Trump Nation: Supporters see themselves in Republican nominee

[GMDino]

Religious, racist, repressed?

If nothing else...delusional.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/07/17/donald-trump-supporters-republican-nomination-president/87047494/

Quote:We think we know Trump Nation, perhaps from polls that show it is older and whiter, less affluent and less educated. Its denizens are not as conservative as most Republicans, and not as politically involved. And they are famously angry — with Washington,Barack Obama and political correctness.

“We’re gonna be the smart people,’’ Donald Trump told his supporters after winning the Nevada presidential caucus. “We’re not gonna be the people that get pushed around.”

But Trump Nation is more than a demographic or an attitude. To get beyond the clichés, the USA TODAY NETWORK interviewed scores of Trump supporters, some in every state, for a more nuanced understanding of who they are and why they support such an unconventional and often contradictory candidate.

It’s as much because of who they are as who he is.

For many of these Americans, voting this November will be deeply personal. Trump has aroused something inside them — often anger, frustration and fear, but also hope. Two words that recurred in interviews with his supporters were “country” and "jobs.”

In Trump, some see themselves. “Donald Trump is not politically correct, and I am not politically correct,’’ said Bill Miller, 59, of Dover, N.J.
Others see themselves as they wish they were. Trump, said Aaron Wilson, a 34-year-old New Harmony, Ind., real estate agent and auctioneer, is “saying the things that a lot of people want to say, but they can't.’’

The people of Trump Nation are ones who fly the flag, say the pledge, wish you Merry Christmas, maybe even if they don’t know whether you observe Christmas. They drive the trucks, man the sales counters, fix the plumbing. Manage billions.

Trump supporter Aaron Wilson, a 34-year-old from Indiana. (Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK)

They’re a small-town jeweler who, on his own initiative, opened a local Trump headquarters; a Florida woman who admires Trump for complaining about a Mexican-American judge because she’d be reluctant to; a baseball umpire who doesn’t believe a woman should be president; a 73-year-old Tennessee woman who finds nothing more upsetting than men in women’s restrooms — except men in women’s locker rooms.

And many are like Bill Miller, 59, of New Jersey, who complains about political correctness but has a more concrete motivation: He hopes that Trump will bring back jobs, and that he’ll get one.

Generalizing about Trump Nation, which accounts for at least 40% of the electorate, is perilous. As Trump himself said after winning the South Carolina primary, his voters were “short people, tall people. I won fat people, skinny people. I won highly educated, OK educated, and practically not educated at all. I won the evangelicals big, and I won the military.” A Pew survey also shows that the majority of Trump voters — as well as Clinton voters — view their choice as a vote against the other candidate, rather than for their own.

In these interviews, Trump supporters used the same talking points and buzz words heard repeatedly on cable television and talk radio. But deeper themes emerged:

• A feeling of being stifled — unable to speak frankly about issues like welfare, race or immigration — and thus an admiration for Trump, who does
• A nostalgia for America as it was, and a yearning for its restoration
• An aversion to the usual political cant and hypocrisy that makes Trump’s apparent candor seem a tonic
• A disdain for Hillary Clinton that makes Trump, however divisive, insulting or crude, the lesser evil

Trump is not an evangelical Christian, but he appeals to those who have repeatedly been disappointed by candidates promising crackdowns on abortion and same-sex marriage. He may not be a real conservative, but he appeals to those who have seen government grow under conservatives.

‘Nostalgia voters’

About three-quarters of Trump supporters believe life in America has gotten worse, compared to a fifth of Clinton voters, according to a Pew survey. Trump Nation reveres the past; in USA TODAY NETWORK interviews, the word “again’’ was used far more frequently by Trump’s voters than Clinton’s.

“We are going to become just another country where our government is basically the babysitter, or we’re going to become a country that shows self-sufficiency again like it did when I was a young man,’’ said Pat Acciavatti, 77, of St. Clair Township, Mich. “The country I grew up in is definitely not the country I live in.’’

Trump has converted white evangelical Protestants (72% of whom say the American way of life has changed for the worse since the ‘50s) and conservative Catholics into what Robert Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, calls “nostalgia voters.”

Evangelicals admit that a twice-divorced former casino operator who says he’s never sought God’s forgiveness is not one of them. But they’re attracted by his promise to deliver what other presidents, like George W. Bush, did not, and to win where other candidates, like Mitt Romney, lost.

“I’m a born-again Christian and a conservative and that’s kind of how I vote,’’ said Lora Hubbel, 58, of Vermillion, S.D. Trump, she conceded “doesn’t necessarily fit that bill, but the last one who did was Jimmy Carter. So, him being the second-worst president behind our current one, maybe you don’t always want what you think you want.’’ She’ll vote for Trump.

