Trump supporters come in all shapes and sizes. Many are hard core. A few are tentative. Some are energized by his aggression and belligerence. Others are resigned to it and somewhat regretful, but supporting him due to an alignment on cultural issues, however recently minted. In this category resides a number of evangelicals, but there are other religious conservatives with a more genuine or full embrace of Trump.
It's easy for us – and indeed for many folks who are more neutral than we are – to recognize the moral vacuum and corrosive entity known as Trump. The drip, drip, drip of awful, over many months, has been registered and integrated into our activist psyches. For that very reason – being a political junkie who notices things large and small – it becomes difficult to relate to someone who hasn't come to the same general conclusions, which, for us, rest on constantly expanding piles of intricately entwined nastiness.
It can lead to a kind of stunned silence … like "Really, this is a question for you?" or "Wait, you don't see that?"
At the moment of recoil, it may be difficult to bring to mind the better examples that clearly prove your point. With such an entwined mass – a big Trump dump – where do you begin?
This question may have some value, I think. Most Trumpeters are hard core, but others are mere prospective votes at this point, and may feel kind of queasy about it. Some revel in the hate and division, while others occupy social and cultural places that perhaps point them in conservative directions, perhaps against Hillary, without being quite sure Trump belongs in the White House. Some may be in a place of soft opposition to Trump, but could lean the other way by election day. More than a few may be wavering right now, influenced by the multiple tragic events of the last weeks. Those things are being digested right now, and Trump and his surrogates have an opportunity to speak to them starting tonight.
Is it a useful exercise, then, to sort through the Trump pile for the ugliest nuggets? If you can list the three worst things Trump has said or done, that becomes more difficult to counter than if you pull out whatever comes to your mind at that moment. Better if you can name five. Talking about a couple may come off as "this stuck in my craw" or "these are some gaffes he made", which of course all politicians do. Five gives more of the impression of a pattern.
I propose this as a Kos project, if Kossacks are willing to accept it. Compile the Trump ugliness and find some sort of semi-rational order … with the understanding, of course, that it’s always partly subjective. Come up with a Top Ten list, from which folks could pick out five or so that they think have the most meaning or impact.
Below, I will toss out a few possibilities. Feel free to post more in the comments, and I will add to the table.
If you have any supporting links, or recommendations for pithy verbiage, please also share.
Finally, suggest what to you makes the most sensible rankings. I'll move things up or down the list accordingly. Low numbers on the list are “uglier” than higher numbers.
Thanks for your help. And sorry to make you wade through the muck!
Update:
Thanks to commenters for the input. JerryNA points out that the anecdotes you pull out should be tailored to the audience. E.g., grandma may dislike Trump’s potty mouth, but young folks not so much. That’s good advice.
I did do some initial sifting of the list, trying to highlight the worst of the bunch. #1 and #2 are both entirely unique in a presidential contest and deeply troubling. #3 is pretty weird, and carries the unsettling sense of Trump’s self-image of a dictator-to-be … which is also unique and as scary as any of these items. It also builds on #1 … dictators being the people who have their supporters beat up on regime opponents. #4 makes it personal for economically struggling Americans. #5 may work in the final slot, as something that might be snickered at if it went first or second, but once Trump’s darker tendencies are established, it can reinforce just how odd he is … that he would do that, and indeed that he didn’t express regret afterwards.
All that said, several of the others are quite tempting candidates for the top five. Not sure these five are really the worst.
.
Top Ten Reasons Trump is an Asshole
Incident |
Notes |
Rank |
Multiple incidents of inciting violence at his rallies. |
It helps to flesh this one out … how he did this … how unique and bizarre it is, continuing even after called on it. We have a lot of violence going on now. Are we actually going to pick a president who encourages his supporters to beat up on opponents? |
1 |
Making fun of a reporter's disability. |
This might be the most obvious moment of pure heartless cruelty on his part. If you believe that’s what he’s doing — and the vast majority of those who see it do — then Trump is one vicious dude. |
2 |
Affection for dictators. |
In particular, ones not friendly to the US — Putin, Kim Jong Un, China (with the Tiananmin massacre). |
3 |
Pattern of not paying his contractors |
Forcing regular Americans in small business to court to try to get paid. Bankrupting them. Doesn’t believe in leading his team to financial success, but in getting out with his money before the roof falls in. Also doesn’t really believe manufacturers should stay in the U.S. |
4 |
Talking about his penis on the presidential debate stage. |
First presidential candidate to talk about his penis on a debate stage, cameras rolling … quite a few families watching out there in their living rooms. |
5 |
Insisting that the Muslim community in America knows of terrorist attacks before they happen. |
This got less attention than a lot of other things on this list, but for my money it's among the very worst. Making the 3 million American Muslims out to be enemies is scary and dangerous on several levels. |
|
Bankruptcies |
His businesses failed, but he stuck investors with the losses. |
|
Hoping for a housing market collapse. |
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"Blood coming out of her … wherever." |
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Claiming charitable contributions he did not make. |
Dovetails with the tax issue.
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Potty-mouth |
People sometimes go to rallies with their families – so there are children there. His language may be worse than you're aware of. Hillary struck directly at this one with a recent ad. |
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The nicknames |
His apparent need to insult and humiliate opponents, and even supporters. |
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Not releasing his taxes. |
This should be more offensive than perhaps it is, for many people. Chances are decent that he’s hiding something major. |
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Retweeting white supremacists. |
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Most dishonest politician. |
Politifact’s current stats have 76% of his statements being Mostly False, False, or Pants-on-Fire. |
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Lying about his wealth. |
Virtually nobody who’s looked at it believes $10 billion. Estimates range from a few hundred million to a few billion. Is this why he’s hiding his taxes? |
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Cutting off medical coverage for his sick nephew. |
I don’t think many know about this. |
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Impersonating his publicist |
… to rave about his success and many simultaneous girlfriends. |
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Threatening his opponent with jail. |
Says he’ll put his AG on Hillary, that “she has to go to jail.” This is the politics of a third world country. |
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Fraud trial for Trump University. |
Calling the judge in his civil trial “a Mexican”, though he’s an American who grew up in Indiana. Claiming he’s not fit because of his heritage. |
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