RickD wrote:Am I missing something?
Who called Trump an idiot, or said he is stupid?
Pretty sure calling someone a baboon qualifies.
Philip wrote:These are why weasel hair will get my vote. Believe me, I can only hope and pray as I do so.
And, Jac, I do realize that DT isn't ONLY mouthing off the cuff, that he has an astute team of political psychologists and analysts - but still, I have concerns. But no one comes with guarantees. But at least when we KNOW a long track record like that of Slick Willy Inc., well, ANYone but them, right? But I'd rather see people directly and clearly communicated with, than through clever manipulations and posturing. Question is, do you want to LEAD the clueless (some of which MIGHT be willing to listen to superior ideas, if so convinced) or do you just want to dominate and beat them. And to LEAD them requires building trust. Because if not enough of the U.S. electorate begins to think differently, we're gonna continue our slide into the muck. Of course, ultimately, that rests on one's spiritual sensibilities.
I actually don't think he has a team of psychologists work with him. I think he gets that from 30 years of studying people at the highest level and learning what works and what doesn't at said levels where there is zero room for error (playing with the big boys, as it is said), along with an abnormal gift for salesmanship anyway. He's just doing by nature what psychologists are figuring out works. That's one of the things that makes him so very impressive.
Second, I challenge your premise. The masses are not willing to listen to superior ideas. That's the whole point. People aren't rational. They're driven by emotions. They look for things to justify their beliefs and not vice versa, and this applies to so-called objective pundits. Go check out the Sean Trende article I linked Rick to above, and in particular note the article he links in that one. The point is that people don't want to be lead. They don't, so just let go of the fantasy. What people want is to be told that they are right. That is by far more important to them than being told what's best for them.
Third, I don't want to be lead, and I'm not interested in anyone leading me or this country. What I want is to be left alone (see the emotions in that statement? I'm not immune to this either,
and neither are you). I want leaders who promote self-responsibility, in large part because I already believe in that idea. It's a way of telling me I'm right. Sure, yeah, I absolutely believe that such a world would be better for everyone. But that's not the factor that drives me emotionally. That isn't what compels me. And guess what? It isn't what compels you either.
So you're a Reagan Republican, right? You tend to look at him as the template for what a good leader ought to be. And you look at Trump, and he's nothing like Reagan. Are you surprised at your visceral reaction? I'm asking you to be honest with yourself. And you're also from a generation that appreciates strong leaders because your generation still believes in institutions. That word has gotten a bad rap, but that's because of
my generation. We don't like institutions. I can tell you that I don't. But whatever you think about them, you should recognize your generation still believed (believes) in them, which translates into a belief in strong leadership.
Guess what? I don't. My entire generation doesn't. I think of John Maxwell is a fool. There is no law of the lid. And my whole generation agrees, as does the one after me. I'm not telling you that to say that we're right and that leadership is useless. I'm telling you that because I'm pointing out why I disagree with the basis of your questions. From my perspective, you just have the wrong framework.
So I'm looking for someone who can inspire, and if they can't do that, someone who at least will promote the cause. I'm looking for someone of integrity as well as someone who has no interest in "the system," who isn't afraid to break a few dishes. Trump checks some of those boxes and not others, and that's okay. At core, he's presenting himself as a nationalist and not a globalist. And, of course, Clinton is absolutely everything I detest. But that's all just why I'll begrudgingly vote for the man. I'm still no fan. (I was an ardent Huckabee supporter.) I'm just recognizing why he will win, and I'm asking you for a rational analysis of the facts. And a LARGE part of the facts relate to the psychology of the electorate, and neither dismissing that nor dismissing Trump himself as a baboon is anything like appropriate in my book. I mean, I suppose you can post whatever you want, but when you sound like Hannity or Limbaugh, if I get involved in the conversation, it's just going to be to call you on it (from my perspective).