We should dispel one big myth about Trump's base.

[mamas]

They came out and voted for his candidates in VA and NJ. They are a solid 30-35% of the population and they are not going anywhere. They don't really care if he accomplishes anything that he promised in the campaign or since. Many when interviewed will tell you they knew he was just being political when he talked about building a wall and making Mexico pay for it. They don't even care if Russia interfered in our elections if it helped elect Trump. They would welcome Putin in a heart beat if they could be sure he wouldn't change his social and economic policies to benefit the people they don't like.

About 50% of his solid 30% base are well off, making plenty of money and will never, ever need a benefit from the Federal government to live at a pretty high standard. They don't really care if taxes are reformed or reduced since they already have all the money they will ever need. They only care that their taxes may go to those they consider undeserving.

The other half of his supporters are poor to lower middle-class working men and women who may or may not be interested in getting a job, or an education. Of course, everyone would like to have a bigger pay check or a job but that is not what is driving their fondness for Trump.

Together they are a group of bigoted, sexist, homophobic, ultra-RW evangelical, racists who will tolerate anything from Trump so long as he demonstrates to them that he too is all of those things.

[Madam45for2923]

1. Yep, he could shoot someone in Times Square and grab their sisters/daughters/moms by the whatever

(and even if they themselves witnessed all of the above) they would still not care.

They would not care.

He could start assassinating journalists and his critics/opponents and they'd probably applaud.

[IronLionZion]

9. Trumpette women have openly welcomed the grabbing

Even Tila Tequila has said she loves getting it like that. Other Trumpette women have posted on social media they wish their husbands would do that.

Trumpettes are strange people

[Madam45for2923]

13. How do the same women feel about their daughters being grabbed like that. Hope not the same.

[MrsCoffee]

19. Jealous?

I don't know why I said that, just can't imagine that they would have any normal reaction to anything Trump does or condones.

[BigmanPigman]

54. Every time I see this photo...

[LeftInTX]

57. I often wonder if alcohol is involved here..

[BigmanPigman]

59. All I know is that every time I see it I want to drink heavily so

there is a chance that I will forget it completely.

[LeftInTX]

60. Her clothes are disheveled

She looks sunburn on her chest.

[asiliveandbreathe]

2. There are more of us than there are of them.....obviously...

the trumphumpers came out to vote for their poor excuse for a man - THEY LOST!

They came out and voted for his candidates in VA and NJ - THEY LOST!

[Demsrule86]

3. And soon they will be a footnote in history as will asshat Trump.

[dalton99a]

4. They are beyond the reach of reason or decency.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Northam actually did as bad in rural VA as Clinton, Obama, and Kerry.

They will always be with us, albeit in ever smaller numbers.

[former9thward]

58. Not in smaller numbers.

Gillespie got more votes than any other GOP Virginia governor candidate in history.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

62. The percentage of Americans living in rural areas has decreased since our founding.

The former Army doctor and pediatric neurologist kicked the former ENRON lobbyist's ass despite doing as poorly in rural areas as Kerry, Clinton, and Obama. That suggests to me, especially in the era of Chump, there are more votes to be found in the suburbs, especially from women, who are appalled by and recoil from his aberrant behavior.

[BumRushDaShow]

63. Some interesting census data on this

The loss of population in rural areas - https://www.yahoo.com/news/census-rural-us-loses-population-first-time-040425697.html

Last year's Census survey summary graphic -



That "gap" between urban and rural IS definitely the suburbs, including developments around rim towns that were created on previous farmland. I know I have watched the explosive development just outside of Philly - notably 2 counties west (Chester County and even into the Amish stronghold Lancaster County), where once pristine farmland became "Exburbia", with housing complex after housing complex after housing complex (Toll Brothers). In fact what prompted alot of this was the creation of large "office parks" in those suburbs where your commuter traffic ended up being suburb to suburb vs suburb to city.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

64. IMHO, there are more votes for us to harbor in the suburbs.

Only nineteen percent of Americans live in rural areas. We should address their needs because they are our fellow Americans. I just don't know how successful they will be. Ralph Northam was a a native Virginian, an Army doctor, and had voted for George W. Bush, yet he did as poorly as Kerry, Obama, and Hillary in rural areas. They might be beyond our grasp because of the culture war.

