Election 2016 & Populism

The unexpected success of Trump in 2016 shows that the forces of populism have emerged again, warts and all. In 2008 Obama tapped them (thematically) with his Hope and Change campaign, but became conventional once in office. Now the torch passes to an unconventional and outsider politician with no obvious qualifications for the office.

The Trump campaign is a serious political movement, unlike Occupy and the Tea Party, with organization and leadership. The crowds are not dressed up as unicorns or 18th century patriots. Sneers, mockery, and funny pictures about him will not derail his campaign or put populism back in the bottle.

Trump probably will lose in November 2016. But the rise of populism will continue. It can help or hurt us, largely depending on how we understand its roots and respond. Populism provides an opportunity not to be squandered, since we have so few of them in these dark days. Let’s not leave it to Trump — and his probably scarier and more successful successors.

Contents

1. Setting the stage for election 2016.
2. Election 2016.
3. Predicting the outcome.
4. Explaining the results.
5. About Donald Trump.
6. About Hillary Clinton.
7. About the debates.
8. About the Anything But Issues election: smearing Trump.
9. The resurgence of populism.
10. Warning signs of fascism.
11. Authority in America: charismatic, traditional, and bureaucratic.
12. Other perspectives.

(1) Setting the stage for election 2016.

1. From March 2014: Stand by for political realignment in America!
2. Diagnosing the Eagle: Alienation.
3. The bitter fruits of our alienation from America.
4. Scary lessons for America from pre-revolutionary France.
5. Four views of America (Left & Right) showing that we’re ripe for realignment.
6. The psychopathic leaders of America.
7. The unspoken issue of the election: America’s descent into darkness.
8. Immigration to the US surges. It’s good news for Trump.
9. A guide for journalists and reformers to politics in America: A picture of America, showing a path to political reform.
10. An anthropologist looks at the narrow choices we’re offered in Campaign 2016.
11. All posts about Politics in America.
12. All posts About rising inequality & falling social mobility.
13. All posts about ideas for Reforming America: steps to new politics.

(2)  Election 2016

1. Look to the Left to see the force powering Trump and Carson.
2. The numbers about immigration that fuel Trump’s campaign.
3. New York shows how Democrat-run cities & states contribute to the rise of Trump.
4. Good news: we begin to see that we are sliding towards fascism.
5. It doesn’t matter if Trump wins. 2016 is already a revolutionary election.
6. Why the Outer Party hates Trump and will waste this opportunity for reform.
7. Journalists close their eyes as Campaign 2016 reshapes America.
8. The Left disrupts Trump’s rally. More of this might put him in the WH.
9. The Left attacks US politics by shutting down Trump’s events.
10. A briefing on the National Enquirer story about Ted Cruz’s “5 Mistresses”.
11. American politics isn’t broken. It’s working just fine for the 1%.
12. San Jose’s riot tells us about the Left, Trump, & the coming violence.
13. Taxes: one of the bright lines distinguishing Trump from Clinton.
14. Campaign 2016: America passes into new hands.
15. The best response to Campaign 2016: anger.
16. Vital advice for us about the election from Obama’s doctor — Get medical info from both candidates.
17. Matt Taibbi visits the GOP convention. We can learn from what he doesn’t see.
18. Fact-checking: useful, until it becomes politically biased trivial pursuit.
19. An anthropologist looks at the narrow choices we’re offered in Campaign 2016.

(3) Predicting the outcome

1. Forecast: Clinton will crush Trump in November.
2. An anthropologist explains why Trump will win in November.
3. The five reasons Trump will lose in November.
4. A solid leftist shows why Trump might win.
5. PollyVote gives a reliable forecast about the Election. Prepare for Hillary.
6. 2016: a historic unification election for America!

(4)  Explaining the results

1. Breaking the myths about Campaign 2016, so we can prepare for 2020.
2. Clinton lost because fear failed, and her SJW’s terrified voters.
3. Clinton’s ads show her weak strategy: purely tribal, no content.
4. Who won the election? Were the polls accurate? What lessons learned?

(5)  About Donald Trump

1. In August I wrote The Donald Trump revolution, dismissed as all revolts are in the beginning.
2. Donald Trump leads us back to the future, to the dark days of US history.
3. A New America arises, perhaps with Trump as its first leader.
4. Two scary graphs about the rise of Donald. Fear fascism. Act now.
5. Next phase of the Trump revolution: rise of the new populism.
6. Important: Trump’s hope: a recession might put him in the White House.
7. The four keys to a possible Trump victory.
8. A new survey shows Trump’s support among Democrats.
9. Important: Trump, not Sanders, is the revolutionary.
10. Another smart move by Trump. Continued blindness by Democrats.
11. Why the Outer Party hates Trump and will waste this opportunity for reform.
12. Populism carries Trump to the nomination. He’s completed 1 of 4 steps to victory.
13. Trump wins because he says some sensible things which journalists can’t conceal.
14. Trump says interesting things about foreign policy that scare our elites.
15. What Trump means by putting “America First”.
16. Prof Danner looks at “The Magic of Donald Trump”.
17. Why Trump thrives despite the news media’s attacks.
18. The hidden details of the October surprise about Trump’s “sexual assaults”.
19. The moral panic over Trump’s lewd remarks reveals much about us.