Many Trump supporters feel their religious beliefs are not respected and, in fact, violated by government decrees and court decisions, and that their right to free speech is being restricted by an excess of political correctness. As Elizabeth Lynch, an 18-year-old college student from Centennial, Colo., put it simply: “I’m extremely pro-life, so I liked what he said about protecting religious freedom and liberty.”

Those feelings intersect with those who feel betrayed by politicians and are therefore attracted by what they see as Trump’s candor.

“He doesn’t have the political jargon,’’ said Sharon Heard, 59, of Mansfield, Ohio, “If you ask him a question, he’ll answer it straight on. And even if someone is trying to dig him about something, he’ll face it: ‘Yeah, you’re right, I did do that. Next question.’ Not dance around the answer.’’

Trump supporter Sharon Heard, a 59-year-old from Ohio. (Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK)

‘More against Hillary’

Trump voters used the term “political” in interviews twice as often as Clinton supporters, and almost never positively.

“If we continue to vote for the same old governors, the same old senators, the same old politicians, we’re going to get the same old government,’’ said Roz Lesser, 71, ofCape Coral, Fla., a retired accountant. Since “it hasn’t worked with the career politicians,’’ she wants to give Trump a chance.

Government bureaucrats also draw the ire of Trump supporters. “So many people in Washington in government — gosh, you name a department in D.C., Education or whatever – they have no life experience other than being on a faculty or teaching or in an academic world that’s not real,’’ said Wayne Ryan, 68, of Alexandria, La.

More than half of Trump supporters (55%) view their vote primarily as one against Clinton; 41% view it more as a vote for Trump.
Trump supporters are so hungry for change, and so eager to stop Clinton, that they’re willing to overlook what they admit is bad behavior. “Do I wish there were other choices involved?’’ asked longtime Republican Bob Langevin, 72, of Tequesta, Fla. “I do. But I am honestly voting more against Hillary than I am for Donald Trump.’’

Trump supporter Bob Langevin, a 72-year-old from Florida. (Photo: Leah Voss, Treasure Coast Newspapers)

Erwin Jackson, 65, a Tallahassee, Fla., real estate investor, feels the same way. “When you are looking at someone who I believe is a crook,’’ he said, referring to Clinton, “versus someone who sometimes has a bad attitude, I will go with the guy who has a bad attitude any day of the week.’’

Voters are always willing to explain away the faults of candidates who touch them; Trump is no exception. “He’s had a few bankruptcies in his past, but what successful businessman hasn’t?’’ asked Dan Koehler, a 42-year-old forklift driver who lives in Petal, Miss. “You get an idea and you go with it. So hey, you made money, and if it doesn’t work, that’s what bankruptcy is for.’’

To the true believers of Trump Nation, the Republican nominee is the best sinceRonald Reagan. Stephanie Silva, 39, of Warwick, R.I., heard all the candidates during the primaries. When she heard Trump, she recalled, “it was almost as if he was speaking to me. It was almost as if he knew my family's problems.’’

About Trump Nation
Armed with white paper and Sharpies, journalists from across the USA TODAY NETWORK spoke with voters in every state to better understand who will get their vote for president this fall and why. Each person was asked to write down a short description of who they are and was photographed with that sign. The project includes audio from their interviews, as well as written excerpts of their comments. The goal: present a diverse set of voices of everyday 

[BmorePat87]

When someone says life was better in the 50's and they aren't politically correct, I just assume they hate minorities.

[GMDino]

(07-18-2016, 11:38 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: When someone says life was better in the 50's and they aren't politically correct, I just assume they hate minorities.

When they say they they:  "admires Trump for complaining about a Mexican-American judge because she’d be reluctant to"


I tend to agree with you.

[McC]

Sounds like they are the enlightened. They don't buy the nonsense about how flying the flag, saying the pledge and wishing people Merry Christmas when it's Christmas are bad things.

[GMDino]

(07-18-2016, 11:55 AM)McC Wrote: Sounds like they are the enlightened.  They don't buy the nonsense about how flying the flag, saying the pledge and wishing people Merry Christmas when it's Christmas are bad things.

Actually it sounds like they demand everyone live their way while claiming they are being discriminated against.

Kind of funny.

[*Nately120*]

(07-18-2016, 11:55 AM)McC Wrote: Sounds like they are the enlightened.  They don't buy the nonsense about how flying the flag, saying the pledge and wishing people Merry Christmas when it's Christmas are bad things.

I can't say I've been paying attention to the Clinton campaign, but is she running on a platform of "No American flags, no Pledge of Allegiance, no saying Merry Christmas" or something?

[McC]

(07-18-2016, 11:58 AM)GMDino Wrote: Actually it sounds like they demand everyone live their way while claiming they are being discriminated against.

Kind of funny.

You love painting with that broad brush, don't you?

[McC]

(07-18-2016, 12:00 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I can't say I've been paying attention to the Clinton campaign, but is she running on a platform of "No American flags, no Pledge of Allegiance, no saying Merry Christmas" or something?