[BumRushDaShow]

65. Agree

and I think it really is a "cultural" thing. Many multiple generations who lived and chose to stay in rural areas learned certain ways to "do for self" (for self-preservation purposes), so their entire "world-view" is quite different from urban and suburban-dwellers.

There are many "trade-offs" that they choose to accept that tend to strengthen that world view, but those trade-offs can be lethal when forced on others... And as we are now seeing with what started as a "meth crisis" that has morphed into an "opioid crisis", their ability to cope in that rural and abandoned company town environment, has been breached.

The old adage - "birds of a feather flock together" fits here because those who couldn't take anymore made the extra effort to leave.

[CousinIT]

6. SHitler's Base just want him to hate & hurt the same people THEY hate & want to hurt

As long as he does that, they're happy. "piss off the libruls" is what it's all about. Revenge on the wimmin and the Obama voters. They're torch-bearing, chest-pounding, apelike knuckle-dragging thugs and SHitler is their gang leader.

He can kill anyone as long as it's not one of them. They can't consider anyone other than themselves even human. That's why they believe in their own superiority and only in their own human rights.

When they grouse about being "politically correct" - what they mean is: "I don't want to have to grow up enough to learn to respect anyone who is different than I am".

They are moral and mental degenerates. The lowest human common denominator on the planet. Bottom of the human barrel. Am I dehumanizing THEM? No. They're human. The worst ones on the planet. Greedy, ignorant, hate and fear-driven, gun-hoarding, terrorist thugs.

ISIS are human too. And we have our very own American version of it right here in America. Their leader is Donald J. Trump.

They had better be dethroned, depowered, and rejected soundly - like they were last Tuesday night. Or we are in a lot of trouble.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

16. ☝🏾👍🏾👏. n/t

[iluvtennis]

37. Indeed.

[smirkymonkey]

40. This +1000!

[mamas]

7. The GOP keep thinking that they have to "get something done." NO THEY DON'T

The Trump base is not going anywhere but GOP bad bills that will hurt a lot of middle income families will push them over to I's or D's. Let them go. Let them come forward with this draconian tax legislation and let them sneak the repeal of ACA subsidies inside the legislation. That is going to do more harm than doing nothing. They seem to forget that they all were elected and re-elected by getting nothing done except obstructing President Obamal

[Dulcinea]

8. Trump makes his supporters feel powerful.

Last edited Thu Nov 9, 2017, 12:36 PM - Edit history (1)

A lot of his base is people with no power: working class people whose jobs & way of life are gone forever, such as coal miners, former factory workers, etc. They vote on an emotional level, not from logic or reason. The Donald told them exactly what they wanted to hear. The fact that he'll never be able to follow through on his promises is secondary to the rush they get when he speaks to them.

They're terrified of the changes that are happening all over America, & for whatever reason, they choose to believe Dolt 45 when he says he'll make their wishes come true. SAD!

[Girard442]

21. It's not a coincidence that opioid abuse is a problem in Trump country.

Fascism and opiates aren't that much different -- there's a rush, you feel better for a bit, then you feel much, much worse and the problems you had before are still there.

[Dulcinea]

39. That's part of it.

So many of them have tiny, depressing lives. They smoke, drink, & work their dead-end jobs. When there's no job, heroin & opiates enter the picture. They don't read, travel, or even go to the movies. They go grocery shopping, to Walmart, & to church.They're content not to know anything about the big, scary world.

I know this to be true; my father's family was full of people like this. He got an education & a profession & got away from all that. We saw them on holidays until my grandmother died, as did a lot of those relatives.

[Lonestarblue]

10. An excellent summary!

As long as we have hate radio and Fox News lying to their audiences, we will have this group. If Democrats ever return to power with all three branches of government and full majorities to actually pass laws, I hope they will reinstate the fairness doctrine that Reagan killed. They also need to dillute media ownership so that one big group like Sinclair cannot poison much of the U.S.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

17. ☝🏾☝️☝🏾☝️☝🏾

THIS!

[SeattlePop]

11. PIGS

They are just pigs.

[Cosmocat]

12. I would challenge the percentage breakdown of his "base"

First, the 50% that are well off, that live at a pretty high standard.

There really are not that many people like that, and those that do fit into that level, and it does not make up even remotely half of his "base."

Yes, there is a larger portion of his base that are lower educated and poorer.

But, a VERY big part of his "base" are rural/semi rural types who are solid middle class.

