The other day, Dave Weigel talked to people gathered around a Flint Assembly Plant about why they like Donald Trump. It’s pretty much what you’d expect — lots of comments like: “Immigration and jobs going to China — this area’s really suffered from that. I just like somebody that stands up for what he speaks about.”
Even if the responses were predictable (honestly, it could’ve been a Michael Moore documentary on the Rust Belt), you have to applaud him for doing the reporting; it’s good for journalists to go to places around the country that are hurting. And make no mistake, Trump’s populist message is resonating. The funny thing is, I always knew it could. Here’s what I wrote back in April:
The last time someone really tried this was when “Pitchfork” Pat Buchanan, and then Ross Perot, ran in 1992. It resonated then, but that was before the “giant sucking sound” really kicked in. Whether it’s globalization or immigration—or whatever “-ation” might have taken your job—it stands to reason that the same grassroots phenomenon that helped Buchanan and Perot tap into an underserved constituency might be even more potent today.
Disclosure: I don’t have a crystal ball. And I never expected that Donald Trump would be the one to do this. Instead, I figured that Mike Huckabee or Rick Santorum would half-ass it (as they’ve done in the past). But Trump is going “all-in” on this.
Putting aside the fact that his proposed policies are generally bad (and often, quite liberal), and the fact that he shouldn’t be considered a terribly reliable messenger (based on his numerous flip-flops), it’s easy to understand why he’s gaining traction.
There is a courage born out of desperation. People who feel they have nothing to live for — and nothing to lose — might as well throw a Hail Mary and hope for the best. And make no mistake, there are plenty of Americans right now who truly feel they’ve been left behind. They are likely among the most susceptible to Donald Trump’s message.
It’s logical: If you’ve got nothing to lose, and Candidate A is telling you he can magically fix all your problems — and Candidate B is telling you he will do his best, but “politics is hard and change takes time” — why wouldn’t you take a chance with Candidate A?
Granted, Candidate A might not deliver on every promise, but if he delivers on even half of what he promises, you’ll be better off. The other guy isn’t making any big promises, so why not take a chance and roll the dice? This is its own little version of the “hope and change” fantasy. Why wouldn’t you be willing to place this huge high-risk, high-reward bet…if you feel like you’ve got nothing to lose?
The problem, of course, is for those of us who do have something to lose.
Now, I realize that by saying this, I risk sounding unsympathetic. It is ironic that I, the son of a prison guard, could sound like an elitist in chastising a billionaire real estate mogul, but it’s important for those of us observing and writing about this to simultaneously realize two things: 1) There are a lot of vulnerable people out there who are understandably hurt and frustrated, and they have lost faith in the American Dream; and 2) Vulnerable people are the most easily manipulated by false prophets.
Whether it’s a stranger approaching you in a dark alley, or someone entering the voting booth, the most dangerous person you’ll encounter is someone who believes he has nothing left to lose.