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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Something is wrong with the Democratic Party [View all]DirkGently
(12,151 posts)19. I don't think but a fraction believed they were voting "for" racism.
I recall an NPR interview with some local Republican leader in Texas, lamenting that Trump had said terrible things that made him a hard sell.
But they couldn't countenance the possibility of Hillary winning, of course.
Others I have heard supporting Trump literally dismissed his terrible comments as things he didn't mean. But they liked his attitude. They bought the idea he, a silver-spoon real estate conman with a string of bankruptcies and a tacky jet, was one of them.
People voted against Hillary Clinton. Some maybe because they made some reasoned decision, but many because it has been drilled into the conservative base that she is the worst person in the world. More terrifying than Obama, somehow.
At the end of the day, people vote for the people they think are on their "side." It has little to do with who is actually on their side, and a lot with culture and tradition.
Conservatives voted against Hillary. Independents were not moved to cross over. Republicans weren't either.
I'm sure the racists are thrilled. But there aren't enough of them to dictate elections. Political cultural tribalism accounts for most of it.
And the numbers show it. Trump didn't get as many votes as past Republicans. He did not do well overall. But it was enough, in the right states, and Hillary did not come close to Obama's numbers with black and Latino voters, which along with whatever indies and Republicans crossed over, was the magic formula before.
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The problem started when too many of our politicians started taking Wall Street and big corporate
Dustlawyer
Nov 2016
#27
Jesus, the way some people talk you would think there wasn't one working class person
boston bean
Nov 2016
#9
Interesting how some people talk like AA and Latinos and women are not the working class.
SunSeeker
Nov 2016
#28
I think the media is confusing overlapping constituencies of who were the "voters"
BumRushDaShow
Nov 2016
#21
Years of looking at a black president simmered in those groups and was fed by Trump.
ehrnst
Nov 2016
#20
It is also about celebrity worship. That's how Arnold became governor of California. nt
tblue37
Nov 2016
#45
Hmm. You mean abandon the coalitions that have made Democrats stray from the real reason we formed?
ehrnst
Nov 2016
#18
When "true progressive" comes at the expense of Reproductive health, and LGBTQ rights
ehrnst
Nov 2016
#56
When the Democrats gave up New Deal and Great Society principles to the DLC and Blue Dogs,
Feeling the Bern
Nov 2016
#44
Koch brother fucking. Scott Walker. Wisconsin people like getting fucked by Republicans.
Feeling the Bern
Nov 2016
#52
what does that have to do with Wisconsin slitting its own throat with Walker and Johnson?
Feeling the Bern
Nov 2016
#77
WI had three opportunities to get ride of that fucker Walker and get rid of Johnson, who they don't
Feeling the Bern
Nov 2016
#76
No, it's bullshit, because lots of liberal and progressive candidates and issues have lost
Fast Walker 52
Nov 2016
#81