To wonder why people think a vote for elite privileged billionaire businessman like Donald Trump is a strike for the little guy (or gal).

[Cailleach1]

www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2015/07/donald-ivana-trump-divorce-prenup-marie-brenner

I found the above article very interesting and am wondering how he was able to avoid being laughed at with his portrayal and focus on someone else's dealings while ignoring the beam in his own eye.

It is my 'suspicion' that no one is as successful or does the type of deals in his circles without greasing the correct 'city hall' or political fixers. The above article says 'markers' are used. An IOU for a return favour. Other people, never mind people from the 'rust' bowl, have never been his concern. He doesn't even seem to pay his fair share of taxes which fund basic state services, never mind being a community worker.

His talk of jobs for Americans is ironic seeing as how there was an issue with his hiring of illegal Polish workers who were receiving one sixth of the going rate for legit workers. He blamed everyone else.

"Yet one F.B.I. informant testified that he had warned Trump of the presence of the Polish brigade and had told him that if he didn’t get rid of them his casino license might not be granted."

He seems to have cheated on Ivana since 1984 and didn't divorce for quite a while after.

Yet he was throwing so much mud at Hillary Clinton. How come his glass house wasn't completely broken with the level of hypocrisy. I wonder if it is true that establishment sided with him insofar as the media moguls bought stories but didn't print them to save him.

I guess this was the same in Brexit referendum. The elite business chiefs and media moguls manipulated an unquestioning public susceptible to their influence. Murdoch, Dacre, Arron Banks. Big business owners like Wetherspoons etc. (who I presume don't go out of their way to pay higher wages to attract a local workforce and take from a cheaper foreign pool). I know people supporting Leave did so much research they were all questioning why the referendum was only advisory. It was interesting that Dyson is keen on May to make it easier for Indian workers to come to the UK. Considering Dyson moved manufacturing out of the UK to avail of cheaper wages abroad. It would be my suspicion he is hoping to bring in global workers as they may not be as expensive. It would be form considering the manufacturing move. It is not ordinary UK workers who are going to be reaping the benefits of brexit.

And considering Farage kept bringing his passport out as his life's concern, he is quick to voice his desire to adopt a foreign nationality and serve a foreign Government. He didn't seem to be arsed to do anything as a UK MEP. I'll wager he'll scrupulously pick up any payments and pensions the UK will have to cough up for their former EU personnel, though.

Wandering vent over.

Fit fatty, are you a member of the elite? In what sense?

Well I suppose I'm a half First Nations, bisexual, woman...who had to move to the ME to get work... elite... sure 😕

Michael Moore a socialist and documentary film maker, wrote this insightful article a while ago about why he thought Trump would win. It's worth reading as it explains a lot...

michaelmoore.com/trumpwillwin/

It's seen as a triumph for the "little guy" because he has stood up against the political elite and won. He's taken on the press and won. He's shown that even a man with (massive) faults can win against the odds. He's mainly shown that the smug career politician can be beaten by a complete no-hoper and that people are prepared to take a (massive) risk with someone different, just to spite the ruling elite who tell them that they can't.

In days gone by a protest vote meant voting for the Green Party or an independent. But that got nowhere, so people who wanted to protest started down the more nationalistic route (SNP, BNP, UKIP, Plaid Cymru and the like). But ultimately that hasn't got anywhere either. Since I believe most people are law-abiding and wouldn't actually attempt an armed revolution, the only legal option left is to hit the politicians at the ballot box. Trump in America, Brexit or Corbyn in the UK.

That is why Trump's triumph, a billionaire's triumph, is seen by many as a win for the average Jo(anna) in the street. Nobody said life made sense...

But none of that makes you part of the liberal elite!

I love the way he was described (by his son I think') as a blue collar guy with a huge bank balance.

Blue collar? When did he ever have a blue collar job? He went to an ivy league college and his dad gave him money to start a business. I'm sure he never had to roll up his sleeve or wonder if he could pay the rent. I'm sure many who worked for him did.

Businessman my arse. Boorish rich kid with not an ounce of decency or accountability.

A patriot and a patriarch who cares for his fellow compatriots? I'm scratching my head at how doing your most to undermine democracy by fuelling corruption in the political system and doing your utmost to make sure you contribute as little as possible to the coffers most of your life can be now classified as concern and patriotism. In fact I would rather think that the impression of an anti democratic shirker.

As for a Patriarch...

So why do you think half of all those who voted wentfor Trump OP?

Do you think it was because they saw him as representing the little guy or do you think they were motivated by some other element of his campaign?

