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Why Is Donald Trump So Popular

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Lately, my friends are constantly asking, "How in the hell could Donald Trump be so popular?" Without question, their reactions to Trump's presidential bid are reasonable. Yet, when Trump announced his candidacy, to be honest, I wasn't the least bit appalled or surprised.

Why? Well, because I've grown up and lived around the white working class my entire life. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I understand the ideological roots of Donald's campaign and the very palatable white anger that supports it.

However, let's back up and make something very clear: Donald Trump isn't actually that popular. According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, Trump is supported by 20% of likely GOP voters, but over 30% of Republicans say there's "no way" they …show more content…
In 2012, that number dipped to 58%. So, let's assume around 60% of voters will show up to vote in 2016. Out of that 60%, let's say virtually half are Republicans and the other half are Democrats. If the numbers are somewhat similar to 2012, that means around 6o million people will vote Republican. Thus, 12 million Americans support Donald Trump, out of a likely voting population of 120 million. Clearly, he's not that popular.

Nonetheless, 12 million voters are willing to support Trump. Indeed, some of them are inherently racist, xenophobic and violent, but many are simply ignorant and pissed off. In fact, a recent Washington Post article pointed out what many of us already knew: the majority of Trump's support comes from white, uneducated Republicans.

So, beyond racist platitudes and xenophobic rants, what's Trump's appeal? To me, it's obvious: he says whatever he wants. On several occasions, for instance, Trump has both badmouthed and praised the Clintons and Bushes, calling Hillary "incompetent" and Bill "nice," while referring to George W. Bush as a "buffoon" and George H.W. Bush as "good hearted."

Trump's unscripted tirades leave no establishment political figure or cultural icon untouched. In many ways, he's channeling decades of white working class anger and disillusionment with the American political-economic system (a system Trump has benefited from, no …show more content…
Maybe not. It depends on who you ask and what we mean by the term "ally." From the perspective of class, Trump's supporters should be socialists or at the very least liberals. The white working class, like their Latino and black counterparts, but to a lesser extent, has endured decades of savage neoliberal globalization. Their jobs have been shipped overseas. Their retirements have been plundered. As a result, their neighborhoods and childhood communities have crumbled and fallen prey to drug addiction and gang violence. They're frustrated and upset, and for good reason, but at all the wrong people and

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