Explain how Trump has so much support (1 Viewer)

[Bayouboy]

I would like some layman answers to the question "How does Trump have so much support, right now"? The final two word are important context.

I somewhat understand how he became a "force" prior to the 2016 election. There were many factors that allowed him to gain steam. Anti-establishment and not being a true politician was a big turn on to some voters on the right at the time. He talked a good game and somehow found a way to the Presidency despite acting "unpresidential". Trump's time in office had some victories for the Republicans and the economy was humming prior to COVID.....but the shirt show that happened on a daily basis with him firing executive staff (that didn't agree with him) and the overall chaos that was the White House certainly should've had an effect on his supporters. This was all BEFORE losing the 2020 election and what ensued. What happened after the 2020 election is well documented and, in my opinion, should have buried him as a candidate for office for eternity.

With ALL of what happened since the 2020 election, how can he still have half of the country (give or take) as supporters? Had all the election denying, countless gaffs, and the attempt to circumvent the Constitution had not occurred and had he regrouped and formed a strategy to compete in 2024, I could see a lot of his supporters continuing to follow him and his message. But I can't get how so many Americans can overlook what happened in front of their own eyes. I am truly bewildered.

I realize this is a mostly left leaning community, so maybe you folks do not have a clue either but would like to hear opinions. Especially, if you still support Trump through all of the mess.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

All these analogies that are basically apples to oranges. But I will go with it.

If my security system “barely worked” I would not wait on it to fail again. I would probably replace it. I wouldn’t replace it with the same system. I wouldn’t replace it with a worse system. If presented with two choices that were inadequate, I wouldn’t accept either.

You are focused on Trump and not why he won and Harris lost. You whine incessantly about the contest you lost and blame the fans or the refs and don’t question your game plan or how you played. And by you I mean Dems. I would suggest the best thing to do is focus on things you would change and how they improve the lives of every American. Instead of trying to convince people not to vote for the other candidate, give them something to vote for.

The last election was the first time we could compare two Presidents and their records side by side. All their strengths and all their weaknesses. Their successes and their failures. Their visions for the future. That was the choice. And Harris lost. It wasn’t the voters fault.

Here is my point. If you don’t like the result of the last election, nominate a better candidate. Better yet, nominate your best candidate. If you believe the other candidate is a threat to democracy, don’t nominate a substandard candidate. Now I get you don’t see either Harris or Biden as substandard. But every voter gets to make that decision on their own and they didn’t agree with you. If you believe you are fighting someone you believe to be Hitler, you don’t run Neville Chamberlain. You run Winston Churchill. Your candidate and your policy matters as much or more than anything else. Do better next time.

You are really bad at analogies.

 

[Dragon]

You are really bad at analogies.

As if those who longed for a Hitler- or Franco-like leader would ever have voted for a Chamberlain or a Churchill. They wanted hate; they wanted their beliefs in “white male supremacy” reinforced. They wanted those they considered “inferior” pushed back “into their place.”

It wouldn’t have mattered who the Democrats had chosen. For some people, the hunger for hate and power will always triumph over any appeal to decency or good.

 

[TampaJoe]

As if those who longed for a Hitler- or Franco-like leader would ever have voted for a Chamberlain or a Churchill. They wanted hate; they wanted their beliefs in “white male supremacy” reinforced. They wanted those they considered “inferior” pushed back “into their place.”

It wouldn’t have mattered who the Democrats had chosen. For some people, the hunger for hate and power will always triumph over any appeal to decency or good.

As if you know what people who do not agree or think like you actually want. You imagine that anyone and everyone who doesn’t share you ideology is some kind of hater. That attitude is less that appealing and not persuasive. But go with that. It worked so well last time.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

As if you know what people who do not agree or think like you actually want. You imagine that anyone and everyone who doesn’t share you ideology is some kind of hater. That attitude is less that appealing and not persuasive. But go with that. It worked so well last time.

Strawman argument. Dragon never said anything remotely close to "anyone and everyone who doesn’t share you ideology is some kind of hater."

Dragon said that people who want an authoritarian leader, like Hitler or Franco, would not vote for someone like Chamberlain or Churchill.

 

[Dragon]

The last election was the first time we could compare two Presidents and their records side by side. All their strengths and all their weaknesses. Their successes and their failures. Their visions for the future. That was the choice. And Harris lost. It wasn’t the voters fault.