But don't you want the people representing you to be... well 'better'?

Smarter, able to debate and win without bullying lying. Not someone you'd find yourself slapping your hands over your eyes and shouting 'lalala' every time he opened his fat gob, or crossing your fingers he didn't goose the hostess at a royal banquet or make armpit farting noises to the national anthem?

Democracy is only as good as the information voters listen to.

The reason why factory workers et al voted for a person who would raid the pension fund, make them redundant and close the factory is because they were misinformed, often wilfully so.

Bonnie Greer was very good on this on the Jeremy Vine show. The media was part of the problem because it didn't offer analysis or understanding of the issues or the voting patterns. As she said, the media noted a rise in Hispanics registering and going to vote and assumed that meant they would support Hillary but a Hispanic businesswoman would actually have been more likely to vote Trump.
The questions and recriminations are a sign that a lot of people actually bought the media agenda without question or thought. Look at all the misconceptions about who voted for whom; look at the ill-conceived rants about why they think people voted that way, and then look at the people marching in the streets after a democratic vote yet again. All the signs were there for a Trump win. tbh being surprised by the outcome is only a sign that you didn't engage with the discussions and debates except on a superficial level.
Political campaigning has shifted to be aggressive; reductionist and divisive. Not only does that mean that results are taking people (who only read certain media) by surprise but it means that when votes take place the nation is more divided than before.
If you were really interested in the question you had posed in your OP, you would know the answers to it. You would know that Trump admitted he knew politics was corrupt because he used it to his advantage as a businessman. You'd know why people thought Trump had more to offer than someone who was viewed as part of the political establishment who had repeatedly failed them. You'd also know that lots of liberals refused to vote for Hillary for a multitude of reasons including the use of super delegates to stop Bernie. There was a perfect storm that worked against Hillary and put Trump into power.
All the virtue signalling by people who don't understand the issues, is part of the problem imo.

Of course I'm not part of the liberal elite, there is no such thing! Calling left wing thinkers the elite is a tactic left wing thinkers used against the right wing! It's ridiculous!

you could ask that to people who voted clinton

woowoo

The media was the main problem. Traditional print media has become sensationalist, and a lot of new media is just propaganda. Go to Breitbart, for example. People believe that rubbish because they choose to delude themselves

Sorry, I didn't realise it was hyperbole, fit fatty.

I'd assume the liberal elite were liberal politicians, producers and newspaper editors.

Also maybe some tech organisations.

One thing I really don't get is that the same Americans that are against globalisation are very pro capitalist. But capitalism doesn't care about nationalities or borders, they only care about profit. So if they can make more money by moving their manufacturing to China or Mexico etc, that's what they will do. 'No Logo' by Naomi Klein identified this phenomena very well. Pp also want cheap consumer goods. You can't have it both ways!

What they want is a protectionist form of capitalism.

All forms of capitalism rely on some degree of state control - at the very least through property law.

And many Americans who are opposed to globalisation are not particularly pro capitalist.

I feel that it is almost an Orwellian rewriting of history that the left are pro globalisation, which I see cropping up.

I can't pretend to understand any of it. The things that would sink a normal candidate just don't stick to him and almost add to this appeal - just seems flawed and real, refreshingly politically incorrect etc. Kind of like how people find BoJo endearing (previous to Brexit I quite liked BoJo myself).

What they all want is more money - a bigger slice of the pie. Just like everyone else. And since Obama failed to deliver for them, they are taking a bet on Trump.

Benjamin Zephaniah said that when Johnson became mayor of London - that people behaved as if Johnson were some kind of endearing buffoon, when in fact he was a very dangerous man.

I have been wondering the same thing as the OP. People believed him because they wanted to believe him.
Reality will be different.

Of course, once right wing populism gains power, it won't be able to rely on the protest vote any more.

woowoo great post.
WLF46 - another good post
Destinysdaughter - thank you for linking to the article - it made a lot of sense

I am pretty sick of Trump and Brexit voters being lumped together as stupid racists without another thought in their heads. Such a lack of understanding of HALF the population who voted is extremely worrying.

I was not surprised by the Trump win, not at all. Not what I wanted but it remains to be seen what happens now.

How has he taken on the press? Maybe with the support of a very small and underfunded corporation who are known for their fair and honest reporting.

nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/05/why-rupert-murdoch-decided-to-support-trump.html

I'd imagine US business would not be too happy with 45% tariffs on foreign imports. It is also the polar opposite of the policies of the Conservatives. The EU wanted to bring in some tariffs on Chinese steel as a form of protectionism but the UK voted against this.