We all remember the hit Mitt Romney’s campaign took when he was recorded writing off nearly half of the US electorate to a group of wealthy donors.
Well last night Donald Trump managed to top him in the realm of tone deaf political incompetence.
Responding to the suggestion that he paid no income taxes, he blurted out that it indicated that he was “smart”.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Trump essentially labeled every citizen who conscientiously pays their taxes as stupid. That this likely includes the larger portion of his own supporters as well as undecideds and independents underlines the contempt he actually has for the citizenry as a whole. In his eagerness to, once again, assert his supposed superiority, he exposed a level arrogance and ineptitude that dwarfs Romney.
Romney, whatever his shortcomings as a politician, had no reason to think what he said behind closed doors would ever come to light. Trump announced his sneering disdain for both the obligations of citizenship the population at large to a national audience of millions in the midst of a Presidential debate.
This is hubris beyond hubris.
It’s one thing to secretly believe that the voters, including ones supporting you, are suckers and rubes. It’s another thing entirely to insult them by throwing that belief in their face.
Next time you run into a Trump supporter ask them the following;
Do you pay taxes?
If they say yes tell them the following.
Then Donald Trump thinks you’re stupid and that’s what he’s counting on.
His business model is also his political model.