Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Arriviste

Writing at Investor's Business Daily, Dennis Prager examines the reasons why there are conservatives who persist in never-Trumpism. His main reason is one I'm not certain I share, it's the Flight 93 thing.

He believes the country was doomed if Hillary was elected, and the anti-Trumpers don't agree. I lean toward the "don't agree" side, but don't find that hindering me from supporting Trump, while recognizing his shortcomings. If we could survive Obama, we could have survived another Clinton but will do better with Trump, in my view.

I find more persuasive Prager's other reasons.
Anti-Trump conservatives are a very refined group of people. Trump doesn't talk like them. Moreover, the cultural milieu in which the vast majority of anti-Trump conservatives live and/or work means that to support Trump is to render oneself contemptible at all elite dinner parties.

In addition, anti-Trump conservatives see themselves as highly moral people (which they often are) who are duty-bound not to compromise themselves by strongly supporting Trump, whom they largely view as morally defective.
Translaton: It is a social class issue. Trump is nouveau riche - somewhat in fact, particularly in behavior. This is anathema among anti-Trumpers' contemporaries but endears him to many of those who were never rich (and would behave as he does if riches ever came their way). Hint: That group includes most Americans.