We’re coming up on eight months since that awful November evening and the sting isn’t going away. Oh, there are all those breathless pronouncements on MSNBC about how Congress is useless and that Trump is self-destructing, but he’s still there and we’re still here. About all we have is that one moment in the morning between where we wake up and see that the sun is shining and when we remember who is the President of the United States.
I remember when the Sex Offender in Chief was running for President and he said that the whole world was laughing at us. He was, of course, right about that. They were laughing that Americans—badass and bold and resilient—could take such a buffoon seriously, even for a moment. They were laughing that the greatest country in the history of the world could have an election system so convoluted and arcane that a person could get three million more votes than her opponent and somehow suffer a humiliating defeat. And they are laughing to this day when the Head Dolt In Charge stands up and boldly declares that “when it comes to science, I are stupid and my loyal minions they be stupid, too.”
In the days and weeks after the election, self-proclaimed “cooler heads” sifted through the ashes and came away with the conclusion that those of us with brains in our heads hadn’t been listening to the people who swept Trump into office. We were told that elitists who lived on either coast had failed to gauge the mood of the country.
Well, I wear a WalMart wardrobe and I live in land-locked, sweltering Arizona, but I’ve always known that there are way too many pissed-off white people. And they’re pissed off for the wrong reason or no valid reason at all.
I didn’t need to go to Michigan to talk to some guy who spent his time carving his initials in the desk instead of paying attention in math class and then was shocked when the plant where his father (and maybe even his grandfather) had worked was suddenly shut down because some guy in a suit decides that he can squeeze out a few more dollars in profits if he has the work done somewhere across the ocean.
I suppose I feel a little bit sorry for that guy, but not much. I’m really upset with his father (and maybe grandfather) for not stressing the importance of education, through which one gains options in life.
Here in America (even with the deck stacked as it is these days), a family can climb out of poverty in one generation.
I know this to be true because my family did it. We lived in Poverty with a capital P. But my immigrant parents fully believed that the strategy was simple. Take school seriously, don’t hang out with too many knuckleheads (a couple sprinkled in is OK as long as they’re not the majority), and aim high.
(It’s way better to aim high and fall short than to aim low and hit your target.)
My father-in-law (may he rest in peace) was a great man. They took him right from high school into the Army for World War II. He became one of the few non-Anglo tank commanders under General George Patton.
After the war, he went home to Douglas and got a job at the copper smelter.
Even here, he had to put up with petty nonsense.
Well into the 1970s, the Phelps-Dodge smelter had separate showers for “Mexicans” and “Whites.”
He got married and he and his wife had six kids. Every one of those kids went to college and they all earned degrees (some of them multiple degrees). They’re teachers and engineers and executives. Every single one of them will tell you that they succeeded because that was what was expected of them by their parents. Why can’t the factory workers in Michigan do that with their kids?
Despite the pleas of the bi-coastal intelligentsia, I don’t really want to talk to the people in the Rust Belt who couldn’t see disaster coming and so took it out on the rest of us (and maybe the world) by voting for a bigot and a bully.
What am I going to learn from talking to them? You ask 100 of those people to say one word that comes to mind about former President Obama and 75 will say “uppity.”
It’s like telling me to go back to 1955 and talk to people in Mississippi. Or, for that matter, go to the house of Jefferson (as in traitor Davis) Beauregard Sessions III in 2017.
My intellectual horizons are not going to expand even one micron by interacting with bigots, bullies and buffoons. Life’s too short to waste on stuff like that. Please just give me smart and wise.
I guess Isaac Asimov said it best:
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
Well, it’s not and, despite the temporary ditch of stupidity in which we currently find ourselves, it never will be.
This article appears in Jun 22-28, 2017.
Thanks for that great analysis of where we are and how we got here. Trying to convince kids that it is cool to be smart is not easy!
I have trouble with your description of Trump supporters and the people I know who support him. With the exception of my hairdresser who thinks Hillary was ‘too deceitful’ to vote for, they are educated, knowledgeable people. One is a nurse practitioner, one is a Certified Nurse Anesthetist, one is a teacher, and one is a former state department employee. They all have high-paying jobs and graduate degrees. How do they fit in with the stereotype of people we have of Trump supporters as uneducated, underemployed yahoos?
That’s just it Killian, they don’t. Except in this man’s confused and angry world. One of these has already turned their elitist ideas into gun fire.
They need to stop thinking they have all the answers because it is clear they don’t.
