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How the left mainstreamed Trump

How the left mainstreamed Trump

If you follow the news, you might believe that Trump’s political strength comes from a portion of the Republican Party that the left describes derisively as the MAGAs.   Excluded from the MAGA faction are the GOP and conservative apostates who bolted from the party and the philosophy.  That includes those who formed the Lincoln Project and took the once conservative Bulwark magazine to the other side.  The personalities that fled to the left include former Republican National Chairman Michael Steele, former Congressmen Charlie Dent, Joe Walsh, Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, and a number of so-called Republican strategists.

Now consider this.  According to recent polls, Republicans are approximately 27 percent of the electorate.  Democrats are also 27 percent and independents represent 43 percent.  Even if Trump has 50 percent of Republicans – as the polls suggest – he will only have 13 percent of the national voting base.  Trump would be trailing President Biden in the polls by up to 70 points if he only got the loyal Trump voters.

Trump is beating Biden in the polls because he is getting a LOT of support from non-MAGA Republicans, independents and even some registered Democrats.  He is currently beating or tying Biden in every major poll.  He is beating Biden with independents in some polls.

While Biden & Co. try to make Trump out to be some deranged and dangerous extremists, his amazing popularity suggests that he is in the mainstream of today’s American political culture.  One can hardly claim that essentially half of American citizens are insurrection cultists ready to overthrow the Republic – although that appears to be the Biden campaign strategy.  Trump has more support than Biden personally and on the issues.  So, who is outside the mainstream?

The problem for Biden is that the Democrat leaders and their media friends have come to believe their own propaganda – and are determined to continue to campaign on it.  They apparently believe there was an insurrection … that Trump is a deranged authoritarian who will make himself president for life  … and that “democracy is on the ballot” – as Biden contends.  That is why they cannot understand Trump’s political endurance. They do not understand that at least half the public does not see the monster Trump that they portray.

I personally believe that most Americans – with the MAGA faction as the exception — see Trump as a pugnacious loud mouth, with a propensity to say provocative things.  He does foolish things on occasion. He is an egotistical jerk with the morals of … oh … I don’t know …  let’s say Bill Clinton.  He is inconsistent in his political philosophy.  BUT … they do not see him as a threat to the Republic.  They believe he will make things better.  They believe he did a lot of good things while President even if the left has their partisan blinders on.

When measuring Biden and Trump, more voters believe they were better off under Trump than they are under Biden.  When the Wall Street Journal asks which of them helped or hurt the voter “personally,” Trump trumps Biden.  For Biden, it is helped (23%), hurt (53%) – for a negative 30 points.  For Trump it is helped (49%), hurt (37%) – for a positive 12-point margin.

Polls indicate that on most issues – including the border, crime, international affairs and even the economy – voters think Trump would do a better job than Biden.  Also, with age and vitality.  Biden is seen as better on abortion and climate change – but they do not rank high as decisive issues for most voters.

An argument can be made – and I guess I am making it – that Democrats and the left created the political Trump we see today.  From the day he was elected, they engaged in an obsessive hate campaign based on a strategy to never normalize Trump – the Resistance Movement.  As a result, they demonized him every hour of every day’s news cycle with outrageous over-the-top accusations.  That is no small accomplishment in view of many egregious things Trump has said and done.  But they overdid it and caused a backlash against their own excesses.

In the past year, Trump has been hit with and unprecedented number of political career-ending issues, including, but not limited to, a seemingly unending number of court cases – civil, criminal and political.  Instead of damaging his prospects for a second term they seem to have helped him.  The correlation between bad news and improved polling numbers for Trump are so consistent that it seems to be more causal than coincidental.

One can draw four conclusions from those facts. First, that the public is not buying the Democrats’ and the news media’s extreme characterizations of Trump and his voters.  Second, that they believe Trump is is the victim of excessive prosecution – and there are polling numbers that attest to that.  Third, voters are focusing more on issues other than the Democrats’ all-about-Trump and the end of the world messaging.  And fourth, that despite Trump’s personality and character issues, half the voters, including Republicans, Independents and democrats, dislike Biden even more – as seen in his poor favorability ratings.

Ironically, the level of Democrat panic increases each day as the actual voting looms larger on the horizon.  In their desperation, Democrats are actually amping up the hyperbolic narratives — ignoring the fact that it has been their obsessive attacks on Trump that have kept him at the top of the news every day since he descended that escalator eight years ago.

I say all this as a person who will not vote from Trump in the primary – and wish the GOP would put of a different candidate.  At this moment, my  preference is Nikki Haley.

