What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[garbon]

Calm down. You are being shrill.

I'm pretty calm and even if I wasn't, no big.

[garbon]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/10/misogyny-us-election-voters

I've heard enough of the white male rage narrative

America's white working classes have suffered. But it shouldn't be taboo to call voters out for falling for racist and sexist messages

'Grab 'em by the pussy" was the line that was supposed to have ended Donald Trump's campaign for presidency. Instead it turned out to be one of the most astonishing and successful strategies for the highest office. In a campaign based on racism, misogyny and bullying, Trump proved that boasting about sexually assaulting women, far from ruining a man's career, can boost it; and white women voted for him in droves. Grab 'em by the pussy, indeed. The first black American president will now be succeeded by a man endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. This, according to Trump and his supporters, male and female, is what the American dream actually looks like.

A lot will be written about how Trump's victory represents a backlash of rage from the white working classes. The election of Trump, this narrative goes, proves how these people feel ignored by the elite politicians and metropolitan media. We need to hear more from these people, the argument continues, and how they have suffered because of globalisation, the demise of industry, the opioid crisis, the death of the American dream.

It's interesting, this take, not least because, far from being a "working-class revolt", 48% of those who earn more than $250,000 and 49% of white college graduate voters chose Trump. But even leaving that aside, to say that no one took notice of the angry white vote in this US election is awfully reminiscent of British politicians saying "no one talks about immigration", when it feels like – you know what? I think we got that base well and truly covered.

Far from ignoring the white working class during this election, they were written about so extensively by nervously placatory liberal journalists that these articles became a genre unto themselves, satirised perfectly by Benjamin Hart last week ("I couldn't help but notice that people in Bleaksville are angry ... I wanted to hear more but Ed explained that David Brooks had scheduled an interview with him to discuss whether he ate dinner with his family every night, and what it means for America.")

So here's an alternative take: we've heard enough of white rage now. Oh sure, listen to the grievances of enraged voters. But understanding them is different from indulging them, and the media and politicians – in the US and UK – have for too long conflated the two, encouraging the white victim narrative and stoking precisely the kind of nasty, race-baiting campaigns that led to Brexit and Trump (as the voter demographics have proved, the linking factor in Trump voters is not class but race).

Both campaigns promised to turn the clock back to a time when white men were in the ascendence, and both were fronted by privately educated false prophets such as Nigel Farage and Trump, absurdly privileged buccaneers who style themselves as friends of the working classes while pushing policies that work against them. They have bleached language of meaning, boasting that they aren't "career politicians" (now a negative thing as opposed to someone who has devoted their life to public service), and they scorn "experts" (who are now apparently the biggest threat to democracy).

Trump's supporters, like Brexit supporters before them, will say that these are merely the bleatings of the sore losers – the Remoaners, the Grimtons, or whatever portmanteau is conceived next. This objection always misses the obvious point that these people aren't mourning for themselves. Whereas those who voted for Trump and Brexit did so to turn time back for their personal benefit, those who voted for remain or Hillary Clinton did so because they know time only moves forward, and this benefits society. To try to force it back hurts everyone.

To call out voters for falling for such damagingly racist and sexist messages is viewed by politicians as a vote-killer and dangerously snobby by the media, as though working-class people are precious toddlers who must be humoured and can't possibly be held responsible for any flawed thinking. There is no doubt the white working classes in the west have suffered in recent decades, yet no other demographic that has endured similarly straitened circumstances is indulged in this way. For decades, American politicians have demonised the black working classes who suffered far worse structural inequalities and for far longer – and Trump continues to do so today.

And yet, as Stacey Pattoon wrote, only the white working classes are accorded this handwringing and insistent media empathy. No one is telling these voters to pull up their boot straps. The much-discussed American Dream is only considered "broken" when it's the white working classes who are suffering. When it's African-Americans, they are simply lazy and morally flawed.

But Clinton, according to the politicians and journalists who indulge inverted narratives, was seen as simply too corrupt and establishment by these voters. "Trump's election is an unmistakable rejection of a political establishment and an economic system that simply isn't working for most people," Jeremy Corbyn said, as though the election of a racist property billionaire who inherited his wealth was the class warrior triumph we've all been waiting for. But if anyone thinks that, it is because the media promoted false equivalencies throughout this campaign to a degree never before seen.

