“Trump Fatigue”

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Remember those two dreaded words? after the intense backlash to Trump’s presidency with the Women’s march, in the months that followed, as atrocity after atrocity piled up, and daily life seemed to devolve into one long, endless episode of “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest,” many people feared that the constant, daily wear and tear of life under an insane president would numb the outrage and protest, that people would just give up and tune out.

Well, it didn’t work out that way. Instead of being beaten down by the daily nonsense and insanity, the resistance used it as a motivating tool to stoke the fires. Each new outrage became the next cause celebre, one more voter to register, one more e-mail to send, one more phone call to make, one more district office to take over, always one more thing to do. And it turned the tide in 2018, giving the democrats the power to not only tp keep those offenses front and center, but to expose the underpinnings of greed and corruption behind them. And those successes have only served to embolden the masses, Democratic intensity is at this point as strong going into 2020 as it was going into 2018.

But what about on the other side, what about morale among Trump supporters? I’m not talking about the hard core Trump base, nothing is going to shake their misbegotten faith in Glorious Bleater. But don’t forget, it wasn’t Trump’s racist hardcore base that delivered the presidency to Trump, it was a swath of turnover voters, angry and disillusioned Democrats, people who felt abandoned by politicians of all stripes, people who had nothing to lose by taking a chance. Trump tapped into that anger and frustration, and he found the words to speak directly to them. How are they enjoying their no-expenses-paid vacation in Trumpmenistan?

Donald Trump likes to consider himself as the “master communicator,” with Twitter as his vehicle of choice. Yet, time after time, when a Trump supporter is interviewed, what is their first and most frequent complaint? “I think he;s doing an OK job, but I really wish he’d knock it off with all of that Twitter bullshit!” The non Trombie voter didn’t buy a season ticket to this dog-and-pony-show for the tweets, they anted up for results, which so far are sadly lacking.

Trump’s greatest selling point is the economy, but the average Trump voter isn’t feeling the love. Trump touts the soaring stock market, yet more than 50% of the population isn’t invested in the stock market, they’re not getting the benefit. And while a healthy 401k may be great down the road, it ain’t making the mortgage payment next month. Trump’s vaunted tax cuts didn’t buy the average family dinner for 4 at McDonalds once a week, and many suffered sticker shock when they got IOU’s from the IRS this year. Health insurance is still sky high, manufacturing and coal ain’t roaring back, and farmers are facing monetary crisis, and even foreclosure over Trump’s tariff war. Just wait until the price hikes go up at Walmart on things most people buy starting in the middle of next month from Trump’s latest tariff gaffe.

Every good sports fan has occasionally had to suffer through a down year, it’s part of life. But when that losing bleeds from year to year, enthusiasm wanes. Even though most major markets broadcast all games, both home and away, you find yourself tuning in less often, usually just to check the score during commercials. And when somebody at the water cooler says, “I can’t believe the goddamn Cubs blew that lead last night,” the response tends to be, I don’t even wanna talk about it.” You may be a die hard fan, but once the words “There’s always next year” pass your lips, you’re already AWOL for the rest of this year.

We may already be seeing that start to manifest itself. In a recent PA poll, Biden leads Trump 49-38. But put Biden’s folksy, I’m-a-Scranton-boy connection behind. Sanders, Warren, Harris, and Buttigieg are all holding Trump to 41% in Pennsylvania. And in other national polls, those same candidates, none of whom are polling 20% in the Democratic primaries, are all either ahead of, or within the margin of error against Trump. In what parallel universe does a candidate running 4th in the Democratic primaries run neck and neck with an incumbent president from the opposite contest?

And it’s not like Trump is going to help himself. He’s a one trick pony, and he always has been. He sold economic populism bullshit, and an “I’m in your corner, fighting for you” line of claptrap. People were willing to overlook the racism and demagoguery for the economic hopes, but as his popularity has waned, and the toxic corruption becomes more apparent, he’s sunk further into the swamp of racism and demagoguery. If those disillusioned voters from 2016 are starting to realize that his economic miracle was all just smoke and mirrors, Trump has nothing left to sell them.

Look, I’m not saying that Joe Biden, or any other Democrat is going to necessarily sway any or all of those voters back. They voted for Trump because they were pissed at Democrats, and being pissed at Trump now may not make them love Democrats any more. But we don’t have to win them back. If they’re just disgusted enough with Trump, especially with his increasing coarsening, which they didn’t like in the first place, and just stay home, that’s every bit as good.