Mr. Danehy wrote another outstanding column. I agree 100% about talking to the fools who voted for tRump. In fact, I disowned family members who did and withdrew from friendships, some decades long, with idiots who voted for the rotten sonofabitch tRump. The cult of ignorance leads to completely mistaken opinions and votes that are so far fetched, only the ignorant could possibly believe them … like thinking tRump is going to help anyone other than the rich get richer, particularly himself and his spawn.
Disowned family members and turned on friends in a country that allows freedom of expression. Take a listen to yourself. That is pitiful that you place so much hope for your happiness on government. How did you let that happen?
The name calling is so childish and ignorant. Another one educated into ignorance? Pay attention children, this is the death of the democratic party, that no longer has the ability to fool voters.
great article! – another point is the amount of disposable time that they spend on entertainment – they make choices – be entertained or spent that time becoming more informed. Look at many people in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and older – their education stopped when they finished school – and now they get it from for profit media – being informed is not a priority – and that attitude is passed down to their children. Granted, not everyone – but definitely the majority that I see.
Allen P … the former family members and ex-friends turned on me, when they voted for tRump, who is methodically destroying much of what is very important to me. Bolstering the ‘for profit’ health care industry, liquidating public land, reversing environmental protection, cutting public school funding, and a long list of other attacks on government policies that help people. Government is not bad. There are many policies that benefit the majority of people in the United States. tRump is the one who fooled voters. His lies are legion. Our children should note just how devious this sonofabitch is and how he has destroyed the United States standing in the world.
More name calling and blind blame. Is that really who you are? Look at reality. 40 years of the EPA and water is not fit to drink? A global warming hoax that is now being admitted to. Doubling of the national debt with no measurable improvements. Profit is not a four letter word, but rather an opportunity to compete and develop more efficient services and improve technology.
If government were effective they would not have been tempted to legalize gambling on reservations to fund the Indian nation.
That is hundreds of years of failure. Trump has already secured a historical position far ahead of the last four presidents.
Allen P?
Wake the fuck up!
What kind of drugs are you taking?
Trump hasn’t secured jack shit.
Also, history will prove this asshat to be a complete FAILURE!
You know, history.
As in about 3 years.
Plutocracy (Greek: , ploutos, ‘wealth’ + , kratos, ‘rule’) or plutarchy, is a form of oligarchy and defines a society ruled or controlled by the small minority of the wealthiest citizens.
— Wikipedia.
This nation has never been a true democracy, but is a republic that uses elected representatives of the people to serve their will. Unfortunately, it was relatively easy to pay for and buy representatives — from both major parties — than to have to buy every individual voter.
It’s really quite simple. If you disagree with Tom. You’re an idiot.
DONALD J. TRUMP. President of the U.S.A. Build a bridge and get over it ’cause he ain’t going anywhere.
Government is not bad. There are many policies that benefit the majority of people in the United States. -Ricardo Small
You can say that and stomp your feet all you want, but the fact of the matter is that we had 10% of the nation uninsured. 30M. So we destroyed the system that cared for 90% of the country. Your altruism is terribly misguided. And make no mistake, the for profit health industry spends billions on R&D. Under the USC that is not a function of government.
Perhaps you have confused us with North Korea.
And a special treat is a photo and a quote from a well known Russian.
Collusion?
Bullies and bigots? Add liar to the list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFv_v16Orqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK6ixvKxw7E
You might want to rethink some of what you thought you knew.
Just another one of Dahehey’s Trump bashing crap articles preaching to his choir. Yawn, I want my Hillary, waaaa waaaa waaa
If Danehy was simply bashing Trump, so what? What Danehy is saying is that the portion of the electorate that abandoned the Democrats, did so because they are stupid and deplorable. His scorn speaks volumes about his own limited intelligence and empathy and perpetual reliance on his own rags to riches climb out of poverty – a story that is hardly unique in our history – or one that he hasn’t trotted out dozens if not hundreds of times over the years. He needs to get some new material.
Let me give you a number: $4 trillion. That’s how much the stock market has increased since Trump surprised everyone, including investors, by getting elected. Do you know what the total stock market is in France? $3 trillion. Great Britain? $4 trillion. China, with its 1.3 billion residents? $7 trillion.
That’s a completely new trajectory for our economy and for our nation. That $4 trillion means that Hillary’s entire $1.1 billion campaign was a scam, trying to falsely convince us that we would all be better off with higher taxes, more regulation and more people on welfare.
Somehow, the unwashed masses, ignorant as we are, figured it out.
Amen brother. My retirement account has increased 20% in the last 6 months. And that means I can be more generous with giving some of my money to others even as I pay more in federal and state taxes. If these folks are so smart, why don’t they understand simple math?
They aren’t that smart. They just think they are.
