2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumTrump supporters would be most likely to turn on Trump if...
A) he continues to align with Wall Street and establishment types (no draining of the swamp)
B) he leads an effort to privatize Social Security, Medicare, public education, etc.
C) he doesn't destroy ISIS
D) he doesn't bring back millions of jobs that have been outsourced (and attempts to reduce the minimum wage to boot)
E) he doesn't withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal
F) he doesn't withdraw from the Paris Agreement
G) he does a 180 on civil rights and pisses off hate groups like the KKK (no mass deportations, no Muslim registry, full support of LGBTQ rights, full support of Black Lives Matter, etc.)
Which of the above would piss off the most Trump supporters?
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)LonePirate
(13,893 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)And, like geek tragedy, I have little doubt that the answer is 'G'. I don't think anything else comes close.
TXCritter
(344 posts)It's already happening based on his current actions.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)You've seen supporters abandon him because of 'A'?
Over the long haul, which do you think would cost him the most?
TXCritter
(344 posts)Failure to bring back jobs is probably going to be the final nail but failing to destroy ISIS will cause serious problems with this particular person.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)Have you seen polling data that suggests he's losing a lot of supporters on account of aligning with Wall Street and establishment types?
Most won't remember or care that he promised to destroy ISIS.
TXCritter
(344 posts)JI7
(90,547 posts)Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)n/t.
JI7
(90,547 posts)concern .
same with B and D
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)There are also those who are convinced that B would piss off a lot of his supporters.
I think the answer is G and nothing else comes close.
baldguy
(36,649 posts)It'll all depend on how long Trump can keep pleasing the Russian/GOP propaganda complex before they find that it's in their interests to turn on him. Then the erstwhile Trump supporters will get their marching orders.
Yurovsky
(2,064 posts)a lot of older Trump supporters - and the ones most likely to vote - will join the majority of other Americans who will be reaching for the torches and pitchforks in such a scenario.
As for G, I think we all tend to overestimate the numbers and influence of the Klan and folks like the Westboro Baptist Church. The more serious and widespread problem is the sort of latent, unacknowledged racism of most conservatives and even some Democrats. I think over time we win many of those folks over - I think marriage equality and the election & re-election of President Obama provide signs of hope in moving the country towards a more accepting and just place. But there is much work left to do. And by moving the masses towards support of all minority rights makes the far right extremists even more isolated. I don't think it's possible to eliminate them completely, and they do serve a purpose as a cautionary tale of what hate looks like and why we must remain vigilant against it.
And in the final analysis, I don't think Trump cares that much about social conservatism as he does about personal enrichment and the enrichment of the 1%ers. Certainly there are people in his orbit that are social extremists, but I think he's first and foremost governed by greed. If he thought he could seize church lands by eminent domain and build more cheesy condo towers in their place without political blowback he'd do that immediately after being sworn in. JMHO.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)As you say, it's the latent, unacknowledged racism (and other forms of bigotry), though there's still a lot of overt bigotry (Trump has given folks license to express it).
I think G is, by far, the thing that would be most likely to piss of a large number of Trump's voters. Privatization? They're all for it at least until they feel the effects--even then they'll blame Democrats. Iran nuclear deal and Paris Agreement? Most, if they even know about those things, aren't going to care. Jobs coming back? I suspect most realize that isn't going to happen--those who do will just blame Democrats if it doesn't happen.
Bigotry is the driving force.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)Whatever your favorite issue, there's a quote you can dig up showing him on whichever side you like. His justifications for this behavior are lame, but many people are highly paid to tell you they not only not lame, but strong, coherent, sexy and not impotent at all. At all.
JudyM
(29,517 posts)anything.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)He clearly doesn't feel constrained by anything he's done or said previously.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)Bigotry, particularly racism, is the glue that holds the Republican coalition together. Trump wouldn't do it anyway, as his own history suggests he's a bigly bigot.
A-F either wouldn't really bother his supporters or they'd justify those things by blaming Democrats/evil liberals.
meow2u3
(24,923 posts)You know, that promise he has zero intention of ever keeping--he just said that so working-class Democrats flipped and voted for tRump. Only thing, they just don't know it yet.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)But reversing on bigotry would be a deal breaker. Guaranteed.