And no army of Russian bots is going to save Trump this time. First of all, no matter what else, people are more aware this time around. And in 2016, people were ready to believe the worst about Hillary because they wanted to believe the best about Trump. But those blinders are off now, Trump is no longer just a quirky, ex reality TV show candidate, he’s the President, and what he says and does matters, every day, and in many ways. Trump famously courted African American voters by saying “What the hell do you have to lose?!?” Well, a whole lot of people, African Americans and otherwise, have had two plus years to find out what they had to lose, and it’s more than they care to wager. And all of the Russian bots in the world can’t turn that shitburger into a sirloin steak.

Follow me on Twitter at @RealMurfster35

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1 COMMENT

  1. I’m reminded of a poignant song from Mardi Gras, final album of Credence Clearwater Revival: “Well, I’m here to tell you now,/Each and every mother’s son,/You better learn it fast,/You better learn young,/Cause someday never comes.” Strikes me that crossover vote you’re talking about has figured out Trump only promised them a “someday”, nothing else.

      • You’re far too kind, Murf. I gotta give it back to John Fogerty and Co for saying it first. “Someday Never Comes” is one of those songs that’s haunted me over the last two years in its implications.

        • Same thing for me with Don McLean’s “Starry, starry night” about the tortured Vincent Van Gogh…Funny how those kind of stick with ya sometimes…

    • Makes good sense, his misogyny, racism, narcissism and obvious stupidity have run their course, his narcissism is everything.

      Any talk about a player out there to challenge his wonderful self as president, will cause a firestorm in his mind, what little he must have …

      Even his base, that blob of nonsense disguised as real people, are still looking for that non-existing plan of DJT to make them all happy, his lies are now catching up with him more each day …

      He promises these simple people things they have no knowledge of the works as they are, he uses such simple language, which speaks at the level or much lower than these people normally function … his snake oil sales system is just fine with them.

      He has been to hell and back with so many promises, the wall, what the hell is a Tariff?, don’t ask Trump, he does not know, and with his magic pen, he just knows that it pisses off virtually everyone in the world … makes him SO powerful and extremely stupid, but at once, his base loves him for doing what it is he does, what the hell DOES he do besides tweet and golf at our expense?

      DJT IS dangerous, as his past boondoggles are wearing thin and the mustache is ready, this very moment to launch a nasty on IRAN, guess who is looking for a boost in his mind at least for his demanding narcissism … has NO idea of the outcome, nor does he even CARE ..

      Good god, somebody steal his twitter phone and lock him up in his bedroom for a few days, while the House enables some actions against him, Barr, McConnell L. Graham and others, install a doggy door opening in his bedroom door for passage of meals, must fit whopper meal bags …

      • Only point of disagreement I have with you is Iran. While the mustache might push Mr. Tangerine Man in that direction, the latter’s commitment problems extend to war. If it’s not one-and-done, like a raid, a bomb or a missile strike, he’s not interested. And he’s too obsessed with “dealmaking” to want to go the W route. Finally, if the mustache pushes too hard, well, unemployment can always be arranged.

        • Oh, I agree, and you already see His Lowness separating himself from Bolton, and taking the mantle more actively…But it’s not just his short attention span at work here, he is keenly aware of all things that affect his base…And one of his marquee promises to the base in 2016 was to get us disentangled from foreign “stupid” wars, and any conflict with Iran at this point could be seen as nothing other than stupid…He won’t want to have to explain that one away to his soulless cretin followers…

      • We would need to lock him behind bars, not just in his bedroom. He might have another phone hidden in there. He is so sneaky, that it would not surprise me if he did.

        • He’ll almost certainly never see the inside of Club Fed, but I’m thinking the odds zre getting better and better that he dies in a NY state prison, hopefully penniless when every cent he owns is taken as part of the state version of a RCO charge that they have their…

  2. If you really want to impress me with what you write, you will not use words like “ain’t”. That sounds like someone who is uneducated. Also, none is singular. Do not use it as though it is plural as many incorrectly do. None is a contraction of no one which is obviously singular. Also, you used the word crisis as if it is plural. It is not. The plural of crisis is crises. Use the English language correctly and you will impress me.

