The Real Reason Why??
Trump’s sycophant fan base would have
us believe that he is the most unjustly picked on and set upon political figure
ever. Some have even compared him (favorably!!??) to Jesus. In their eyes, no
criticism, no matter how valid and data driven has merit, simply because Trump is
their guy. This blindness had made itself manifest in blatant lies by media shills
and tacit support by those “one percenters” who see oligarchy and absolutism as
profitable for them, which is their sole standard of political supportability. Perhaps
the real question is, or should be, “Why?” What motivates the rank-and-file Maga supporter
to endorse and defend such a demonstrably and monumentally flawed individual? What
follows is my poor attempt to offer some explanation. His legal woes are myriad
and justified, but beyond the scope of this essay.
Typical of the Trump sycophant is a
phenomenon we have seldom seen to this degree, which is that if his idol, is
insulted or criticized, the proper response is to immediately attack someone
else. “Deny and deflect.” For example, Trump insults a handicapped person and
the response to justifiable outrage by such a person is to attack Hillary
Clinton or Barack Obama. Similarly, while Obama was the target of a great deal
of far right (including Trump) abuse because of federal deficits incurred while
slogging out of the great recession, caused largely by persons like Trump, the
first Trump budget sported the largest deficit ever, which is odd, considering
how proud Trump is of his financial genius. He did it, it must be ok.
The criticism
of those who dislike Trump seems to stem from the inability of his supporters to
understand that their anger is a response and reaction to his bad behavior.
This is the social equivalent to Newton's Third Law: "For every action, there is
an equal and opposite reaction." One wonders how many times these folks can
tolerate Trump’s blatant lack of concern for those he governs. And then the
light comes on! It becomes clear on reflection that those who take such umbrage
at criticisms of Trump’s behavior do so for primarily one reason. That reason?
Trump’s racism, sexism, disregard for the welfare of children, intolerance
for the truth, and inability to get along with anyone who doesn’t worship him
are matched by the inadequate personalities and lack of empathy of his
supporters.
Trump attacks
for such simple reasons as someone asking him a reasonable question and then
continuing to ask when he evades answering. Those who oppose him criticize him
because those actions were and are unpresidential and mean spirited. No
president in the modern era has ever used the office to bully and slander
people like Trump did as President. His supporters don’t care, because many of
them are people with various emotional disorders, among which are feelings of
social inferiority, racial bigotry (“Oh, but some of my best friends are
black!), economic failure or fear of it, simple greed, xenophobia, inability to
empathize, and/or the same malignant narcissism for which Donald Trump should
be poster boy. Criticize Trump, you’re
criticizing them. Many probably have few, if any, friends whose opinions,
religion, sexuality, or ethnicity differ from their own, another Trump
characteristic. Deplorably, Trump seems to simply have no friends, period.
Seriously, stop, reflect, and then name one individual that has ever been
identified as a Trump personal friend. Can’t do it.
In like manner, the MAGA crowd ignore the sage pronouncement made by, then candidate, Bill Clinton – “It’s the economy stupid.” For most, that would seem to be a relatively accurate statement, but not for Trumpers. Many of us tend to make decisions based on how those decisions affect our own and our family's personal economic welfare, short and long term. The Maga cultists essentially ignore this even though many of them are already economically marginalized. Trumps actions while POTUS clearly proved him to be an economic dunce (hideously bad retaliatory China tariffs, costing billions to US consumers and gutting US farm product markets, adding billions to farm subsidies. A tax cut which will add trillions to the deficit).
Why should we be surprised, when he had declared bankruptcy five times
pre-White House, and has now resorted to huckstering trading cards, sneakers,
and bibles? The lonely, angry, disaffected and socially inadequate identify
with this emotional train wreck because lots of them are already off the rails
themselves. What they may classify as “hate” by non-Trump fans is simply a
predictable and justified equal and opposite response to his continuing and
monumental bad behavior. Newton got it, but then most Trumpists think Newton is
a fig bar.