It is hard to believe after all the Trump administration has accomplished and all the #MAGA moves they are making that there are still people out there that hate our President. Obviously Danehy must feed bile to his followers even though that universe is rapidly shrinking. Knowledgeable folks are looking past Trump’s many, superficial flaws and realizing what an asset it is to have a businessman’s focus in the White House.
Republicans will have a built in advantage for so long as Democrats continue to mistake ideological disagreement for ignorance. I understand why they do it. It’s comforting. It assures them they are the virtuous, all-knowing Cloud People who could build a utopia if not for these Dirt People who just haven’t taken enough sociology courses at an elite coastal universities to know what is best for them. The nice thing (for my side) about this reaction, is that prevents the Democrats from engaging in any introspection, or asking the tough questions about why they lost. Self-reflection is uncomfortable. Far easier just to call the people who disagree with you “stupid.”
Politics in 2016 is now about identity – to which tribe to you belong? – than it is about knowledge. You see, if only college educated whites had voted in the 2016 election, Trump’s margin of victory would have been bigger. And Danehy knows that. The lecture he delivers to the working class, rust belt whites in this piece – do you think he would give that speech in inner city Baltimore? Would he drive out to Sells, and tell everyone, “you people just need to study math! Pull yerselfs up by yer bootstraps like mi papi did!” Of course not. Those people are on Danehy’s team, so they’re worthy of his sympathy; rust belt whites aren’t, so they’re not. In the end, it’s not about knowledge or ignorance for Danehy either – it’s about who are your people, and who aren’t.
Nathan K…that is a thing of beauty. I like where you are coming from.
Danehy shows a picture of Asimov to imply that Danehy too is a “thinker.”
But Danehy thinks not.
Danehy is merely an unapologetic, left wing partisan, steeped in left wing propaganda, so he frames his world view as one.
Danehy believes anyone who didn’t vote for Hillary is a “stupid racist” who doesn’t know what’s good for them.
Guess what? Trump was NOT elected by “RACIST” Americans.
TRUMP was elected by the much abused, hard working, class of forgotten Americans, including LABOR, who now has to compete with an endless supply of Illegal Labor from south of the border.
Left Wing policies have FAILED!
Open Border policy is DEAD!
Behold the rise of Americans with “Common Sense!”
This, from Roy Warden, the “Notorious Mexican Flag Burner” and the publisher of Arizona Common Sense.
Oh shut up.
I love someone with something intelligent to offer.
CW13’s comment presents us with a DELIGHTFUL example example of empty headed left wing group-think.
TLA
Trump Love Always!
I’m SORRY CS13; my bad!
I misread the IDENTITY of the objectionable post.
My comment was directed to “Fed UP With Dicks Like You”
I have stopped communicating with people whose vocabulary is limited to four letter words. The hateful homophobic rants diminish this publication, and stifle discussion.
**DRUDGE POLL** 6 MONTHS OF TRUMP
GREAT
GOOD
BAD
DISASTER
Vote
View Results
GREAT 60.5% (110,872 votes)
GOOD 31.72% (58,138 votes)
DISASTER 3.98% (7,294 votes)
BAD 3.79% (6,954 votes)
Total Votes: 183,258
In the past 6 years I’ve been accused of everything from having an improper relationship with my mother to torturing kittens. But I have NEVER, I repeat NEVER been accused of being a left-winger. I guess there’s a first time for everything.
In my 6 years around here I’ve been accused of everything from having an improper relationship with my mother to torturing kittens. But, I have NEVER, I repeat NEVER been accused of being a left-winger. I guess there’s a first time for everything. No offense taken, Roy.
You’re not but I think CW14 is.
You cannot squeeze out much sympathy for the guy in Detroit who was left adrift when the factory where his grandfather and father worked moved overseas. You say he should have gotten an education. But I know a lot of educated people who were left behind when technology changed and computers took their jobs. I spent a lot of classroom time learning to be a COBOL programmer – not such a hot field now. Then I spent years getting a master’s degree in a field that was made obsolete by computers. I am, by no means, as badly off as many people who studied hard, worked hard, and were left in the dust.
I’m willing to bet that pro tRump commentators would not be affected by a tax increase on the top 10% of Americans. However, when the GOP get finished with you, you won’t be able to afford any type of insurance & forget about any future help with Medicaid.
You are always so defensive of “illegals” taking your jobs. From what I’ve read, crops are dying in the fields because white Americans don’t want those jobs. They don’t want to clean toilets. What jobs did they take away from you?
I think what you really don’t want is a country that looks different from you. You want benefits but, don’t want to lend a hand to anyone else. Let me get mine & screw the rest of you.
Wake up. Read something. Climate change is not a hoax and is actually an opportunity for more jobs, not a jobs killer.
