I've watched members of my family as well as friends, who were ardent Tea Party supporters, morph to support of Trumpism and discard any semblance of concern about debt. It's really amazing to me, but what I think explains it is that their true, but unspoken, issue was an underlying fear and anger about a future they didn't comprehend. It was looking for a narrative that was in opposition to that future. Any narrative.youthathletics wrote:Neither side cares about the debt.....that is so old news.Brooklyn wrote:https://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debt ... itedstates
Thank you, Trump.
Amazing how right wingers no longer concern themselves with this problem. Gee, I wonder why.
Was it racist or sexist? Yes. In my family and friends' cases it was not overt, but that's what it was (and is).
It was very angry and words like 'hate' came easily to their lips.
Debt and deficits (IMO) were simply a cudgel against the new President coming into a situation that both his predecessor Administration and his own believed could only be survived with a massive increase in federal spending stimulus and support of key financial and industrial (auto) enterprises. It had great appeal as philosophy of accountability familiar to kitchen table realities of not spending more than you have (yet Americans do, regularly).
But a new narrative was presented with Trumpism that went more directly at the core drivers of the fear and anger about a future in which non-whites and women will have a much greater role and power. So, debt and deficits mattered no more, and passions were transferred to a candidate, now President, who told them what they really wanted to hear.
Interestingly, I'm seeing some very real change in tenor about Trump and the corruption of this Administration within those family members and friends, post Helsinki, Cohen plea, Manafort conviction. They are openly critical about his style and lack of integrity, though 'whataboutism' still remains the default instinct. Again, my friends and family don't think of themselves as racist or sexist, and don't actually want to be associated with such, so the overt aspects of Trumpism have worn them thin in these areas as well. Apparently that's not the case with the 24% of Americans who "strongly support" Trump and I'd suggest that % won't ever change much given that there really is that segment of our population, no matter how overt.
What's clear to me is that there is a softening of the rest of the support and a growing realization that the corruption surrounding Trump, and his own lack of integrity, are unavoidable.
At least in the most recent poll, (which may or may not be confirmed by subsequent polling), the direction does appear to be as I'm suggesting post Helsinki, Cohen, and Manafort.
I think that after the dust clears with the corruption, etc, there will eventually be a realization that the debt is an enormous problem and we'll get back to arguing about how best to rein in its growth. But it'll not be on the table until actual fiscal conservatives have a voice again. Right now they are shouted down.