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NYT Op-Ed: Liberals, You’re Not As Smart As You Think, And You’re Helping Trump Win A Second Term
Townhall.com ^ | May 14, 2018 | Matt Vespa

Posted on 05/14/2018 6:02:48 PM PDT by Kaslin

Well, someone finally said it: Liberals, you’re not as smart as you think—and you’re helping Donald J. Trump win a second term. Gerard Alexander, a political science professor at the University of Virginia, wrote this in The New York Times and he might have to change his name after this. He aptly noted how a) cultural centers are dominated by progressives; b) how they’re causing a backlash against liberalism; and c) how their inability to see that they are causing it will lead to a Trump victory in the next presidential election. The professor noted how the Left is overly confident in themselves, self-righteous in their beliefs, which come off as “domineering” and “smacks of superiority.” You can see how this isn’t the best sales pitch, right? It’s only compounded by the fact that the Left, confident in their moral superiority, has gone so far outside the mainstream in what is actually racist or problematic that they feel everyone else who hasn’t caught up should be shamed, humiliated, and torched by the social justice warrior mafia. 

It’s not that I’m out of touch; it’s that everyone else is wrong. That’s the mantra with this sad cadre of left-wingers. Conservative America doesn’t stand for this crap, and neither should they. For every one voter this progressive mob absorbs, two more either head for the Trump camp or are so turned off that they stay home on Election Day. It’s one thing to call the remarks about black Americans made by celebrity chef Paula Deen racist (it was) years ago. It’s another thing to label 60 million people who voted for Trump racist. The silver lining is that Democrats from the Rust Belt don’t take too kindly to this; Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) has voiced her frustration when she hears this liberal taking point. 

It’s cyclical. Conservatives ate some humble pie in 2012. Liberals did too, though they’ve failed to realize why. They’re still angered over Lady Macbeth’s loss. Hillary Clinton was a terrible candidate. Like Romney with Republicans, some within the party knew this. She had no economic message, no charisma, seemed horribly inauthentic, and decided to call half the country deplorable towards the tail end the 2016 campaign.

With those feelings of resentment and resist all things Trump, the Left is actively fanning a brushfire that could strengthen Trump’s voter position:

I know many liberals, and two of them really are my best friends. Liberals make good movies and television shows. Their idealism has been an inspiration for me and many others. Many liberals are very smart. But they are not as smart, or as persuasive, as they think.

And a backlash against liberals — a backlash that most liberals don’t seem to realize they’re causing — is going to get President Trump re-elected.

[…]

Liberals dominate the entertainment industry, many of the most influential news sources and America’s universities. This means that people with progressive leanings are everywhere in the public eye — and are also on the college campuses attended by many people’s children or grandkids. These platforms come with a lot of power to express values, confer credibility and celebrity and start national conversations that others really can’t ignore.

But this makes liberals feel more powerful than they are. Or, more accurately, this kind of power is double-edged. Liberals often don’t realize how provocative or inflammatory they can be. In exercising their power, they regularly not only persuade and attract but also annoy and repel.

In fact, liberals may be more effective at causing resentment than in getting people to come their way. I’m not talking about the possibility that jokes at the 2011 correspondents’ association dinner may have pushed Mr. Trump to run for president to begin with. I mean that the “army of comedy” that Michael Moore thought would bring Mr. Trump down will instead be what builds him up in the minds of millions of voters.

[…]

Racist is pretty much the most damning label that can be slapped on anyone in America today, which means it should be applied firmly and carefully. Yet some people have cavalierly leveled the charge against huge numbers of Americans — specifically, the more than 60 million people who voted for Mr. Trump.

In their ranks are people who sincerely consider themselves not bigoted, who might be open to reconsidering ways they have done things for years, but who are likely to be put off if they feel smeared before that conversation even takes place.

It doesn’t help that our cultural mores are changing rapidly, and we rarely stop to consider this. Some liberals have gotten far out ahead of their fellow Americans but are nonetheless quick to criticize those who haven’t caught up with them.

Alexander sums it up right here: 

Liberals are trapped in a self-reinforcing cycle. When they use their positions in American culture to lecture, judge and disdain, they push more people into an opposing coalition that liberals are increasingly prone to think of as deplorable. That only validates their own worst prejudices about the other America.