People don't get it, or want to say it, but the average GOPer/Trump supporter drives a 40,000 pickup, has thousands of dollars in guns, ammo, camo, a hitch to haul his 9,000 ATV, spends money traveling to NASCAR, etc.

These people are 100% cultural in their voting. They are doing OK, and are playing the odds that the crazy shit the GOP tries to do won't actually effect them because the GOP whistles (and of course 45 more directly) at their biases.

[Garrett78]

28. I agree for the most part, but...

...it depends how one defines "well off." If 50k or more is well off, then more than half of those who voted for Trump are well off, according to exit polls.

[Cosmocat]

43. My wife and I make a about 95,000 combined

we didn't overbuild our house, don't live lavishly, and we are basically pay check to pay check with two middle school aged children.

We aren't struggling, we are really lucky, can vacation, eat out every now and again. But, we don't have a lot of disposable income.

With some variability on where you live (and we live in a fairly reasonably priced area), I can't say that $50,000 is "well off." I mean, you are making enough to not be worried day to day, but you aren't getting ahead until you get a good bit closer to six figures.

[Blue_true]

47. Depends where one lives. In my area of Florida, $50,000 is a good income

and people making that with no kids live well.

[hueymahl]

29. Fair point regarding the 50% well off contingent

That said, there is a substantial component of his base that does have money and does not need any government benefits (other than Social Security, medicare, roads, police, fire, military, post office, national parks, FEMA, etc., etc.) but that does have the ability to financially support the shitgoblin and his policies. The effect of this percentage, whatever it is, is outsized to to their actual numbers. I know a lot of them.

[Maggiemayhem]

38. I think evangelical is also a keyword in their description

Even if they don’t attend church, that is how they would describe themselves. IMO The ones I know are also extremely gullible. We have a local church that has put up a barrier to their front entrance. You would think they wouldn’t mind going to heaven if their faith is so strong. They described the Texas shooting as lucky they were in church and now they are in a better place. I mean as least it is not being described as a false flag. I agree it is a cultural thing.

[mamas]

50. It's 50% of the solid 30%.

[Mr.Bill]

14. Spot on.

If Trump didn't run in 2020, they would vote for Ted Nugent.

[BumRushDaShow]

45. I'm sorry but

you just made me spit a sip of soup all over the front of myself!

[Botany]

15. and despite the real knowledge that the election was dirty and Russia installed Trump ...

... into the White House "they" are OK w/ that because "they" like liberal tears and "they"
stopped Hillary's liberal agenda too.

I was in the western MD/WV/VA area late last winter and some of the poorest shacks in the
West Dog Patch towns had Rebel, NRA, and Trump flags/signs up in their yards. Their minds
have been poisoned by pastors, hate talk radio and internet, coal bosses and money, politicians,
and years and years of just plain old dumb fuck racist red neck talk.

[lunatica]

18. Other than the percentages you wrote I agree with you

I would like to see you back up your numbers with some factual statistics, with a link so we can see for ourselves, but other than that you're right on.

The key words are 'they don't care'. Typical sociopathic behavior. Trump's followers are as narcissistic and sociopathic as he is. And that's not going to change.

[Garrett78]

30. It depends on how one defines "well off."

Scroll down to income: http://www.cnn.com/election/results/exit-polls

According to the exit polls, 64% of the voters make 50k or more. 48% of them voted for Trump, while only 41% of those who make less than 50k (36% of voters) voted for him.

[mamas]

51. Mercers, Kochs, Adlestein, half of Wall Street brokers (maybe more), GOP elites.

That's who i mean...and the Hollywood GOP. The farm families that are land rich and wealthy from hefty Federal subsidies for not farming etc.

[Stuart G]

20. These are the exact same people who helped to install Hitler.

Hitler's support in the very beginning was no more than 35 percent. When he was appointed, a majority of Germans did not support him.

[lunatica]

22. They did nothing which is just as bad

Apathy can kill this country.

[hibbing]

23. Preach n/t

[KPN]

24. Generally speaking, you are right on. The key is they are only 30-35%.

What about the other 13-18% who voted for him? Are they firm Rs, or might they vote D in 2018 and beyond? And why would they? Is backlash to Trumpism sufficient to carry VA results elsewhere and in 2020 and beyond?

[SCantiGOP]

25. Good analysis

All I would add is that some of those well-off Trumpers cannot back off now because they will look foolish if they admit what a mistake they made. So they continue to repeat the mantra: He wasn’t my first choice but he is better than Hillary and the Democrats, but you know they don’t mean it.

