Members of Trump’s base are much more like the average American than are his staunchest opponents. A lot of Americans are susceptible to the kinds of rhetoric that won Trump the presidency: especially his appeals to people’s innate xenophobia and fears of threats both internal and external. The liberals, people of color, and traditional conservatives who are outraged by Trump’s comportment and who have avowed to oppose his every move — these are the real outliers.Heatherington and Weiler also write that some voters found Trump’s rhetoric rough but:
neither were they completely turned off by his comments. Indeed, they probably found them more palatable than the tendency of liberals to bend over backwards seemingly at every turn to defend groups of people who aren’t exactly angels in the eyes of many Americans.Several reactions: first of all, pickups are the biggest selling vehicles most years. I do love their book title, and I’m a pickup guy all the way. Love my Ford F-350 diesel long bed, it’s my favorite vehicle. Over the last 35 years I’ve owned 5 pickups and enjoyed every one ... a lot.
Second, if Heatherington and Weiler are right, maybe the vote tomorrow will be less painful than expected. It’s an outcome devoutly to be hoped.
Third, Kurt Schlichter’s frequent jibe that we are the “normals” and they are the weirdos may be more than partisanship, it may have a real basis in fact. Liberals do go overboard defending every group of lowlife losers while pissing on us solid citizens.
