Base

Trump supporters feel no shame. They got what they wanted and they don’t care now. They’ve walked away from the consequences of their actions.

The reason they were Trump supporters in the first place is because they did not take personal responsibility for their issues or for the country. I understand that some have legitimate political and economic grievances – but that is not the heart of their identity.

Many Trump supporters seem united by their bitterness. They are not actually intent on solving their problems.

It’s ironic that traditionally, Republicans have cried for smaller government while Democrats lean more toward a big tent government. But at least there was a real conversation about how to improve the lives of American citizens.

For some, their vote began and ended with his celebrity. Others thought he’d put money in their (already affluent) pockets.

Trump supporters are not interested in a dialogue, they are not interested in facts. Too often, there is an underlying resentment, if not hatred, of all people deemed liberal. They want to complain and rail against anyone they perceive as either more educated, or just different than they are.

Some are furious our country elected a black President and they were going to be damned if they let a woman through, too. And those foreigners are screwing up their lives.

The (Jewish) elite media and entertainment do not get them. Washington, DC didn’t speak for them. They just wanted their world to right itself again – and right itself again some more. They wanted to be in charge as they once were.

They don’t care that Trump lies. They don’t care that he colluded with the Russians to win. They don’t care that they themselves used memes and fake news articles perpetrated by the Russians, America’s enemy – the more racist and misogynistic the better. And they are not even aware of how low our country has now sunk in the world.

I wanted to believe we could communicate with one another. It’s not possible. Trump’s base does not fall neatly into any one category but they have this in common – his base likes that Trump is abusive. He soothes their emotional grievances.

The media and nation keep checking their pulse, waiting for the moment the base collectively gets it – that Trump is a hoax. Exhale. Because they already know and really, truly, could care less.

Policies were never the point. Integrity even less so. They just wanted to win at something – anything. They got what they wanted – that’s exactly how Trump governs. They clamored for the chaos, regardless of outcome. And if they don’t win anything else, no matter. In fact, the bigger his lies, the more satisfied and gratified they feel.

In a sense, Trump’s base declared war on America and the 21st century. They bullied the country and then simply tuned out the ensuing destruction.

Oh, they’re still here. But like their narcissistic leader, they ignore the damage they’ve inflicted. They got their victory – they told you but good, who’s who!

In a perverse way, the more Trump destroys America and Democracy around the world, the more satisfying it is for them to wallow. Misery loves company and all that. They love the attention. They revel in the power their stubborn selfishness affords them.

I’ve come to realize they are fake patriots. They spout the rhetoric because it’s their tribal language. It gets them a seat at the bar. Or, they have deceived themselves. They’ve managed to conflate America with troops and guns alone, but we are so much more than that.

So we have to stop granting them this power. It’s not healthy for the country. We have to ask ourselves, are we going to let the worst instincts, the underbelly of our country’s most blighted history, rule?

I lived among this demographic for 19 years. That’s how, despite how head scratching it is, I understand the Trump supporters. They are conformist, and they are most comfortable when being lied to.

Republicans have to grow up, gird their loins, and stop paying their base any mind. It’s time for the GOP to take back their party and court moderates. They have to show some courage in defending our country from this Presidency, Putin, and their minions.

It doesn’t matter how much Trump supporters lose – they will never, ever blame Trump. Stop looking to them to make sense. We are in a hot war and a hot mess. They will never come around – and it does not matter. Because, frankly, the base just doesn’t give a damn.

In order for us to advance a winning strategy, we have to know we’ve got this. We have to see them clearly, and see ourselves even more so. We have to know our own power.

We are fighting for everything just and kind and good and spiritual in this world. We are fighting for democracy. This is OUR base – and we must be even more relentless.