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SSG Program Control Manager
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Two thoughts on this article.
1. Pandering to this demographic may get you through a Republican primary, however Trump will most likely reinvent himself once he has the nomination.
2. I understand that sensationalism sells, however this article made me roll my eyes so often my eyes are sore.
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Cpl Jeff N.
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Edited 9 y ago
SSG Michael Hartsfield . Michael, the story is from Salon, not exactly a fair or impartial source. The story's first paragraph leads with "Trump’s proto-fascism, xenophobia and bigotry are not anomalies or outliers. These values are held by a large percentage of Republicans". With an opening like that is there any doubt what the conclusion will be. This is nothing more than a pseudo-intellectual, pop psychology hit piece. I get it, he doesn't like Trump. Argue the merits. We complain about name calling and character assassination in politics. This article is the post card for that type of behavior.

It ends at the same place it started with this " Trump is providing a safe space and outlet for conservatives to validate their preexisting racist, xenophobic and bigoted attitudes. Their true selves are being actualized and “liberated.” The writer not only indicts Trump but anyone that supports him as well.

I am not a supporter of his but it might be possible the reason he resonates is that he is unscripted, shoots straight, does not take polls on positions before speaking. He takes a no nonsense approach to security and says things people think we should be hearing from the current administration.

I have no idea where his candidacy is going but Salon is a mouthpiece for the democrat party. To post this as though it might be searching for some real answers or deeper truths is disingenuous at best.
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SSG Michael Hartsfield
SSG Michael Hartsfield
9 y
Actually, I posted this due in part to the opinion Pat Buchanan has about Trump and how he's using PSYOP to further his agenda i.e. He is targeting a particular demographic by using their mistrust of the media, the government, and politics in general to keep his candidacy alive. The source, albeit Liberal and does diminish its point by name calling, nonetheless hits it in the ten-ring. Trump is using the fear of his supporters to bolster his campaign and he plays to the crowd by giving them what they want: an unapologetic, larger than life figure that doesn't take s**t from anyone, in much the same way other cults of personalities have done
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Cpl Jeff N.
Cpl Jeff N.
9 y
The piece does a hit job on Buchanan as well. He is a useful stooge for Salon, nothing more. It is simply a hit piece that appeals to your sensibilities. All candidates use similar formulas when they run for office, especially in primaries. They have to draw on as many of the demographics in their party's base as possible. You chose to call it Psyops which I think is a misuse of the term based upon conventional (military) definitions.

Obama had a cult of personality strategy too. He ran on jingoism (hope and change) and not much else. No experience, credentials and lots of promises to give more government money to everyone who wanted some. He appealed to the pro-abortion, anti-gun, big government crowd. All constituencies of the left. Trump is appealing to those that want secure borders, security in our immigration processes, the elimination (not containment) of our enemies and that want to see America respected in the world again. Some want to tie that to racism, xenophobia, misogyny and ever other sort of evil in the world.
Did you ever see Salon go after Obama for being against the Constitution (2nd Amendment) being for the murder of children (Abortion) or being a socialist that wanted to redistribute the wealth of those that have earned it? I didn't think so.

As a meme I have seen a number of times says...What if I told you the left wing and the right wing were part of the same bird?
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SSG Program Control Manager
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I believe Pat Buchanan's analysis is a bit over simplistic. There is a natural tendency to want to sort people into categories we understand, that doesn't mean the assessment is accurate. IMO, Trump is really a great unknown... We have some idea about how he is marketing himself, however we have no idea what the relationship will be between the product and the advertising.
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