Harris wasn't Biden and you have still to say what POLICIES of Harris (yes - she had her own set of policies which was easily accessible and which she spoke of often) you did not like - aside from the fact that she was a woman and how they differed from what Trump claimed!

I can wait - we have asked this before and you have never answered,

 

[TampaJoe]

Harris wasn't Biden and you have still to say what POLICIES of Harris (yes - she had her own set of policies which was easily accessible and which she spoke of often) you did not like - aside from the fact that she was a woman and how they differed from what Trump claimed!

I can wait - we have asked this before and you have never answered,

What I do know is that she said when asked what she would change, her answer was “nothing comes to mind”. She spent most of her time talking not about what she would do but more about Trump as a threat to Democracy. So if her polices were so much better and different from Biden, why didn’t she spend more time making the point. Obviously it didn’t convince enough voters to swing the election her way.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

Perhaps Joe can explain how the administration he really didn’t vote for has the “legal authority” to simply ignore court orders on a routine basis….the Denial river is starting to overflow its banks!!!!!

Man, the 10 days of sleep loss I've been dealing with has eroded even my proofreading ability. I mean that "people defy legal authority when they overthrow a government, they don't follow legal authority."

Glad you understood what I meant, instead of what I actually wrote.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

So the court needs to start holding people in contempt.

How would they enforce that contempt?

1. Trump intends to seize power when the Constitution prohibits a third term...

You're being dishonest and deceptive now, because this has already been explained to you.

When have you ever seen the Constitution forcefully remove someone from a place, physically block someone from committing a crime, physically detain someone, or physically fight against an armed group of people?

People who overthrow governments defy the Constitution, they don't follow it.

2. That the rest of the country and all the government institutions will simply go along.

You're being dishonest and deceptive again, because this has already been explained to you.

Trump doesn't need "everyone" to go along with it to cause a breakdown in our government. He doesn't have to win in the long run to cause a breakdown in our government.

Trump will try to stay in power if he's alive, even you can't refute that. That's why you keep trying to change the discussion away from "he will try" to "the Constitution doesn't allow him."

You are intentionally trying to downplay the risk that Trump poses by switching the discussion.

It is a rather far out conspiracy theory...

The history behind the attack on the Capitol on Jan 6th proves that it's reality that Trump will do whatever necessary to try stay in power. You know this. That's why you are being dishonest and deceitful when you make the false argument that it's just conspiracy theory.

...but if it is what you believe there is nothing I can say to dissuade you. Think and believe as you please.

You've said this about a half dozen times already to more than one poster, yet here you are again do your absolute to try to dissuade people from believing what we all know, including you.

We all know that Trump has already attacked the Capitol to try overthrow an election in order to stay in power. We all know he's already talking about the many ways he can stay in power in 2028. We all know this including you, @TampaJoe.

Feel free to proceed with your pearl clutching.

Case in point that you are dishonestly and deceitfully trying to trick people into not believing what we have all seen and know about Trump, including you.

You can stop pretending that you're "just voicing your level headed opinion, but not trying to change anyone's mind."

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

It would be nice if our leaders would actually do what is best for the country or at the least do no harm.

There are no "leaders," there is only one leader right now, Trump. Trump controls the presidency and he controls the Republicans who control both the House and the Senate. He also has the 6 Republicans on the Supreme Court allowing him to do all the worst things he's doing.

If you meant that it would nice if Republican leaders in Congress and on the Supreme Court would do what's best for the country, then that's a valid sentiment and I agree with it.

If you are falsely claiming that Democratic leaders bear an equal responsibility for Trump's and Republican's assault on our government and our Constitution, that's complete elephant shirt.

It's elephant shirt, because cows aren't capable of producing that much shirt.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

It does matter if it doesn’t happen at all. Just because you are afraid it might happen doesn’t mean it will.

If you are so afraid it “might” happen, I would mitigate that risk by making sure I choose the very best candidate to run in 2028. I would choose a candidate that has broad appeal and choose a candidate that advances policies that have broad appeal.

Or you can dwell exclusively on those things you think “might” happen to the exclusion of everything else. That is up to you.

No one is showing fear when they call out Trump. You must be projecting your fear of accepting the reality and truth about Trump onto other people, because you are the only one that seems to be afraid of anything.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

Well I already didn’t vote for Trump.