[Cryptoad]

26. GOP: Laregest Organized Group of Bigots and Hate Mongers in the USA!

[PatSeg]

27. It is more a cult of personality for these people

One big reality TV show and they get to be participants. They are playing a dangerous game with the future of our country and our democracy. They have no real core beliefs and essentially have never been interested in politics or world events. Meanwhile, they've been listened to Fox News and right-wing talk radio for many years and the indoctrination is deeply implanted.

Twenty years ago, these people would have been watching Jerry Springer or professional wrestling and they would have been relatively harmless. Now conservative pundits have encouraged them to go to rallies and fucking vote, to make a difference. Well they certainly have done that.

[angrychair]

31. Article about Johnstown, PA is all you need to know

Last edited Thu Nov 9, 2017, 02:40 PM - Edit history (1)

About trump supporters.

It is the darkest, most twisted and saddest peek into the minds of trump supporters I’ve ever read:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/08/donald-trump-johnstown-pennsylvania-supporters-215800

[Va Lefty]

32. Agree 100%

He hates who they hate and that's all that matter to them.

[caraher]

33. Yes, essential reading

Has anyone made an OP on this article?

The ending is neither surprising nor acceptable. But it should be revelatory for those who want to be charitable and chalk up Trump's support to economic anxiety.

[Va Lefty]

35. Here's one. There may have been others

Last edited Thu Nov 9, 2017, 02:47 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1909848

[Dulcinea]

46. I did.

Check it out in the Editorial forum.

[IronLionZion]

42. Believe it or not, Obama won Johnstown, PA

in 2008 back before they lost their minds and started foaming at the mouth with hate and bitterness

They used to be reliably blue for many decades

[BumRushDaShow]

48. Incredible

Thank you for the heads-up on that.

The bottom line for that group of my "fellow" PA residents is this - the last 3 sentences of the piece -

The NFL?

“Niggers for life,” Schilling said.

“For life,” McCabe added.

There is no "reaching out" to these people. Thanks to Faux, they were encouraged to be traumatized by a black President (despite voting for him in 2008 - if they really did "vote" at all - folks like these lie alot) and Drumpf became their (fake) blond-haired, blue-eyed "savior". He looks like them, acts as uncouth as them, and they feel comfortable with that type of persona. Sortof like voting for Archie Bunker to be in the WH.

[JaneQPublic]

34. Great Post. Welcome to DU.

[Mosby]

36. great post

We could consistently beat that 35 percent if almost everyone who's eligible voted.

[mamas]

52. That is the take-away.

[yardwork]

41. Trump's base are white racists of all income levels.

I agree with your OP.

[oxbow]

44. The people who didn't vote...

..far outnumber the HRC or DT voters in 2016. That means we can stop wasting energy trying to "turn" DT voters away from the dark side and focus on speaking with the ones who chose to remain unrepresented.

[BumRushDaShow]

49. THIS

These "uninterested" voters HAVE come out before and can come out again. We saw it in 2006, when Democrats were able to retake the House after 12 years of being the minority party there.

[brewens]

53. It's never enough money for some at the top. They are already way in the black on our tax dollars.

That's what needs to be pointed out more often. What they pay in is a joke compared to what they rake in. That is probably the one thing they are most afraid of people understanding. You do not buy a system and come out holding the short end of the stick. Our system is more like the middle ages where the ruling class lives off taxing the peasants.

[Pepsidog]

55. Very thoughtful and true post.

[Dustlawyer]

56. It is the propaganda, plain and simple.

Watch Fox and then other news channels. They do not speak on even the same stories. Fox ignores anything negative to Republicans and calls everyone else liars.

These people have been PROGRAMMED!

[rtracey]

61. yeah hmmm

Im not sure I completely buy your statements. I believe the Fuckump most followers DO believe in his rhetoric. I think many believe the immigrants were stealing their jobs, that the wall will work, that he was going to cut taxes for them, like he promised, that their insurance costs were going to be slashed like he promised, that their medicare, medicaid, S.Security was going to be safe, like he promised. I do believe that the supporters are bigoted, hate-mongering, RW, sexist, homophobes. I DO NOT believe they are going to tolerate anything Fuckump does, especially anything that is going to cause them to pay more money in taxes, insurance, etc. They may be just stupid enough to believe Fuckump when he says its still Obamas fault.