This Pres. Is the most irresponsible person in ourpresidential history on many different levels. It frightens me that people continue to support someone that 17 different intelligence agencies reported that Russia helped to get elected. Instead of railing against your fellow Americans maybe you should join them in fighting against a foreign power that set it sights on interfering in our democracy as well as pitting our citizens against each other.
17 different intelligence agencies testified that there was no vote changed in the election, and now we are reading that democratic operatives may have fabricated much of the story. I am waiting for evidence.
You may be on to something as I just found this.
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/anti-trump-leak-campaign-damaging-u-s-allied-operations/
What is going on?
It was just a matter of time. Looks like we are getting to the bottom of this fraud.
Three CNN employees have handed in their resignation over a retracted story linking President Trump to Russia, the network announced Monday.
Thomas Frank, who wrote the story in question; Eric Lichtblau, an editor in the unit; and Lex Haris, who oversaw the unit, have all left CNN.
In the aftermath of the retraction of a story published on CNN.com, CNN has accepted the resignation of the employees involved in the storys publication, a network spokesperson said in a statement Monday.
http://www.thewrap.com/three-cnn-employees-resign-retracted-story-russia-ties/
Apologies appropriate.
I guess the people who hit dislike did so because they dislike being wrong. I love it !!
FTA: You ask 100 of those people to say one word that comes to mind about former President Obama and 75 will say “uppity.”
It’s condescending attitudes like yours that helped elect Trump and continue to bolster his support. Anyone who can only see Obama’s skin color is by definition a racist. That’s you, sir.
Alan P, it isn’t name calling when it is TRUE.
Kitwarden, if Danehy is so terrible, why do you follow him like your religion requires it? Same question to Mark Haywood. Haven you never heard of trolling?
Hey Guy, it takes big balls to accuse someone you don’t even know a racist. Why not E-Mail Mr. Danehy and ask him. You probably won’t like the answer.
Uppity was not even on the list. Incompetent was #2.
http://www.people-press.org/2015/01/20/obama-in-a-word-good-incompetent/
“Nearly equal numbers call him honest and a liar.”
I wonder if that was because of the Obamacare lies?
For example ” If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.” Yeah, that might have something to do with it.
Wow, the trolls come out to feast. Meanwhile, the basic tenets of the CNN article remain unchallenged. And the national polls now show fewer than a fifth of Americans — precisely, 17% — approve of the GOP healthcare plan. As for MAGA, if your answer to what exactly Trump has done to better life in this country (other than promise huge tax decreases for the rich and less regulation of corporate America) is more than “nothing,” you’re a sucker and a fool.
Fortunately, the message that Trump is truly out only for the wealthy is getting across. Let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture just because a ragtag bunch of Trump wolves now howl at the moon.
Tom, the truth hurts many who cannot abide it. You stung them this time. Badly. And goodly.
That’s a pretty weird comment, KitWarden, given that just a few comments before, CW13 opines that Donald Trump is in charge and ain’t goin’ nowhere. You must have your trolling instructions held upside down.
Jake, what are the rules in the new healthcare plan if you earn less than $75,000 per year. (AGI married filing jointly)
Does anybody know the rules?
Let me give you few new numbers. $5 trillion, the amount that the stock market, along with our 401ks, police pension funds,m and teacher pension funds have gone up since Trump surprised us and investors with his election.
The stock market hit a new peak of $28.6 trillion on the day that Trump announced his tax package.
All of Europe is worth less than $8 trillion.
Our stock market is forecasting over 5% growth for us while Europe’s is forecasting less than 1% growth for them.
I think CW13 was commenting the previous comment, not Danehy.
I have a new number. $5.8 trillion. The amount Trump’s stock market has gone up since he surprised us with his election. That’s on top of the $8 trillion the stock market went up as President Obama walked towards the door. So, Trump is a net $13.8 trillion in value delivery, moron that Danehy would have you believe that he is.
Hahaha, another Danehy column where he believes that he is smarter than anyone who disagrees with him. Tom, give it a rest, man . For years you have been a condescending fool, wrapping yourself in your phony racial awareness and lowbrow intellectualism. The broad range of generalizations of ethnic groups you have spewed over the years is actually disturbing. Not sure if you realize that the way you generalize about these groups falls into stereotyping. But I get it, you grew up with African American friends in the hood, and married a Hispanic woman, so you have carte blanche to drop the stereotypes, right? Your generalization that 75% of whites would describe Obama as uppity is just another dumb statement. Without the white vote, Obama never gets elected. Tom, the only people you are convincing that you are speaking truths are only the truly ignorant ones.