Everything you say in your constant defense of Trump screams that you did vote for Trump and are just afraid of admitting it.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

If you are trying to convince me not to vote for Trump. You can check that box. I already didn’t vote for him. Never voted for the man.

Even if it's true that you didn't vote for Trump, your constant defense of Trump and saying all the other candidates are no better than Trump, helps to convince other people to vote for Trump.

How do we convince you to agree that people should not vote for anyone who has proven they will support and do whatever Trump wants them to do?

How do we convince you to say to others that in the 2026 midterms that no one should vote for anyone who has proven they will support and do whatever Trump wants them to do?

You say you didn't vote for Trump. Others of us here say they didn't vote for Trump. Obviously, all of our votes weren't enough to stop Trump. So will you help spread the word not to vote for anyone in 2026 who has proven that they will support Trump and do whatever he tells them to do?

This is your chance to show that you are being sincere when you say you don't support Trump and you didn't vote for Trump. This is your chance to show that you honestly care about doing what's best for all Americans by stopping Trump's anti-American and anti-Constitution actions and plans.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

Here is my point. If you don’t like the result of the last election, nominate a better candidate.

Let me put what was just said in another way that shows the same mindset.

"Here is my point. If you don't want to be raped, wear different clothes."

Just like wearing different clothes won't protect a woman from getting raped, nominating a different candidate won't protect our country from being raped.

@TampaJoe, you've made it very clear that you will never ever ever never ever ever ever consider voting for a Democratic candidate. There isn't a candidate the Democrats could ever nominate that you would actually ever vote for. That's why your "better candidate" argument is complete whale shirt, because elephants can't produce that much shirt.

 

[CoolBrees]

I guess some people were taught to vote (or not vote) based on their own personal gain, or what is in it for them.

And here I always thought you vote for who is best for the country - even if it is against your own personal interests. Ask not what the country can do for you and all that.

 

[TampaJoe]

I guess some people were taught to vote (or not vote) based on their own personal gain, or what is in it for them.

And here I always thought you vote for who is best for the country - even if it is against your own personal interests. Ask not what the country can do for you and all that.

That’s funny cause I have often heard people who vote on the left ask how any one on the right could vote against their best interest. You assume that everyone agree with you on what is or is not in their best interest or in the best interest of the country. That is the epitome of arrogance.

You don’t know what is in the best interest of every voter nor do you have a clue what they believe is in the best interest of the country. You seem to believe they ought to vote for whomever you put up by default. Needless to say, not everybody agrees with you or your party. So if you want crossover votes you are gonna have to pick candidates and policies that will attract those voters. It is really that simple. Listen to what the voters want rather than telling them what they want or attempting to sell them on something they do not want.

Candidates and policy matter. That should be crystal clear to you. The voters accepted Trump with all his baggage over the ticket you favored. You can blame them all you want but they didn’t pick the candidate or the policy. It is democracy. It isn’t that hard to figure out.

 

[CoolBrees]

I'm not a democrat. I am far left of the democrats.

You seem to be incredibly tribal. Sign of low intelligence.

I vote for who is most qualified for the position, and who has the best ideas in my opinion.

The orchestrator of an insurrection is never that person. A convicted felon is never that person. A child rapist is never that person. Trump is all of those things so he is never that person either.

 

[TampaJoe]

I'm not a democrat. I am far left of the democrats.

You seem to be incredibly tribal. Sign of low intelligence.

I vote for who is most qualified for the position, and who has the best ideas in my opinion.

The orchestrator of an insurrection is never that person. A convicted felon is never that person. A child rapist is never that person. Trump is all of those things so he is never that person either.

I also vote for who is most qualified and who has the best ideas in my opinion.

I never voted for Trump and believe me my friends in the GOP give me all kinds of shirt for that. But I refuse to vote for someone whom I don’t feel is qualified or fit for the job in my opinion. So I have not voted for POTUS in the last three cycles. I vote the down ballot contests but not the top of the ticket. I refuse to vote for someone whom I cannot support.

To me voting for someone whom I cannot support or whom I feel to be unfit. That is dishonest. Call it what you want. I don’t vote to please other people. THAT is tribal.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

I also vote for who is most qualified and who has the best ideas in my opinion.

Who was that person in the last presidential election for you?

What made them the best qualified to you?

What were their ideas that you thought were the best ideas out of all the other candidates?