Someone posted an essay attributed to Steve Harvey on Facebook last week. I did not fact check to make certain that these were actually Harvey’s words, but I felt the concept was worth sharing as I continue to try to understand support for Trump.
Trump’s base sees a two-fold problem which is depleted economic opportunity and security, and the immigrants they blame for their economic problems. They blame the corrupt, out of touch government that caused or allowed this to happen. They see the government as broken and as something that must be destroyed and rebuilt. They see all politicians as the enemy, but are particularly hostile to democrats and liberals. They believe Trump’s wealth and success keep him from being influenced by lobbyists and wealthy donors. They see the problems as urgent and unfixable. They don’t care how despicable, dishonest or immoral Trump is because he’s the one who is going to change government, fix the economy and return it to what it once was.
They don’t see the incompetence and the self-dealing and the lies. They cheer the breaking of our institutions and norms and they don’t care about our standing in the world. They believe that this destruction will somehow fix government and return it to a golden time that never really existed for everyone. For the rest of us, who only see the destruction and not the unrealistic vision of how things could be in Trump world, we’re on a runaway train with no one at the helm and no one maintaining the tracks, that is heading toward a crevasse spanned by a broken bridge.
Maybe impeachment is the answer, if not, the 2020 election. So Vote!!!
reilly m gray 