Apparently, those on the left actually believe Trump is the political monster that they describe.  They do not seem to understand that they have played the role of Dr. Frankenstein.  Of course, the monster they have proffered with ridiculous propaganda is as much a fiction as the one created by Mary Shelley

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

10 Comments

  1. FRANK STETSON

    Yeah, Trump is our fault, that’s rich. National systemic racism too. And don’t forget the schools, the border, voter fraud, weaponizing, demonizing, and Taylor Swift, it’s all our fault. Your wife left you, blame the Democrats. You see Horist’s picture, blame the Democrats. What’s next, we caused world hunger and covid? Pay no attention to that man at the podium.

    Democrats will fight Trump; we can tell you why and we are vocal about it. Republicans get drummed out of the party or demur if they protest the petulant self-centered, thin-skinned one. 1,000 kids STILL remain separated from their parents, we will not demur. If elected, he will erase all Federal prosecutions, he is literally running for his life. We will not demur. He will go after people; we will rise up. He will start where 1.6.2021 left off; we will rise up.

    Republicans who speak against Trump are most often not Republicans for long. They are verbally attacked, called RINOs or worse, hounded, threatened with bodily harm, swatted, until they leave. Many of those who remain who think something is wrong are loathe to speak out if they want to remain Republicans or just unmolested. These people physically come after you, they can ruin your career, it’s not just words in the public square, these folks come with gallows, spears, bear spray and other fun things to intimidate. It’s the same ole, same ole, where a small group of loud, riotous, sometimes violent people control the majority. You tell yourselves, don’t like the personality, but we like the policies, but you don’t even know what they are or what the results are as you are fed a constant stream of lies. And the personality is a lying, cheating, grifting low life. He is not a good man. Period.

    Not all Russians belong to the communist party, just 60%.

    The NAZI’s got 18% in first election, their high mark was only 37% but it sure seemed like we were fighting all of Germany and they all at least acted like NAZIs.

    Less than 50% of Italians were fascists. My sainted FIL is Italian, not a fascist, but even he worked with Mussolini, he needed the work to support five sisters.

    It’s not the numbers, but what you do with them. Imagine you could summon a small hoard to attack the Capitol to find Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi stopping the nation’s vote for a few hours while you pretended you wanted to go but instead sat safely at home, munching on burgers, tossing a few at the walls, telling folks calling you for help to calm down, what did they expect, and not doing a damned thing to defend the nation from all adversaries, foreign or domestic, for over three hours. And your party still supports you. Horist still supports you. That’ not the Democrats fault.

    Imagine that you got her alone, slammed her against the wall, reached up her skirt and down her panties and jammed your fingers into her vagina and then called her a slut when she spoke out and your party still supports you. That’s not the Democrats fault.

    Imagine that your claim to fame is being Mr. Business, not political, who was saved from bankruptcy a few times with our tax dollars as you failed over and over. Your business is adjudicated criminally corrupt, it is a criminal enterprise. And you are about to lose the ability to do business in New York where you started. Who cares, your party still supports you. That’s not the Democrats fault.

    There’s a few more, but why bother. Iowa exit polls say you Republicans could care less if he’s convicted, you still will support him. He can grab pussy, rape people, you still support him. You hate communists, he had them living in a cabana behind his house. His wife was raised in a communist party member’s home. It just does not matter what he does wrong, it’s all good. That’s not the Democrats fault.

    Many a loser has come out on top after suffering many defeats. Hitler’s first coup was called off for fear of being caught. He was caught on the second one, sent to jail, wrote a book. His party’s first election got 1% and 12 seats; he could not win a popular vote. As street fights became prevalent, people became afraid to protest, he took 107 seats and 18% of the popular vote in 1930. They were now number two. By 1932, they were number 1 but still not the majority. By 1933, his seats passed law to basically give Hitler an unfettered dictatorship. When the President died a year later, Hitler passed law that only Hitler could remove Hitler from power and the rest is history. He did it with a minority,

    For us, it was bad in 2016, but there were guardrails. This is far worse. It’s on you, solely on you. No one except yourself put you in this box. And you are right, if he wins, some will rise up against a sex abusing, business criminal who lies and cheats at everything he does. But don’t pass the buck, the buck belongs to you.

    • Jim wampler

      Frank don’t be mad. The election ain’t over. You people just need to find another way to cheat. We will be watching you. Maybe through a telescopic device

    • AC

      Frank, I don’t have more to add. You got the former guy’s rap sheet down and that he is using Mein Kompf as his play book.

