Little Spoon Diaries

The practical lessons that were taught by Donald Trump’s defeat of Hillary Clinton are important as well. The data demonstrate that Trump did not win because of a national backlash from the “white working class.” Instead, Trump benefited from a geographically specific statistical fluke, combined with voter suppression and relatively low Democratic voter turnout. The so-called “white working class” vote is a type of unicorn or Great White Whale for the Democratic Party. Moving forward, the party’s resources and energy are better spent by mobilizing its base and refining its message than in obsessively trying to win the support of a substantial but declining segment of the population that has become solidly Republican.   There is a sickness in America’s political culture. It was brought about by systemic problems rooted in neoliberalism, the politics of economic austerity, a frayed and broken social contract, and an assault on the very notion of political community and civil society. The ascendance of Donald Trump is a symptom of these troubles, but not the cause.   Ultimately, however, Donald Trump’s voters made a moral decision. They chose to support a candidate who is a clear and present danger to American democracy and to the core values of our pluralistic, multicultural and cosmopolitan society. In the spirit of “personal responsibility,” these people must be held accountable for their decision.   In a perfect world, Trump’s voters would prostrate themselves in public and apologize for their decision to support him. This will not happen.   Trump’s voters could also look at the wealthiest cabinet ever assembled, his betrayal — which is already evident — of his promises to “drain the swamp” and his obvious lack of the preparation and temperament necessary to be the leader of the free world, and admit that they were wrong. Again, this will not happen. When confronted by the facts, Trump’s voters, as a reflection of the Dunning-Kruger effect and the phenomenon known as “information backfire,” will simply redouble their investment in their hero.