On Tuesday, the Times headlined its editorial about the election "Tough Choice", as if the decision between a woman who used the wrong email server and a racist, sexist, tax-dodging bully wasn't, in fact, the easiest choice in the world. Clinton's private email server was covered more ferociously than Trump's misogyny. That Clinton had talked at Goldman Sachs was reported as a financial flaw somehow analogous to his non-payment of tax. However much people want to blame the Democrats, their voters or Clinton herself, the result of this election is due at least as much to anyone who pushed the narrative that Clinton and Trump were equally or even similarly "bad".

Shame on them. The most qualified candidate in a generation was defeated by the least qualified of all time. That is what misogyny looks like, and, like all bigotries, it will end up dragging us all down.

[Martinus]

I love those tears from someone who appears to be a fashion blogger. 

[Savonarola]

The right wing nutters threw one that lasted years and years. And many of them were old.

I think some people in our politics are just unhinged.

Fair point.  I don't remember them rioting, though.

I have seen protests. Where were the riots?

Here (in Portland, OR) the demonstrators managed to block the interstate and the light rail vehicle lines.  Being from Detroit and all, I wouldn't consider that a riot; but I am getting the impression that this is the single most disorderly thing ever to happen in Portland.

[Admiral Yi]

T'wasn't that long ago that the Guardian was printing articles about the legitimate economic grievances expressed by Trump's popularity.

[CountDeMoney]

T'wasn't that long ago that the Guardian was printing articles about the legitimate economic grievances expressed by Trump's popularity.

That kinda got overshadowed by the Russians, rapists, the KKK and Pussy Grabbers^TM

[HisMajestyBOB]

http://www.npr.org/2016/11/09/501451368/here-is-what-donald-trump-wants-to-do-in-his-first-100-days

Here Is What Donald Trump Wants To Do In His First 100 Days

At the end of October, Donald Trump spoke in Gettysburg, Pa., and released a plan for his first 100 days in office.

The plan (below) outlines three main areas of focus: cleaning up Washington, including by imposing term limits on Congress; protecting American workers; and restoring rule of law. He also laid out his plan for working with Congress to introduce 10 pieces of legislation that would repeal Obamacare, fund the construction of a wall at the Southern border (with a provision that Mexico would reimburse the U.S.), encourage infrastructure investment, rebuild military bases, promote school choice and more.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell mostly made nice with Trump but also shot down or expressed little enthusiasm in some of his plans. On Trump's proposal to impose term limits on Congress, McConnell said, "It will not be on the agenda in the Senate." McConnell has been a long-standing opponent of term limits, as NPR's Susan Davis reports. "I would say we have term limits now — they're called elections."

McConnell also threw some cold water on Trump's infrastructure plans, calling it not a top priority.

McConnell did say repealing Obamacare is a "pretty high item on our agenda" along with comprehensive tax reform and achieving border security "in whatever way is the most effective." But he also declined to discuss the Senate's immigration agenda further.

"We look forward to working with him," McConnell said. "I think most of the things that he's likely to advocate we're going to be enthusiastically for."

I'm looking forward to the fights between the Establistment GOP and the Trumpians on these issues.
Unless Trump just rolls over, which seems plausible given the people being considered as his advisors.

[Admiral Yi]

On something like infrastructure Trump could concievably assemble a coalition of Republican loyalists and Democrats.

[Ed Anger]

Trump is trumping on Twitter again.

[CountDeMoney]

Trump is trumping on Twitter again.

How positively presidential.

[CountDeMoney]

And soon he'll have the Department of Justice.  Yay for freedom.

[alfred russel]

I'm looking forward to the fights between the Establistment GOP and the Trumpians on these issues.
Unless Trump just rolls over, which seems plausible given the people being considered as his advisors.

The establishment GOP will not fare well in such a fight. They are already mistrusted and hated by many in their own party, and if they regularly try to thwart Trump they will just feed that even more.

I'm sure Democrats will be keen to find opportunities to increase the division, and probably more prone to twist the knife in the establishment GOP than Trump (as Trump is a cult of personality movement that leaves the scene with him, while the establishment GOP is in the long game).

[Phillip V]

President-Elect Trump's Transition Website

https://www.greatagain.gov/

[derspiess]

I think we've finally found someone more narcissistic than Obama.

[Zoupa]

Yikes, the "Meet the President Elect" section...