The endless crusade to find things that are terrible with America has made the Left see everything in this country as terrible. Yeah, that sounds about right. This won’t change, by the way. Say what you will about the anti-Trumpers who haven’t come onboard, but they’re a very small minority. In the end, Trump united the base; 90 percent of Republicans voted for him.  The Tea Party had deep reservations about Mitt Romney. In the end, 93 percent of the GOP voted for him. At the end of the day, Republicans will vote for the nominee. I did not support Trump. He was certainly not my first choice, but when he nabbed the nomination, he was my guy. I’m a base voter. And there was not enough gold in Fort Knox that would make me even consider voting for Hillary Clinton or any Democrat. 

Democrats are the same way, but their message is not nearly as universal. The GOP campaigns on lower taxes, strong national defense, reducing governments spending, the size of government, protecting gun rights, and enforcing border security. If anyone has to wonder why the Tea Party started off as an organic movement, it’s because these principles, especially on government sucking, spending too much, and taxing too much are popular proposals. Proposals that are not popular are government-run health care (support drops when voters find out their employer-based plans would be cannibalized), raising taxes, open borders, and stringent gun control. Growing government and having that power under the guidance of a privileged and educated few to solve societal ills. That’s liberal doctrine—and it’s not popular once it gets fleshed out. Hence, why there hasn’t been a successful, board-based Tea Party of the Left. It’s all AstroTurf, subsidized by political operatives with deep pockets, but that moment is gone. The Tea Party has passed. Vestiges may remain, but the movement has expired. The movement didn’t die because of bad ideas, though some sketchy characters have been accused of using the name to take money from people, but overall, this wave was destined to last only a couple election cycles. 

But the point about liberal principles is that they think this is what the majority want. They think this is right no matter what and the liberal bubble on that will never be pierced, hence why the writing off of half the country will become entrenched. There is no chance Hillary voters will view their red state brethren as actual people. That’s passed. Adam Wren of Indianapolis Monthlyventured into Clinton Country for 72 hoursand found the experience to be quite eye opening. He didn’t explicitly say that these feelings are now ingrained in the liberal voter, though he noted how dense this bubble is, with anecdotes of Clinton supporters complaining about how they’re in a malaise while making $200,000+ a year. Out of touch, huh? The Acela Corridor encapsulates this. At this point, Trump will probably win re-election. I agree with that. Democratic enthusiasm is stalling; their slate of candidates for 2020 is filled with hard-core liberals, who only have regional appeal. People say Joe Biden, but he’s the epitome of Washington he’s old, and he’s a two-time presidential loser. Does he have white working class appeal? Yes, but it’ll take more than that, especially if Trump manages to walk about from the Korea summit with something very appealing to all parties. 

If Trump wins in 2020, the next question is what will the reaction be from liberal America? The meltdown, that delicious meltdown of liberals when he won in November was one of the best moments for the Right in a long time. The definitive we win, you lose moment, where we all enjoyed a good cup of liberal tears. I want that again, but first we have to win this midterm election.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Mexico; US: Arizona; US: California; US: Florida; US: New Mexico; US: New York; US: Texas; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: 2016elecection; 2020election; arizona; california; florida; gerardalexander; hillaryrottenclinton; liberals; mattvespa; mexico; newmexico; newyork; politicalcorrectness; presidenttrump; progressives; republicans; tds; texas; trump2020; uofvirginia; uva; vespa; virginia
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To: Lurker

If you voted for Donald Trump, then the Left REALLY wants you dead!

Don’t think of PDJT as some kind of uniquely deserving hate magnet because “he’s boorish, he’s brash, he’s in your face, he’s this, he’s that, blah blah blah”.

No, you hate filled racist sexist fascist bigot Islamophobe, you’re just like him and you should die for it!!!

Arm up & govern yourself accordingly. Your right to live is far greater than the Left’s right to exterminate you in order to “build a better world”.