      Larry, your notion and premise for this particular commentary is spectacularly your opinion on steroids. What self- respecting registered Democrat would think, much less actually vote, Republican. You are drunk on the most mentally toxic red koolaide moonshine only available to Republicans in the State of DeSantis.
      Trump threatens RINO Republicans. What does he do to turncoat Democrats? I don’t see Democrats voting Republican, and if they do they would never speak about doing that most unthinkable thing.
      Larry, think about it. Could you ever see yourself voting for a Democrat? I am certain that you will vote straight GOP as long as you may live.
      Those whom you see as “the left” with no differentiation but a monolithic block. They are people, individual Americans, each one different, and all have their own unique opinion. That said, the political right and their counterparts on the left are very similar, needs, wants, and ambitions are all there. Yet, I read the reply comments and find animosity in trash talking meant to denigrate others for comments from an opposing view. Even to the negative extreme that civil war and WWIII are probable and, in the commenter’s opinion, a positive resolution to today’s discord is a vote for anarchy.
      Wherever your statistics come from, you did not indicate. Perhaps you can find one that is objective. Not number percentages which give support to your opinion’s hypothesis.
      Of course, your perspective rules and those perspectives that do not conform to and confirm your particularly odd rendition of election politics you over rule. In judgements unjust and loaded down with ridicule, you think you are legitimately sarcastic. Commenter’ are called stupid, incomprehensible, unintelligent, and more of the same few words trotted out in certain mocking rejecting terms.
      Larry, it’s very evident that the time is late in your life for a mitigating change towards at least a modicum of appreciative accommodation allowed and make our reply with some decency.
      On further subjects that you might give opinion commentary. Stories explaining your Freedom Caucus friends’ policies and priorities in the time left for this Congress ending this year.
      Since this past year the GOP proved it is the do nothing governing party, an explanation detailing the ways your party’s representatives worked for We, the people. Your prognostication for 2024 related to SCOTUS, HR, Senate, and if Trump wins in November, could fill a few commentaries.
      Your coverage dominated by Democrat stories of supposed dereliction and, assumed by you, apparent dysfunction has become repetitive.
      There is nothing left but just not of the same ol’
      Our media of every political stripe is not silent on the issues of the day. Grist for you mind’s mill is plentiful and consumed daily. So, Larry, I would be remiss of you if you ignore the goings on in your party’s side of the aisle.

      So, that’s, that.

      • larry Horist

        Ac … As usual, you are responding from you mental fantasy land. Since Republicans only account for 23 percent of the electorate — and maga Republicans only a small percentage of that — how do you explain Trump getting more votes than Biden in most polls? He has to get them from independents and Democrats …. Duh! The polls and logic proves you wrong. And as fare as your certainty that I never voted for a Democrat, you are again creating your own Larry Horist as the straw man for you ignorant comments. I have voted and worked for Democrats throughout my life. I have also written commentaries favorable to Democrat positions and critical of Republican positions and candidates — but you and others are too partisan blind to consider them You seem to forget that I am not a Trump supporter. I have written critical articles about Kevin McCarthy —- Trump … some of Trump’s policies … against those blocking aid to Ukraine and Israel …. etc…etc. But you and a couple other have been locked in anti-everything about Trump and Republicans and in constant support of everything Democrats do. But I am not a supporter or the insane Democrat narratives. I know you and others get your jollies by seeing your loooong comments online. Judging by how much you and others write, I judge it to be something to do with too much idle time. But my compliments for making your more recent responses more intelligible if not more accurate. But happy to be your whipping boy if that gives you some measure of relevancy in your life

        • Frank stetson

          Pot kettle Horist.

          You should be overjoyed that someone beyond the rabid right is reading you.

          As far as your 23%, a good portion of indies lean right, some are Trumplicants.

          As far as the polls. early yet, but I stopped looking for logic given the poll responses re: approval of a rapist defamer business and tax cheat for the highest office in the land. It’s all whack. And America is thinking with their emotions and not their minds.

  2. Hugh Cook

    Your credibility as an insightful, credible person is now in the toilet. Supporting Nikki Haley is absolutely ridiculous. She is a lying fraud. It obviously she doesn’t have a genuine bone in her body. She is about one thing only and that’s Nikki.

  3. camille

    Nikki Haley is the female Biden that the Dems are rooting for to succeed over Trump. If you listen to her, she wants open borders along with funding the Ukraine.

    I won’t be voting for her and neither will any of my friends!

    She is nothing but a liar!

  4. Darren

    Frank, you just proved Larry’s point!

  5. richard

    Are you really looking at what the Dems are doing? forget about Trump, he is not perfect, and neither are we so let’s look at Pelosi, Schumer Swalwell, Schiff, Liars every one of them. flooding the country Illegals. power that’s the bottom line for them and that’s all. infected with TDS and they will do ANYTHING to stop Trump from putting them down. stop all this Bullshit and look what’s going on. like it or not Biden is the biggest threat to America. PERIOD>

    • larry Horist

      Richard … You make a good point, But have you noticed that every time I point the finger at the culpable culprits, two or three folks on here start whining like babies that I am criticizing Democrats. I guess they feel the pain because they are part of the problem.