Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[Brian]

If he shared the Jack, no problem.

He didn't.

But we were in first class* so I matched him in cheap champagne.

*speaking of class issues. They were running a deep discount sale; first was $500, and coach was $320, so I gave it a shot.

[Todd]

He didn't.

The bastard.

[Todd]

I do like Trump's new nickname: Cheeto Jesus.  I hope it sticks.

[(poco) Sforzando]

If he shared the Jack, no problem.  The point of the linked article is that the class-based myths regarding Trump supporters are, well, mythological.  Right wing populism appeals mostly to whites who think they are getting a raw deal, even if they are doing well.

Then you're not really contradicting or rebutting me. From your link: "The median household income of a Trump voter so far in the primaries is about $72,000." When you see the top 1% earning better than $300K a year, and their income is exploding exponentially while yours is at best holding steady if not losing to inflation, then you most certainly are going to feel left behind if you're stuck at $72K. Certainly that's a lot better than poverty, but given the costs of goods and services, it can be hard to make ends meet at that level. The argument has always been misphrased as one of income inequality, as if Warren Buffett's secretary should earn as much as Warren Buffett. It's more a matter of parity of growth, where 30 years or so ago the CEO earned 30 times the average worker's pay, and now he earns 300 times.

[Mookalafalas]

The Mookster
Not at all. His main ideas -- protectionism, some kind of vaguely defined isolationism -- have not been part of the GOP mainstream in 75 years. Still aren't. Trump is a pitchman who decided the GOP was ripe for a coup de main takeover. And he was right! But he's hardly the brains-trust, and those who might reasonably described as such, such as Romney, Ryan, Kristol, are in varying degrees  anti-Trump.

   It reminds me of Mao Zedong taking over China.  Chiang Kai-Shek and his government insisted they were still running things, even when they fled to Taiwan they claimed (and claim!) to be the real government of China and to be the ones legitimately in control.  Mao Zedong actually had Xiaoping and other people whom he listened to, but Trump listens to nobody.  He is the face of the party, and whither he goes, the party is dragged behind.  It's the congo line from hell, the human centipede (google THAT one ). If Trump is the nominee, and the voters are following him (and to varying degrees despise Romney, Kristol, Ryan, etc), and he is following no one, he's not the leader? Admittedly the government apparatus is, for the most part, not behind him, and they are the ones (not!) forging policy, making legislation, etc.  But a party is just a theoretical and fluid construct, given substance by the millions who support it.  If they have abandoned the orthodoxy of Ryan etc. and now follow Trump, then I don't follow your position that he's not the leader (at least til the rank and file realize he's a charlatan and he crashes and burns--or they elect him and my position will become irrefutable).

[Todd]

It reminds me of Mao Zedong taking over China.

There have been comparisons to Hitler and Mussolini, and now Mao can be added.  Will Lenin or Stalin ever make the cut?

[Ken B]

   It reminds me of Mao Zedong taking over China.  Chiang Kai-Shek and his government insisted they were still running things, even when they fled to Taiwan they claimed (and claim!) to be the real government of China and to be the ones legitimately in control.  Mao Zedong actually had Xiaoping and other people whom he listened to, but Trump listens to nobody.  He is the face of the party, and whither he goes, the party is dragged behind.  It's the congo line from hell, the human centipede (google THAT one ). If Trump is the nominee, and the voters are following him (and to varying degrees despise Romney, Kristol, Ryan, etc), and he is following no one, he's not the leader? Admittedly the government apparatus is, for the most part, not behind him, and they are the ones (not!) forging policy, making legislation, etc.  But a party is just a theoretical and fluid construct, given substance by the millions who support it.  If they have abandoned the orthodoxy of Ryan etc. and now follow Trump, then I don't follow your position that he's not the leader (at least til the rank and file realize he's a charlatan and he crashes and burns--or they elect him and my position will become irrefutable).

He reminds me of Ron Popeil taking over the infomercial.

