But the lack is not in intelligence, which is in plentiful supply; rather, the scarce commodity is systematic training in critical thinking.”
― Carl Sagan

“So by slow degrees the Britons were seduced by pleasant pastimes... until finally the gullible natives came to call their slavery "culture".”
― Publius Cornelius Tacitus

[pansypoo53219]

45. because he gad a teevee show where he was a king maker. cameos.

he's on teevee. P.T.DRUMPF.

[Turbineguy]

46. Perhaps it's because

he's so comfortable when he lies.

[milestogo]

50. Because they are infinitely gullible.

When you never learn critical thinking, you can't see through even the most obvious scams.

[LonePirate]

51. As they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend so they support him unconditionally.

[Funtatlaguy]

52. Stupid is as stupid does.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

53. For some, that's not a bug but a feature.

Trump being a con man is great if it means he can own the libs.

[lordsummerisle]

54. A good recent read on this

https://www.amazon.com/Troll-Nation-Trump-Worshipping-Monsters-Liberals/dp/1510737456/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29FWXGD96SC44&keywords=troll+nation&qid=1557800382&s=books&sprefix=troll+nation%2Caps%2C157&sr=1-1

[dawg day]

55. My diagnosis: They like to be angry. It makes them feel potent.

It actually makes them IMpotent, but for a moment there, they think he makes them powerful. Inner violence is their java-juice.

Nothing, repeat nothing, rational works with them. Telling them how life will be better with this policy or that is counterproductive. They'd rather be angry than happy. They'd rather hate than love.

In a while, they'll come out of this red haze of anger. By then, they will have alienated their children and grandchildren and friends. And Trump will be off somewhere bragging about his inaugural crowds, and giving them not a single thought, and paying people to say they love him.

These people don't have that kind of money, and they're going to end up unloved and unhealthy.

[pamdb]

56. Trump

You’re never going to get rich voting on the intelligence of the American public.

[MFM008]

57. RACISM

Hate. Fear. Stupidity.....

[Blue Owl]

58. Ya can't teach stupid

n/t

[LibDemAlways]

60. Racists, Misogynists, Homophobes, and lowlifes have

found a kindred spirit in Trump. If you hate brown people, detest Muslims, enjoy slapping women around, think it's funny to bully gays.....Trump is your guy. The attraction is a no brainer. They see a "leader" who seemingly makes it acceptable to unapologetically hate all the people they hate. And there are millions of them, enough to keep Trump's approval numbers in the high 30's and into the 40's. And, unless Trump appeared at their house and killed their dog, there isn't much he could do to lose their support.

[McCamy Taylor]

61. Read "Bandits" by Eric Hobsbawn. They love him for being a criminal.

[PaulRevere08]

62. He validates living in their "bubble". As much of the US is slowly evolving to

more enlightened views it exposes them as fraud - they consider themselves to be the "True Americans". Much like in the years before the civil war, as long as northeners remained quiet and did not make them feel bad about owning slaves, everyone got along. As the Abolitionist pressure started to escalate, the slavery rational changed from an economic justification to a moral/religious justification.

JAMES THORNWELL, a minister, wrote in 1860, "The parties in this conflict are not merely Abolitionists and slaveholders, they are Atheists, Socialists, Communists, Red Republicans, Jacobins on the one side and the friends of order and regulated freedom on the other."

[oldsoftie]

63. The ones I am around see him as saving the US from Socialism.

And while they ALL cared about Obamas transcripts & Clintons perjury, they now do NOT care about trumps hidden grades & HIS lying and adultery. Because "thats not why i voted for him"

Next year is going to be a HUGE surprise to these folks.

[The Wizard]

64. There is a very effective propaganda

operation in place that appeals to the poorly educated and easily frightened. They will support the cult leader no matter what he does. He could abort his daughter's baby and eat the fetus on TV and they'd just say he must have been pretty hungry.

[Botany]

65. Well for a certain % of Americans Trump has made it OK to say the word N****R again.

Trump lets them feel good about being who they are:

His "poor dumb ass base" wouldn't be allowed into one of his clubs or
social gatherings except to work but in their sick minds Obama is a
N****R, Hillary is a dyke b***h, he understands their need for guns,
nothing tastes as sweet as liberal tears, and he is not politically correct.

Hell Putin could have a video of Trump having sex w/Ivanka and they
would still love him.

[lambchopp59]

66. Two words: Fox "News"

Touting their "Christian messenger".

[Yavin4]

67. People see what they want to see

That's how all con men operate.

[CDerekGo]

70. and then

I have VERY CLOSE relatives who are completely blind to the antics of this Con-Man. Who post daily how much 'IN LOVE' they are with drumpf. I gave up long ago. I even cut off contact with my ENTIRE family over 7 years ago due to politics. Yes, it stung, mostly to them, but do you think they even considered changing any of their political views? Blood thicker than Water? Nope. Plus, of the three siblings, I'm the only one in same State as 80-something Parents, as well as only single one at that. It's all good They're the only Parents I have. You can choose friends, you can't choose relatives.

[JonLP24]

71. I blame the reality show

I don't watch reality shows so I have no idea what image they portrayed of him but I heard he was racially divisive asking the black contest winner if he should hire the runner up.

I came across this thread a long time ago. Talks about that episode of The Apprentice.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=258x2833

It also divided DU at the time.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x4450431

[VOX]

72. Trumpists don't care that 45 is a king-con asshole, because he talks shit about POC and Democrats.

That's really it. It's that simple-minded. Owning the libs. Putting those pushy POC in their place. Trashing Hillary, Obama and Joe Biden. Talking "tough" about Muslims. Etc., etc.

That's all the Red State deplorables need to pull the lever for Trump.