Click the link.

[Belsnickel]

I never understood the whole "being proud of being born in a particular geographic location" thing. But that's just me. Also, the PoA is something I've never been a fan of. I'm just not a very nationalistic type of person. I am infatuated with the culture in certain places, like my little neck of the woods, and like in some places in Germany, but nationalism is just something that I have never understood. I am an American, why should I be proud of that when I didn't do anything to earn the title beyond being born here?

[BmorePat87]

(07-18-2016, 11:55 AM)McC Wrote: Sounds like they are the enlightened.  They don't buy the nonsense about how flying the flag, saying the pledge and wishing people Merry Christmas when it's Christmas are bad things.

Who has said that any of these are bad?

[McC]

(07-18-2016, 12:28 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Who has said that any of these are bad?

The tone of the article.  Come on.  Don't be obtuse.

[BmorePat87]

(07-18-2016, 12:37 PM)McC Wrote: The tone of the article.  Come on.  Don't be obtuse.

I always considered myself acute...

Any who, there's nothing dismissive about those in the article, the first two paint pictures of people who put importance on overly patriotic practice. The last one was "say 'Merry Christmas' even if they don't know if you celebrate Christmas". That one has to do with people getting upset over others saying "Happy Holidays". 

[*Nately120*]

(07-18-2016, 12:07 PM)McC Wrote: Click the link.

I did, and the only time the flag was mentioned was in this quote:

The people of Trump Nation are ones who fly the flag, say the pledge, wish you Merry Christmas, maybe even if they don’t know whether you observe Christmas. 

I have to admit that acting like saying Merry Christmas regardless of the beliefs/religion of the recipient of the message is a positive thing is a bit funny.  Then again, I tell people to enjoy having anal relations with their boyfriend regardless of their sexual preference, so I can hardly talk.

[McC]

(07-18-2016, 01:08 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: I always considered myself acute...

Any who, there's nothing dismissive about those in the article, the first two paint pictures of people who put importance on overly patriotic practice. The last one was "say 'Merry Christmas' even if they don't know if you celebrate Christmas". That one has to do with people getting upset over others saying "Happy Holidays". 

See, I can't see the harm in saying Merry...anything.  You name it.  It's a well wish.  How is that ever bad?

On May 5, if somebody says Happy Cinco De Mayo to me, I just say thanks, you too.  What's so hard about that?

We're just too damn sensitive now, just itching to find an insult or slight somewhere, anywhere, making big deals out of little things so we let the big things going on slide right by us.

[fredtoast]

(07-18-2016, 02:14 PM)McC Wrote: See, I can't see the harm in saying Merry...anything.  You name it.  It's a well wish.  How is that ever bad?

It is not bad. No one has ever threatened to boycott a store for saying "Merry Christmas".

The only people hyper-sensitive about this issue are the Christians nut jobs who cry about a "War on Christmas" and organize boycotts against stores that say "Happy Holidays". You know, the type of people who support Trump.

[fredtoast]

(07-18-2016, 02:14 PM)McC Wrote: We're just too damn sensitive now, just itching to find an insult or slight somewhere, anywhere, making big deals out of little things so we let the big things going on slide right by us.

Exactly.

"I am insulted that I can't call a judge racists just because he is Hispanic."

"I am insulted that I can't use derogatory racial slurs because of all this PC bullshit."

"I am insulted that I have to hear "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".

This is exactly who Trump is playing up to. Members of the powerful majority who want to cry and play the victim card.

[*Nately120*]

(07-18-2016, 02:14 PM)McC Wrote: We're just too damn sensitive now, just itching to find an insult or slight somewhere, anywhere, making big deals out of little things so we let the big things going on slide right by us.

I can agree in the fact that I think a presidential candidate gaining support because he makes a point to say "Merry Christmas" is completely insane.  

[*michaelsean*]

(07-18-2016, 12:19 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I never understood the whole "being proud of being born in a particular geographic location" thing. But that's just me. Also, the PoA is something I've never been a fan of. I'm just not a very nationalistic type of person. I am infatuated with the culture in certain places, like my little neck of the woods, and like in some places in Germany, but nationalism is just something that I have never understood. I am an American, why should I be proud of that when I didn't do anything to earn the title beyond being born here?

Commie

[Belsnickel]

(07-18-2016, 08:19 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Commie

Yeah, I'm surprised it took that long for someone to say it.

[*Nately120*]

(07-18-2016, 12:19 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I never understood the whole "being proud of being born in a particular geographic location" thing. But that's just me. Also, the PoA is something I've never been a fan of. I'm just not a very nationalistic type of person. I am infatuated with the culture in certain places, like my little neck of the woods, and like in some places in Germany, but nationalism is just something that I have never understood. I am an American, why should I be proud of that when I didn't do anything to earn the title beyond being born here?

I'm proud to be all the amazing things I ended up being through no effort of my own!