    • Really? That’s all you got out of that diary? I’m as big a grammar cop as the next grammar cop, but next time you might read for content instead of nit picky little things. Frankly, I think Murphster has a quite the way with words, a real sweet talker to come up with phrases like ‘all of the Russian bots in the world can’t turn that shitburger into a sirloin steak.’ If all you care about is grammar accuracy, maybe stick with the dictionary. Get over yourself. No one’s here to impress you, princess.

      • Everybody comes in for the first time at one point or another…Apparently my style isn’t her cup or tea, but she was respectful, and criticism isn’t something I’m allergic to…And thank YOU for your daily support!!!

      • Thanks…And don’t think for a moment that I don’t appreciate the daily support…All of you are the reason I’m here in the first place!!!

    • I’m sorry that you’re disappointed in my use of slang and vernacular…I’m not college educated, nor do I have formal training in creative writing…I’m not a pundit, in fact I regularly skewer them..I’ve been doing this for 6 years now, on Daily Kos as well as here, and have a loyal base…I think a part of that is that they rather enjoy a style that is not stuffed with perfect diction, but sounds like conversations you hear every day…And although you find fault with my style and tenses, I notice you listed no contradictions with the thrust of the article, nor my conclusions…Either way, I appreciate you stopping in to read in the first place….

    • The word “none” can be either singular or plural, but it’s more likely to be plural. Contrary to what many people think, “none” does not always mean “not one.”

    • Oy! Really, Miranda? I read Joe’s stuff all the time and I figure he bangs it out as he’s catching the last few minutes of Lawrence and sends it in. I REALLY forgive him. And he almost ALWAYS impresses me, poor orthography, or not. Now, if you REALLY want to kvetch about something, turn to CNBC and PLEASE explain to me why all those guys keep saying “indexes”. ARGH! THAT one drives me nuts! There must be hundreds of “INDICES” on poor grammar specially devoted to the mass INCORRECT use of the word “indexes”. Now that’s a crusade on which I will join you, Miranda.

      • LOL…The minute you said INDEXES I thought to myself, “In’t that indices???” Glad to see I got it right…And actually, I tend to knock these out first thing in the morning when I can, when I can still see the keyboard before my glaucoma makes it hard to type…I like to think of my style as “pure Royko,” after my boyhood idol, and unofficial mentor Mike Royko of the then Chicago Sun Times…

  3. Well, according to today’s New York Fucking Times, which once again headed out into the heartland to find some more of those sainted white blue-collar male Trump voters to talk to, they are still faithful to Trump even though he has ruined therm economically. According to them, they’re not only not disgusted with Trump, they’re stuck to him like superglue. I am so sick and tired with the NY Fucking Times treating these idiots’ every word like it was a pearl of wisdom.

    • Ease up, Anastasia…confirmation bias alone can’t save Trump from his own mistakes. And the folks the NY Times talked with were likely the cultists Murf mentioned above, so it’s hardly representative of EVERYONE out that way.

      • And never forget the fact that the “cultists” you and I referred to aren’t enough to get Trump reelected, and weren’t even enough to get his pasty ass elected the FIRST rime around…It was a swath of disgruntled and disaffected “change” voters who tipped the scales in WI, MI, and PA, and if they have disembarked from the SS Trumptanic, his base ain’t enough to save him…I’ve been saying since day one that Trump’s vaunted base is so overrate i’ like a $10 million first round draft pick…

    • Of course they are Anastasia…Question…Haven’t you publicly stood by a decision you made and later regretted, just to save face??? The real proof in the pdding won’t be so much which lever they pull come next November, it’ll be whether or not they bother to show up to pull a lever at ALL…And as thin as Trump’s winning margin was, especially in those three states, PA, MI, and WI, a stay at home vote is just as powerful for us as a vote for our candidate when it’s a Trump voter who stays home…

  4. It’s funny this article was posted today, because just this afternoon the gardner’s Weed whacker threw a rock into the sliding glass door of the house I rent. It shattered it into a million pieces,but the safety glass coating is holding it…for now. The weight of the broken glass is creaking and cracking more and more (from an empirical point of view, it’s really interesting to watch.) Every fifteen seconds or so one of the little pieces in the plastic cracks in half, and I assume that eventually the right pressure in the right place will cause the coating to fail and the whole thing will fall apart.

    I think it’s self-evident why an article about the Trump administration makes me think of that, lol.

    • How do ya think that I feel?!? lol I gotta pay close enough attention to at least make a passing attempt at familiarity with his brainless nonsense…

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