CampingJosh
Master
- Dec 16, 2010
- 3,298
- 99
This discussion started elsewhere, but it felt like it should be spun off into its own thread.
"Trumpism" has been used pretty heavily in this political subforum, but I don’t think we all mean the same things when we use it. So I think we would be well served by putting together what that term means.
I'm going to offer up my thoughts, but I think it'll be helpful for many of us from a variety of opinions (ardent Trump supporters, mainline Republicans, Never Trump Republicans, and those outside the Republican Party) to weigh in. I know we're not all going to see it the same way, and even after that it's going to have connotations that vary based on what each person thinks of Trump, but I still think this can be a productive conversation.
Here's how I think I would lay it out:
Trumpism is a shift in both the policy goals of the Republican Party platform and the public presentation of the Republican Party under the leadership of Donald Trump as compared with those of the Republican Party under the leadership of the three previous presidential candidates (Bush, McCain, and Romney).
Platform changes:
What else do you think should be part of the explanation? What that I've included should be adjusted or removed? Or am I totally off base and you would explain it differently altogether?
"Trumpism" has been used pretty heavily in this political subforum, but I don’t think we all mean the same things when we use it. So I think we would be well served by putting together what that term means.
I'm going to offer up my thoughts, but I think it'll be helpful for many of us from a variety of opinions (ardent Trump supporters, mainline Republicans, Never Trump Republicans, and those outside the Republican Party) to weigh in. I know we're not all going to see it the same way, and even after that it's going to have connotations that vary based on what each person thinks of Trump, but I still think this can be a productive conversation.
Here's how I think I would lay it out:
Trumpism is a shift in both the policy goals of the Republican Party platform and the public presentation of the Republican Party under the leadership of Donald Trump as compared with those of the Republican Party under the leadership of the three previous presidential candidates (Bush, McCain, and Romney).
Platform changes:
- De-emphasis on small government as an ideal
- De-emphasis on fiscal responsibility
- Decrease in foreign trade
- America First foreign policy
- Emphasis on reducing immigration generally and illegal immigration especially
- A willingness for crudeness (or at least less aversion)
- No longer caring what political opponents think, especially re: decorum
- Openly choosing expediency over principle
- Focusing more on the defeats of Democrats ("own the libs") rather than on the accomplishments for Republicans
- Reduced acceptance of compromise/bipartisanship; increased demand for party loyalty
- Rightward shifting of the "tent" of acceptable ideas/principles
- Decreased emphasis on the 4th Amendment
- Anti-intellectualism
What else do you think should be part of the explanation? What that I've included should be adjusted or removed? Or am I totally off base and you would explain it differently altogether?