Sanders and Trump: The Populist and the Demagogue

[robertpaulsen]

This is a great piece from Robert Borosage that does its best to destroy the phony conflation by the corporate stooges in the Fourth Estate between two candidates who couldn't be more different.

Sanders and Trump: The Populist and the Demagogue

August 20, 2015

Robert Borosage


Donald Trump is rocking. Polls show him consolidating his lead over Republican presidential rivals and closing in hypothetical run-offs with Hillary Clinton. He crows about crowds bigger and more raucous than his rivals can draw. He dominates the news in the dog days of August. When Trump released a racist, fantastical immigration posture, his rival scrambled to embrace one or more of its noxious elements – the wall, the armed border, the stripping of birthright citizenship.

The Republican conservative establishment, sensibly concerned that Trump’s excesses will besmirch their “brand,” is weighing in against him. After the ambush by Fox News in the first debate failed, conservative pundits lined up to read him out of the party. George Will dubbed him an “interloper” who should be “excommunicated” from future debates. Charles Krauthammer scorned his “barstool eruptions.” Former Bush speech writer, Michael Gerson urges “establishment Republicans” to dismiss him as “beyond the boundaries of serious and civil discourse.” Commentary’s Peter Wehner scorned him as “populist” not a conservative.

The latter theme has taken hold. Trump is painted as the right’s equivalent of Bernie Sanders, each leading an insurgent movement against party establishments. Forget their glaring contrasts: Sanders calls for a political revolution against the “billionaire class;” Trump is one. Sanders is an internationalist; Trump a nationalist. Sanders is most comfortable delivering a professorial lecture; Trump with a one line counter-punch. Sanders is a livelong champion of civil rights; Trump is a racist, misogynist divider. Sanders opposes America’s bellicose interventionism; Trump brags “I am the most militaristic person ever.” Sanders shows how big money and corporate interests have rigged the rules; Trump blames “stupid” and “incompetent” leaders. Despite this, they are lumped together as populist challengers to a besieged center.

more at link...

http://ourfuture.org/20150820/sanders-and-trump-the-populist-and-the-demagogue

[Warpy]

1. Both outside the main party power structures.

In addition, Trump is the only candidate in the GOP who isn't running for Pope on the side. While he's given a few sops here and there to the fundies, it's pretty clear he's not one of them and isn't speaking their coded language.

[robertpaulsen]

2. Speaking of coded language,

I think that that is the only reason Ben Carson is polling second to Trump. I mean, I watched the debate and I thought he sucked profoundly; that bad lip-reading parody really wasn't too far off the mark in proving he's "not ready." But because his entire vocal output in that debate consisted of dog-whistle diarrhea, his numbers have risen.

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. And the revelation that he used fetal tissue for research

isn't going to win him any fundie votes.