The Only Issue Trump is Really a Republican on is Immgration

Tom and I have had a fun debate on Trumpism. I think it's great and am a Trump Democrat. He admits it's kind of fun but it also gives him pause.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/08/tom-brown-and-me-debate-trump.html

A large part of the difference is that he is repelled by the form of Trump's campaign the extreme narcissism, the cult of personality that Trump supporters support him because of the way he makes them feel.

Well now though isn't' that how a woman falls in love? Ok, I digress.

Tom points out that the fact that Trump actually has taken so many positions outside of the Republican party and yet Republicans love him so much-the base not the elites who hate him-shows he's a demagogue playing the cult of personality and using their emotions.

Put this way how can you disagree? Clearly Trump is a demagogue-though some have had long term success like George Wallace who ran the state of Alabama cumulatively for about 30 years.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/08/shades-of-george-wallace-30000-come-out.html

Look I'm surely not going to say he's not demagogue. Actually, an interesting point is where exactly does Trump agree with Republicans? And as far as Republican party orthodoxy he is in line with the party on immigration. Nothing he's said is out of line with what many other Republicans have already called for in the past. Ending birthright citizenship-check. Building a wall-check. Sending them all back-check.

So he actually is in line but he's much more exploit and vocal. Usually GOP candidates avoid discussing this during election season.

However, this is actually the only actual Republican position. But it's all the base cares about. Rush Limbaugh has said that Trump's 'real issue' is immigration-ie, he takes some of his other positions which certainly sound liberal or at least unconservative as something of a goof or not so important.

It's been quite shocking to see the allegedly fanatically free trade Republican party with candidate after candidate getting tough with China.

Scott Walker now says Obama should refuse to meet with China's leaders-after he himself visited China not so long ago.

"Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants President Barack Obama to cancel Chinese president Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit. Stealing some of his thunder, Florida Senator Marco Rubio swooped in and countered that it should be downgraded to a regular working visit."

"Welcome to the summer of China-bashing, brought to you by Donald Trump's surge to the top of the Republican presidential field and also by a Chinese economic slump that has caused tremendous anxiety in U.S. markets."

"In competing op-eds and speeches Friday in Charleston, South Carolina, both called for a more confrontational posture with China. Both argued that denying China a state visit would show "strength" in the face of the country's recent cyberattack on the U.S. and poor human rights record. Both said Obama has shown "weakness" in the face of the rising global power and critical U.S. trading partner. Walker said Obama has moved to "reward" China, while Rubio used the word "appease." Where Walker said "China needs to be taken to task," Rubio said "we can no longer succumb to the illusion that more rounds of cordial dialogue with its rulers will effect a change of heart." Both candidates called for ending defense sequestration and completing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.'Childish U.S. provocation'?

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/rubio-walker-bash-china/2015/08/28/id/672430/#ixzz3k8qckxVg

That makes a lot of sense-you bash China and yet go for TPP. Trump at least bashes TPP-a popular view on the Left as well. I mean after basically challenging China to a trade war you say support TPP.

Trump has also been praised by Planned Parenthood and said you can't rip up the Iran deal on day one.  Now he wants to raise the capital gains tax-something a liberal like me agrees with.

"Taken all together, what this means (I think) is that Trump would raise taxes on investment income precisely because that would pay for middle class tax relief; that lower tax rates on investments are fundamentally unfair; and that hiking taxes on investments would not dampen economic growth. That seems very much like a broad rejection of trickle down dogma. (The necessary caveats: We don’t know whether Trump’s overall approach would raise or lower the tax burden on the rich; we don’t know whether Trump believes any of this; and he could suddenly reverse course on it at any moment.)"

"Trump does seem to have broken with GOP dogma here, and to my knowledge, none of his Republican rivals have responded directly to it. But Marco Rubio is justifying his call for eliminating taxes on capital gains and dividends by arguing that investment creates jobs for people like his bartender father. It’s an interesting contrast."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/08/28/morning-plum-donald-trump-wants-to-tax-the-rich-will-republican-voters-agree-with-him/

Note that for those who keep carping on his lack of specifics, Trump is much more detailed here than most of the other candidates-certainly Jeb.

So it seems to me that:

1. On immigration Trump is in line with both the GOP base and establishment. However, the establishment doesn't like to be nearly so explicit about this-they prefer to be as vague as possible. The base though loves how explicit Trump has gotten.

2. Free trade. He is clearly a protectionist at least based on everything he has said and this is a major violation of establishment-but the base is much less sure. This protectionist talk works for many of them. To be anti free trade with a major dollop of nativism has a base of support both on the Right as well as some on the Left and Center. 

3. Taxes. His position on capital gains is again like two totally outside the elite consensus but the base has no problem with cutting their own taxes and raising that of others. 

4. The Iran deal. Out of GOP elite consensus but probably not by itself a deal breaker in light of 1 and 2. 

5. Abortion. That is a big sacrilege for both the base and establishment but he does claim to be prolife. Being praised by Planned Parenthood would normally be a death knell but not considering 1. 

Remember what Ann Coulter said: he can perform abortions in the White House after that immigration proposal. 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/17/politics/ann-coulter-donald-trump-immigration-abortion/

So what we see is that he agrees with both base and establishment on immigration but the establishment is apoplectic that he's made this the cornerstone of his campaign. 

On all other issues though the establishment is opposed to him but in many cases the base either does like what he's saying or at least can live with it thanks to 1. 

Being praised by PP would normally be the kiss of death but as the base is so happy with 1 and other things it can forgive it. 

So yeah, he's a demagogue. The key for this kind of Right wing populism is combine some very conservative ideas with some other ideas that might even get some impediments and others interested. My guess is his support isn't solely Republican.