Vinca
(51,055 posts)What would piss them off is if something happens during the reign of Trump that causes him to suddenly go anti-gun. It could happen. He flip flops on everything.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)But he won't do those things. Even if he did, it would pale in comparison to the impact of 'G', which he also won't do because it's the tie that binds. The Repubilcan Party collapses without bigotry, particularly racism.
White male Trump supporters would feel betrayed and be really pissed off. White women who voted for Trump would suddenly remember that he's a sexual predator and misogynist.
uponit7771
(91,767 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)And most know jobs aren't coming back--once again, even if they don't, they'll blame Democrats when it doesn't happen.
'G' is the deal breaker. It's the tie that binds. It's one thing Trump would never do a 180 on. He simply can't afford to even if he wanted to, which I'm sure he doesn't. I think he's a genuine bigot who genuinely appreciates the likes of Bannon.
mtnsnake
(22,236 posts)if they don't get at least 5 dollars more in their income tax returns under him than they did under President Obama.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)'D' will get blamed on Democrats, at least among those who actually thought bringing back millions of jobs was realistic. The rest will just ignore 'D'.
'G' is the deal breaker.
procon
(15,805 posts)Trump bragged that he could shoot someone and get away with it, and he's right. That's how Republicans react, they circle the wagons and double down. As horrendous as it looks like Trump will be, if some of his voters suffer from a bit of buyer's remorse, they will just quietly fade away. The fear of being turned on be their fellow Trump supporters will keep them silent, allowing Trump to become even more emboldened to achieve still greater feats a appalling tyranny.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)People are primarily concerned with issues that they believe -- rightly or wrongly -- affect them personally. Immigration, which you omitted, is a huge boogeyman for a lot of people who use it as convenient catchall for many of their perceived ills. Trump might be able to kill off Medicare and SS and even convince Americans to applaud if he can con those who either have it, now or will soon, that they will not be affected. And like any good con man, he will promise that all their kids will become so rich under his plan that it won't matter if they no longer have a social safety net.
Trump has ready made excuses for packing his administration with Wall St. billionaires and catering to the wealthiest elites in the establishment, just as he'll have tremendous, totally plausible excuses for everything he screws up from now on. His followers will swallow anything he tells them, you know, because he's really, really, rich and famous... and oh, so very, very smart.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)'G' includes no mass deportations and no Muslim registry. You can include "the wall" in 'G'.
I agree that 'G' is the least likely to happen, because it's the deal breaker. It's the basis for his support. It's the tie that binds, the glue that holds the Trump/Republican coalition together.
asuhornets
(2,427 posts)WhiteTara
(30,172 posts)Runningdawg
(4,617 posts)without the choices - this was my first thought. Otherwise I agree with G. The moment he goes soft on minorities is the day the worm turns.
Third Doctor
(1,574 posts)The cult will never turn on their God Emperor.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)But 'G' would be a deal breaker. It's the basis for his support.
EffieBlack
(14,249 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)DFW
(56,575 posts)If they were dimwitted enough to support him in the first place, he could do all of what you listed, plus divorce Melania and marry Oprah in Reno at some casino on live TV, and his supporters would STILL think he's making American great again. Somehow. They wouldn't be able to explain just how right away, but they'd wait for Fox to tell them, and then they'd regurgitate it verbatim.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)A-F would all be ignored or justified, but bigotry - particularly racism - is the tie that binds. Support of Black Lives Matter, path to citizenship et al. would sink the Trump ship. And that's why it won't happen...that and the fact that Trump himself is a bigot.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)I think 'G' is pretty much the only thing that would have significant impact on his level of support, and there's no way in hell 'G' is going to happen.
dionysus
(26,467 posts)the rethugs never seem to revolt when their guy's campaign promises inevitably turn out ro be bullshit.
okasha
(11,573 posts)in the pocketbook.
All the other points are ideological, not personal.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)And they'd just blame Democrats for the effects anyway. Same with 'D'. They'll blame Democrats or just overlook it. I suspect most realize bringing jobs back was never realistic.
But there's no way in hell they'd overlook Trump doing a 180 on the likes of Steve Bannon, coming out in support of Black Lives Matter, etc.