Christian Nationalism is Big
The first time I remember hearing about the pace of social change was as a young graduate student. I remarked to a professor I could not understand the angry people in the news. What made them red in the face and led them to kill people.
He said, "The pace of change is just too fast for them." The change was about race, specifically requirements that schools integrate, swimming pools allow all kids and hiring not discriminate. People today do not remember how bitter was the resistance to these simply and harmless requirements.
It is often repeated the election of 2016 happened because women were rising in power, black people making strides including a President and Hispanic people were on the rise. Those who had to watch this progress without enjoying any of it were white people of the lower middle income. It was especially about those in sparsely populated areas of the Midwest. A majority bought into the idea our country was a bastion of white Christians and as white Christians went so did the country. That others, not themselves, were enjoying success meant the country was going bad. It needed a President to "Make America Great Again."
Christian Nationalism is aimed at the electoral college votes of a few Midwestern states.
"Christian ----nationalism" = oxymoron.
ReplyDelete"No one can serve two masters. Devoted to one and despise the other".
My head hurts trying to connect the dots of your arguments.
ReplyDeleteLet me just say that the 0216 election was about a horribly propped up Hillary Clinton against an energized and laser-focused Donald Trump. Hillary had no clue about the Electoral College as evidenced by her campaign travel. Donald didn't really campaign in NY, MA or CA. He focused on WI, MI, PA, MN, OH and other important states. Hillary thought the Presidency was her right. Donald thought the Presidency was another challenge to be conquered.
The election had nothing to do with white nationalism (it doesn't exist) and everything to do with smart campaign strategies. Hillary could bore an auditorium of pre-school kids. Donald was electric wherever he went; red meat for the masses who were starving for a warrior.
2020 appears to be another brutal contest. This time, Donald has a presidency of multiple success stories (economy, jobs, stock market, foreign policy, trade, immigration, judicial nominees, religious liberty, healthcare, minority appeal) that should allow him to outdo his 2016 margin of victory. He has doubled his popularity among Blacks and other minorities. He has put the Democrats in a corner where they are self-imploding left and far-left. If Joe Biden is the nominee, he might not make it to election day before being committed to an assisted living center (not a trivial matter to comprehend). I feel sorry for VP Biden. Elizabeth Warren? The debates would be entertaining. She will propose spending programs that would require we conquer multiple nations to pay for them. But it sounds good to give people as many free things as possible. Speaking of Bernie Sanders, his Iowa paid help wants to burn down Milwaukee, put people in re-education camps ...
With impeachment and the Russian hoax, Trump has knit together a 95% Republican majority, more than Ronald Reagan's 87%. With Liz Warren or Bernie Sanders, the Trump Democrats will be larger than the Reagan Democrats. And if illegal aliens were barred from voting, I could see 45 of the 50 States going Tump.
But if you want to believe it is about Christian nationalism (?), don't let me stop you.
Matt--I have to admit all political theories about what happened in the past and what will happen in any upcoming election have a thread of validity. You could be right. My own theory and that of the link could be right also.
DeleteThe rural voter turnout was much bigger than predicted. Those are areas where Christian Nationalism play best. My impression is Trump is playing to Christian Nationalism most every week with publicized blessings by preachers. I agree there are other variables but that is one that gives me the creeps.
Apparently the candidate Trump most does not want to run against is Biden. I went to see Biden a few days ago. Something seems different about his speaking. Yesterday I read a long article on the Atlantic site that explains he has a life long disability with stuttering. He searches for words to replace the one he fears will bring his stutter. This makes him appear forgetful. He almost refuses to acknowledge it in public. Anyway, it will be a fun election.