I should be clear: I personally don't have a theory or even a position on whether the presidency is weak or whether rhetoric matters. My position has been that *Trump's* presidency has been weak, and *his* rhetoric mostly ineffective or counterproductive to his aims.
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Replying to @CoreyRobin
Well, what are his aims?I think his constituencies have aims he may only vaguely grasp—one constituency wants to blow up the consensus around political speech to make more explicit language around white supremacy acceptable. Seems like that might have been a partial success?
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Replying to @lionel_trolling
How has he made it acceptable? He's got approval ratings that are, on ave., the worst of any modern president (despite an economy that should be the roof). Public opinion on DACA, even in Trump territory, is solidly against him.https://www.axios.com/how-immigration-could-help-vulnerable-dems-in-trump-states-feed0e24-c7bd-4425-b04d-599355a5f273.html …
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Replying to @CoreyRobin @lionel_trolling
On top of that, he's presiding over his party losing key seats deep in Trump territory. And, tho we don't know for sure, probably losing the House this fall. I'd say he made it acceptable if his presidency and party were thriving. But all evidence suggests, despite a good
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Replying to @CoreyRobin @lionel_trolling
Trump still has majority support among white Americans. Since White Americans are the ones who are the overwhelming supporters of white supremacy then Trump's influence among them is what's important, not how popular he is with country at large.
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Replying to @HeerJeet @CoreyRobin
Your point is taken that his appeal is arguably subcultural, but he is not unpopular with the Republic remnant. Now I don't know if the Rs are shrinking because his WS or other repellant qualities of his, but I don't think its a positive or neutral political development.
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Replying to @lionel_trolling @HeerJeet
I didn't realize we were debating whether Trump's white supremacist rhetoric is "a positive or neutral political development." I thought that was a pretty settled question on the left.
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Replying to @CoreyRobin @HeerJeet
What I meant was I don't think it's clear that the type of politics and rhetoric Trump has leaned on is being discredited permanently by his present political troubles, or if it will be institutionalized in some way.
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I'm sure you can explain to me exactly how this is analogy is perfectly wrong, but Goldwater's defeat didn't spell the end of Conservatism.
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Replying to @lionel_trolling @HeerJeet
Just read Rick Perlstein, and the difference between an embattled but ascendant movement, with a new philosophy, versus an endgame holding onto power (primarily through the courts and gerrymandering) with a very familiar set of ideas will become very very clear.
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Embattled, besieged and declining privilege is the very heart of the Reactionary imagination & can do a lot of damage. There's a good book on this!
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