41 posted on 05/14/2018 8:11:33 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam. Buy ammo.")
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To: reasonisfaith

It is usually counterproductive to call your opponent names. To label millions of people racist or deplorable does not further an argument. Progressives have relied on name-calling. They are convinced that they morally superior and more intelligent than their opposition. Their reliance on “humor” has been overdone. Kathy Griffin and Michelle Wolf as well at the late-night comedians have gained more Trump supporters than Trump opponents. The days are over when a quote by a comedian could be attributed to a Republican candidate: Tina Fey’s “I can see Russia from my house.”

The experts and geniuses on the left have not revised their thinking after being repeatedly beaten by what they consider an idiot. They control the media, the entertainment industry, academia and the upper reaches of government. They should be invincible. They are not. If your strategy is repeatedly failing you should change it. The reluctance to change is a sign of a mental disease.


42 posted on 05/14/2018 8:20:59 PM PDT by Vehmgericht ( stop)
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To: FLT-bird
They’ll never be pulled away from their temper tantrum about losing in 2016. Trump is their catnip.

I went over to Twitter to look at this article and the reactions over there.

THEY       JUST       CAN'T       HELP       THEMSELVES

   face with tears of joy face with tears of joy face with tears of joy

43 posted on 05/14/2018 8:24:33 PM PDT by kiryandil (Never pick a fight with an angry beehive)
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To: Kaslin

After years of relentless, hysterical attacks by the entire liberal universe against Donald Trump, his approval ratings have ascended to a lofty 51 percent.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is destroying the Democrats, since compared to the obnoxious buffoons of the Left who are always in our faces, Donald Trump appears more and more like a serious regular guy, more and more presidential.

Let’s hope this continues.


44 posted on 05/14/2018 8:32:24 PM PDT by humbleexpert
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To: BBell
I found the article I read. Take it with a grain of salt.

It's Pew. You'll need a snow plow full.

My observations are Pew is part of the occupation narrative. Maddison Avenue, Opinion shaping. They do not do "scientific" studies, but produce advertising to mold public opinion. If they say it is a scientific poll, it may be scientifically based to persuade a target audience, not to report objective findings.
45 posted on 05/14/2018 8:35:31 PM PDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media.)
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To: Kaslin

Nietzsche and Morality: The Higher Man and The Herd
https://youtu.be/tE67Ye91Ii0


46 posted on 05/14/2018 9:03:15 PM PDT by Fitzy_888 ("ownership society")
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To: Some Fat Guy in L.A.
Saying that liberals are “ahead” of conservatives validates their “progressive” label. They are not ahead - they are dragging us back to policies that have failed for 100 years. Advocating for ideas that failed when Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot... Castro, Kim, Chavez and Mugabe tried them is not “progressive”.

Ding, ding, ding... we have a thread winnah!

47 posted on 05/14/2018 9:21:10 PM PDT by GOPJ (MSNBC - when only shallow bimbos spewing breathless gossip will do...)
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To: Kaslin

Professor. It is not going to be a backlash. It is going to be a Tsunami that washes away a lot of liberals/leftists/progressives and stupids. And how it is formed will stump liberal political scientists for decades.

Just wait and see. Gonna be a Fukiyama-sized or greater tsunami/earthquake/political devastation that will rank at a 10 on the Rasmundsen scale.


48 posted on 05/14/2018 9:49:08 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: BBell

yeah, i don’t believe that poll any more than the hundreds of fake polls that the leftist fake stream media said proved Hillary had a 97% chance of winning the election ... my guess is that poll is about as accurate as all of those others ...


49 posted on 05/14/2018 9:49:16 PM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
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To: catnipman

“It is estimated, I know grain of salt, that most of the Trump voters were not so much pro-Trump as Anti-Hillary”

* * * *

Talk about weasel words. Estimated. Grain of salt. Gee, talk about pulling the wool over our eyes. Par for the course for the Failing New York Times. Hit and run by accusation — with zero evidence to back it up. Not even a fake poll.


50 posted on 05/14/2018 10:37:48 PM PDT by poconopundit (MAGA... Get the Spirit. Grow your community. Focus on your Life's Work. Empower the Young.)
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To: PetroniusMaximus

“Don’t tell them what’s in the secret sauce.”

What difference does it make? All they hear is ‘blahblahblah deplorable saying something or other, no doubt racist.’


