tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post5561047322696577122..comments2024-03-18T22:21:33.261-07:00Comments on The Debate Link: What It Will Take for Trump's Base To TurnDavid Schraubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-64303803840637875022017-10-31T13:48:11.846-07:002017-10-31T13:48:11.846-07:00That said, the rest of the argument is sound—and i...That said, the rest of the argument is sound—and important. Specifically, we need to speak in a manner that emphasizes that Trump, not his supporters, is to blame for people’s disillusionment. We need to ditch “I told you so.” <br /><br />Yes, I’m saying this as a matter of strategy—but also as a matter of fact. What’s wrong with Obamacare? Well, various things. But the chief opponents are people who wanted to avoid the burdens of a larger social safety net because they anticipated that the burdens would be more than the benefits, and that the benefits might flow to “unworthy” people. But the opponents recognized that this argument would not be popular if stated explicitly, so they didn’t. Instead, they propounded a populist objection: Obamacare isn’t GOOD ENOUGH. We should expect a free lunch—but Obamacare imposes costs! So vote Republican, and we’ll get rid of all those nasty Obamacare costs. Many people voted for that—Who wouldn’t?—while harboring an unstated assumption that they’d get to keep Obamacare’s benefits. <br /><br />When Republicans won control, McConnell/Ryan were like the dogs that finally caught the car and didn’t know what to do next. Their entire campaign had been premised on the idea that they could blame Democrats for their inability to fulfill their pledges. Now it was showtime, and they needed to gloss over the fact that they couldn’t actually pull a rabbit out of their hats. And Trump, instead of helping, started acting like a circus barker, shouting “Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and see the Congressional Republicans pull a GIRAFFE out of a hat!” <br /><br />Should everyday Trump voters be blamed because they didn’t know that the Republicans had sold them snake-oil? Or should we console everyday Trump voters, commiserate with their disappointment, and affirm their frustrations with Trump? <br /><br />I vote for the latter.EWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07704258203202907249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-66148885265403038392017-10-31T13:47:52.474-07:002017-10-31T13:47:52.474-07:00“[W]hat will it take for his core base to finally ...“[W]hat will it take for his core base to finally turn on him?<br /><br />And the answer is: I'm not sure they ever will.”<br /><br />This sounds like a No True Scotsman argument: Who in part of Trump’s base? Well, if someone turns on Trump, we know that he’s not part of the base. And we know this because, well, he turned on Trump. By definition, then, Trump’s base consists of the people who won’t turn on him. Q.E.D.EWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07704258203202907249noreply@blogger.com