Look at the Libertarian Party. Johnson was roundly booed and many true believers think he's a faux Libertarian. But they want the publicity, credibility (and perhaps funding) that goes with a turnout above 1%. He's their candidate, he's not their intellectual leader.

And you assume Trump is popular mostly for his policies, and I disagree. He is popular for his persona.

[Todd]

It's more a matter of parity of growth, where 30 years or so ago the CEO earned 30 times the average worker's pay, and now he earns 300 times.

Fun fact: Per the BLS, the average American CEO earned $178,000 in 2013.  Proper policy formulation requires moving beyond 1% rhetoric.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Fun fact: Per the BLS, the average American CEO earned $178,000 in 2013.  Proper policy formulation requires moving beyond 1% rhetoric.

The Walmart workers making $10 an hour will bust their sides laughing.

ETA: Common sense suggests that it's not the number of CEOs that matters but the number of workers. Could well be that there are enough companies with 25-50 employees that would pull the average CEO salary to the number you give. But with (fun fact indeed) Walmart being the largest employer in 20 states, with a total of 1.3 million employees, that is a far more significant statistic.

[Mookalafalas]

There have been comparisons to Hitler and Mussolini, and now Mao can be added.  Will Lenin or Stalin ever make the cut?

I am not comparing Trump to Mao. I am comparing the GOP to the KMT.
  If only the GOP had somewhere to flee. Maybe they can relocate to Puerto Rico? 

[Brian]

FYI I attended a Trump rally tonight and survived. Longer notes tomorrow but I did post constantly during the rally on Twitter http://twitter.com/bgreinhart

[knight66]

I just read through your texts; it is like you visited a very strange country.

It looks like he did not say anything new. No wonder people were leaving.

Mike

[Rinaldo]

Thinking About Hillary — A Plea for Reason

My current conviction is that the main fuel that powers the anti-Hillary crowd is sexism. And yes I'm serious. So go ahead and roll your eyes. Get it over with. But I think the evidence supports my view, and I've seen no other plausible explanation. And just to be clear, I don't think it's ONLY sexism. But I do think that this is the primary force that has generated and maintained most of the negative narratives about Hillary.

(before someone jumps at me, I'd kindly remind him to read the whole article)

[Que]

There have been comparisons to Hitler and Mussolini, and now Mao can be added.  Will Lenin or Stalin ever make the cut?

Silvio Berlusconi would be a more appropriate comparison....

Q

[(poco) Sforzando]

I just read through your texts; it is like you visited a very strange country.

To those of us in the Northeast, Texas has always seemed like a very strange country.

[Gurn Blanston]

To those of us in the Northeast, Texas has always seemed like a very strange country.

True, and we don't mind that. But damn, Poco, you can't blame us for The Donald!    

[(poco) Sforzando]

True, and we don't mind that. But damn, Poco, you can't blame us for The Donald!    

No, one only has to pass by this 5th Avenue shrine to vulgar narcissism (not to mention anxiety about the size of one's equipment) to realize that The Donald is a born and bred New Yawker (which makes it all the more fascinating that he is now the perceived savior of right-wingers who as a rule don't think New Yorkers are "real Americans"):

[Ken B]

No, one only has to pass by this 5th Avenue shrine to vulgar narcissism (not to mention anxiety about the size of one's equipment) to realize that The Donald is a born and bred New Yawker (which makes it all the more fascinating that he is now the perceived savior of right-wingers who as a rule don't think New Yorkers are "real Americans"):

Now Bauhaus is Donld's fault? 

[(poco) Sforzando]

Now Bauhaus is Donld's fault? 

Oh, stop pretending you don't know what I mean. It's really stale.

[Gurn Blanston]

No, one only has to pass by this 5th Avenue shrine to vulgar narcissism (not to mention anxiety about the size of one's equipment) to realize that The Donald is a born and bred New Yawker (which makes it all the more fascinating that he is now the perceived savior of right-wingers who as a rule don't think New Yorkers are "real Americans"):

The whole situation reeks of irony, among other things.  Nice shiny building though!  0:)