51 posted on 05/15/2018 12:36:05 AM PDT by Eleutheria5 (“If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.)
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To: BBell
"Loved those liberal tears"

Indeed, hehehe.

When I need a bit of humor I check out the Youtube videos of the MSM on election Night commiserating about the voter results coming in. Old MadCow Maddow and the other blind talking heads were spitting fire and predicting imminent doom for our country. They would prefer to see pain and misery in America rather than the economy and the populous succeed, all to justify their love for Killery and hatred of conservative ideas.

52 posted on 05/15/2018 12:38:15 AM PDT by Sa-teef
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To: Ticonderoga34
Liberals are arrogant to the point of being stupid. The end.

Liberals are arrogant to the point of being stupid... and delusional. The end.
53 posted on 05/15/2018 12:51:43 AM PDT by grateful
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To: catnipman; PA Engineer
It's interesting that the article came out before the election. It makes you wonder if there was some CYA going on by someone who knew Hillary was going to lose. A preemptive excuse.
54 posted on 05/15/2018 12:59:06 AM PDT by BBell (calm down and eat your sandwiches)
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To: Kaslin

The panic is starting to settle in as they realize they have become their own worst enemies...


55 posted on 05/15/2018 3:17:24 AM PDT by trebb (I stopped picking on the mentally ill hypocrites who pose as conservatives...mostly ;-})
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To: Kaslin
In their ranks are people who sincerely consider themselves not bigoted, who might be open to reconsidering ways they have done things for years, but who are likely to be put off if they feel smeared before that conversation even takes place.

How about they aren't bloody bigots?!?

Dude, take it from a former five alarm, flaming lib: You're just as clueless as the rest of them.

56 posted on 05/15/2018 3:30:22 AM PDT by mewzilla (Has the FBI been spying on members of Congress?)
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To: Kaslin
Racist is pretty much the most damning label that can be slapped on anyone in America today…

Yet some people have cavalierly leveled the charge against huge numbers of Americans


“I don’t like the racism and I don’t like the name-calling”

  —  George W. Bush


57 posted on 05/15/2018 4:12:49 AM PDT by greedo
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To: Kaslin
It’s cyclical. Conservatives ate some humble pie in 2012.

Ridiculous, it was moderate and timid Republicans who blew it in 2012. If you don't understand that dynamic then you don't understand Trump, because the same moderate Republicans would have repeated it in 2016 and we'd be sitting here lamenting another fake demise of conservatism.

It takes a candidate who knows how to fight back and act on conservative principles in order for conservativism to succeed.
58 posted on 05/15/2018 7:41:34 AM PDT by nicollo (I said no!)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...
Liberals dominate the entertainment industry, many of the most influential news sources and America’s universities. [NYT Op-Ed: Liberals, You’re Not As Smart As You Think, And You’re Helping Trump Win A Second Term | Townhall.com | May 14, 2018 | Matt Vespa | Posted on 05/14/2018 6:02:48 PM PDT by Kaslin]
Thanks Kaslin.

59 posted on 05/15/2018 8:22:23 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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To: rightwingcrazy

First of all we must quit calling them Liberals. What they are is Progressives and proud of it.

Now to define Progressives, they are openly working to progress the country to full on Communism.

We should call them Marxists and Communists, even socialist is too soft of a term.

Democrats openly advocate for policies that will result in the total destruction of our system.

They don’t care if only 1 person is on their side.

Give them a dictator with their “noble” ideals and they are quite happy, screw elections and opinions.

They are not to be debated with or compromised, they must be defeated then destroyed.

After the coming open hostilities are over, those who fought on their side must not be allowed the right to vote or bear children within the borders of this country ever again. If we want to ever live within a Constitutional form of government with guaranteed Rights, they must be eliminated.

Life in prison, deportation or ?some other solution?

THAT IS ALL.

To defeat our enemy, we must become like the very worst of the dictators, Mao, Pol Pot, Stalin or Hitler.

I don’t advocate for it, but that is the only choices available. These people can never be compromised, or negotiated with.

I predict we will choose the slow boiling pot and extinction as a country myself, but I am given over to black moods.


60 posted on 05/16/2018 12:00:08 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts (If Republicans are not prepared to carry on the Revolution of 1776, prepare for a communist takeover)
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