(6) About Hillary Clinton

1. Hillary runs as a populist because we’re easily fooled. Will we prove her wrong?
2. Hillary’s weakness: traditional & charismatic leaders attack her bureaucratic authority.
3. Why the Left will divorce Hillary and the new Democratic Party.
4. Hillary and the Left flirt with political violence.
5. CounterPunch shows us the heart of Clinton’s politics. It’s not pretty.
6. What to expect from Team Hillary in the White House.
7. A look at the likely foreign and domestic policies of HRC.
8. Multiculturalism & human rights will be weapons of Team Clinton.
9. Important advice for us about the election from Obama’s doctor
10. We can learn much from the stories about Hillary’s health.
11. Clinton’s ads show her weak strategy: purely tribal, no content.
12. An anthropologist screens six documentaries about Hillary Clinton.
13. Clinton lost because fear failed, and voters disliked her Social Justice Warriors.

(7)  About the debates

1. The presidential debates are performance art. They’re Kabuki.
2. Monty Python explains our presidential debates.
3. Everything you need to know about the first debate — Clinton vs. Trump.
4. Jonathan Swift explains the latest presidential debate.
5. Hidden but important truths from the presidential debate.

(8) The Anything But Issues election: smearing Donald Trump

1. Why they lose: the Left tells us that Trump is like Hitler.
2. The Left calls Trump an ‘authoritarian’, a false & futile attempt to suppress populism.
3. The Left calls Trump a fascist instead of focusing on the issues. It’s why they lose.
4. Does Donald Trump have a perverted attraction to Ivanka? Details of a smear.
5. Is Trump a tool of Putin? See the story & the debunking.
6. Did Trump have a perverted attraction to 12-year old Paris Hilton? Details of a smear.
7. The hidden details of the October surprise about Trump’s “sexual assaults”.
8. The moral panic over Trump’s lewd remarks reveals much about us — about the Arianne Zucker incident.

 

(9) The resurgence of populism

1. Next phase of the Trump revolution: rise of the new populism.
2. What the press won’t tell you about Trump and populism — See Walter Russell Mead’s famous essay about Jackson.
3. Why the Left is missing the rising populist movement.
4. Populism carries Trump to the nomination. He’s completed 1 of 4 steps to victory.
5. The Right struggles to understand Trump and populism.
6. Liberals look at Trump and populism, but see only their prejudices.
7. Trump wins because he says some sensible things which journalists can’t conceal — You must not see populism!
8. Racism is the dark side of populism. Will it divide and defeat us?
9. Populism arises amidst workers abandoned by the Left, seeking allies.
10. Professor Mark Blyth explains the real roots of Brexit & Trump.
11. A Harvard Professor explains the populist revolt against immigration & globalization.
12. Before Trump, top economist Joseph Stiglitz warned about globalization.
13. An anthropologist reminds us why Trump rose & how populism will survive his crash.
14. Populism is reshaping the West. Here’s what we can expect to get.

(10) Warning signs of fascism

See all posts about fascism, the dark next step beyond populism.

1. What will replace the Constitution in Americans’ hearts? Let’s check for Fascism.
2. Gallup warns us to prepare for fascism!
3. Americans trust the military most. 29% are ready for a coup. Ready for fascism?
4. Good news: we begin to see that we are sliding towards fascism.
5. Edward Luttwak: Why Fascism is the Wave of the Future.
6. The Left calls Trump an ‘authoritarian’, a false & futile attempt to suppress populism.
7. Why they lose: the Left tells us that Trump is like Hitler.
8. The Left calls Trump a “fascist”, ignoring the many experts who disagree.
9. America is mainlining fascism. It won’t end well for us.

(11)  Authority in America: charismatic, traditional, and bureaucratic

We have a candidate for each: Trump, Sanders, and Clinton.

1. Max Weber explains Trump 2016: we want a charismatic leader to restore America.
2. Hillary’s weakness: traditional & charismatic leaders attack her bureaucratic authority.

(12)  Other Perspectives

1. A new study shows why we’re polarized about climate change — and politics.
2. The big list of reasons why America will fall (with rebuttals).
3. Why doomster stories are so popular: we want to believe America is doomed.