Reporter’s question to Trump supporter: “What’s the main reason you’ll vote for him again?“
Her response:
“The main reason? Because he’s one of the best presidents we’ve had for a very long time. Very long time.
He doesn’t lie. I know y’all say he does. He doesn’t. He doesn’t. And I’m just going to be honest. I’m not trying to be mean. But the way the media treats him, it’s a disgrace.”
Donald Trump will get her vote. And it won’t matter that Trump hasn’t really delivered on his campaign promises.
It has been clear forever (or at least since my first post on this blog) that Trump has no intention of reaching out beyond his base.
Trump is undoubtedly convinced that whipping up the base worked for him last time. (Well, in the last presidential campaign, not in 2018.) But in 2020, James Comey will be out of sight; there will be no Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Clinton Rich as a template for mainstream media reporting; the Democratic nominee won’t neglect campaigning in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania; and no one will be confident that either staying home or casting a protest vote couldn’t possibly prevent a Democratic victory.
This time around: we’ve experienced a Trump presidency, we’ll be looking out for Putin’s meddling, and Democrats – aware that Trump’s reelection would pose an existential crisis – will pull out all the stops to win.
That’s not a guarantee, but as much fun as Trump’s campaign rallies generate for true believers (“Lock her up! Lock her up!”), and as much bewildered angst as they create for more critical observers (“He doesn’t lie. I know y’all say he does. He doesn’t.”), it’s not clear that Trump is helping himself. As Jonathan Bernstein notes, “… the question is what Trump has accomplished with all of his non-stop electioneering. And the answer to that is pretty simple: Bupkis. Nada. Nothing.”
Democrats should be heartened by this. In Josh Marshall’s words, “… the idea that Trump can be a complete maniac and buffoon but none of it matters because of the electoral college or other magic powers becomes at a certain point enervating and demoralizing for those who see the danger he represents and the necessity of his electoral repudiation. There’s little evidence to back it up.”
There’s no guarantee. But Trump’s foolery may end up mattering.