Why do so many of my fellow citizens like and support Donald Trump? I have worked on this puzzle off and on for the last seven years.
The little I get from MAGA friends is indirect, by inference. That’s because we want to remain friends, and we have agreed to make discussion of Trumpian politics taboo.
But I read articles and listen to Trump supporters on TV. When my Trump pieces are published in The Spy, I save dissenting comments to a Word log that I continue to build – anything that will add another piece to the puzzle.
As an engineer, I have a propensity for analysis, and I know that to understand any difficult problem, especially one involving human views, I must be as objective as I can be. With that in mind, in this piece I take the position of trying to see Trump through the eyes of a MAGA person.
I decided to present my analysis in the form of a top ten list of reasons to like Donald Trump. Note that this list is a compilation of inputs, not all held by every supporter. As with most top-whatever lists, the order will be from least to most important. The order is rather arbitrary, my thinking at this moment. That is, except for Reason #1, which all my data says is deserving of that exalted position. Try to restrain yourself and not skip ahead.
Okay, here goes.
Reason #10 – His physical appearance is attractive. He is tall, large, white, and, though a little overweight, appears physically fit for his age. He is not skinny or obese. He is always well-groomed. He looks good in well-tailored suits. He looks “presidential”, especially beside other world leaders.
Reason #9 – He was good at foreign policy. It was America First, and he called out our NATO partners for not contributing their fair share. He knew how to control authoritarian leaders through a combination of flattery and fear. He admires Vladimir Putin because (a) he is a powerful leader and (b) he helped the right American candidate win in 2016.
Reason #8 – He is an astute communicator. He understands the symbolism of our flag and the Bible. He was quick to grasp the power of Twitter in talking directly to his audience, bypassing the filter of liberal media. Overall, his writing is succinct and not atrocious. It’s never hard to get his meaning. His speech is easy to understand; he doesn’t mumble, slur or stutter.
Reason #7 – He is good for business and our economy. He worked diligently for America. He lowered our personal taxes and excessive taxes on corporations. He was not given enough time to prove that the “trickle down” economics of Reagan and Bush Sr can actually work. He was trying to drain the DC swamp.
Reason #6 – He defends American values and conservative principles. He is a patriot. He wants to return us to a time when America was respected, when certain types of people were less vocal, disruptive, and knew their place. He defends our borders from illegal intruders. He is good at exposing conspiracies against the US (vaccines, deep state rigging of our elections, big pharma, climate change, green energy, and witch-hunters). He agrees with Bobby Kennedy Jr who exposed Dr. Fauci as one who pushed the covid hoax for his own enrichment.
Reason #5 – He is tough, a strongman, an alpha-male with a certain charisma. He is not too nice (think Jimmy Carter). He is a street fighter. If you hit him, he will hit back twice as hard. He knows how to stick it to wokey liberals who play identity politics. He knows how to demean his political opponents by giving them memorable nicknames. Let a criticism go unanswered? Nope. Admit he’s wrong? Never.
Reason #4 – He is sincere. What liberals call lies, he truly believes are not lies. He is not faking it when he says things that seem to have no basis of fact or evidential support. In his mind, these things are true, and I believe that in most cases he is at least partly right. You can trust that he won’t discard you as long as you stay loyal to him.
Reason #3 – He is resolute. He exudes strength of purpose and self-confidence. He is committed to what he believes in. He is not a flip-flopper. He does not equivocate.
Reason #2. He is useful. He works tirelessly to promote long-term conservative principles. He won’t allow liberals to take my guns away. He is pro-life. He appointed dedicated conservative judges. Though he may have a few personal flaws (no one is perfect), the ends justify the means. He is not a liberal, a progressive, or a Democrat.
Reason #1 – He tells me what I want to hear. “Covid will be over by Easter, like a miracle,” and “If re-elected I will end the Ukraine war in 24 hours” are examples.
To explain Reason #1, I am morphing from MAGA avatar back to me. There are two human qualities at work here. The first is that people don’t want to hear bad news, so a potential leader who bears bad tidings will have a hard time getting elected in a democratic society. Al Gore’s “inconvenient truth” of climate change was a good example. The second is “confirmation bias”. People want to believe that which reinforces what they already hold. Thus, MAGA folks are predisposed to believe what Donald trump expounds.
Couple these qualities in a political system where folks are forced to choose (in practical terms) between two less-than-perfect (I’m being kind) candidates, and it helps me understand why so many of my fellow citizens prefer Donald Trump.
Bob Moores retired from Black & Decker/DeWalt in 1999 after 36 years. He was the Director of Cordless Product Development at the time. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University
Jeff Barron says
This is satire from some clever liberal, right?
Donald L. Singleton says
Analysis? Did this guy design the sub that just imploded?
Matt LaMotte says
If you fact check #’s 1 – 10, you’ll find some glaring inaccuracies in them all. But, they reflect an arguable point of view. A cursory check on Trump in Google produced the following, in no particular order:
1. You Live in a Deluded Reality
2. You Are Obsessed with Power & Control
3. You Take Advantage of & Use Other People
4. You Have No Moral Boundaries
5. You Have a Limited Range of Emotions
6. You Have a Huge Discard Pile
7. You Become Hostile When Threatened
8. You Feed Off of Negative Energy
9. You Get Bored Easily
10. You Are Empty Inside
thom sevco says
You hit the nail on the head.
Barbara Denton says
Thanks, Matt. A perfect description of Joe Biden.
Nancy Haviland Fish says
Is this a joke?
Anne Stalfort says
Wow! I was laughing while reading this as I assumed it was suppose to be funny.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Why?
The guy got nearly half the vote for President of the United States in 2020, and he is the leading candidate by far so far for the GOP presidential nominee next the go round in 1994.
So what’s so funny? And who’s delusional?
Mary S. De Shields says
“He wants to return us to a time when America was respected, when certain types of people were less vocal, disruptive, and knew their place.”
A shockingly clear and appalling statement of classism and racism. It’s so very sad that many refuse to believe “that all men were created equal”.
Barbara Denton says
Inferring that Donald Trump is racist is definitely Dem misinformation. If any president we have had in recent years believes all men were created equal it is Donald Trump. Your comments are disgusting.
Michael Pullen says
This is a joke, right?
Jerry McConnell says
Mr Moores and the Spy editors know that a follow up to this article is needed. Publishing nonsense without an explanation is not appropriate, even in a casual, lighthearted newsletter.
Rebecca Ellison says
What a waste of everyone’s time ….
James Wilson says
Please add this as #11, his latest claim to superiority “I am a legitimate person.” I am not making this one up.
Alan Boisvert says
This is NOT even remotely funny. Trump is a moron, the fact that this piece was even published speaks volumes for the Spy. Shame on you.
Patrick Hornberger says
assuming this is no joke – Look no further than Moores’ last item,#10, where he states a reason to like Trump is: he (Trump) is tall, large, and WHITE. Note “white” is a significant reason for Moores’adoration of Trump. There is no reason to read or consider Moores’ rant beyond that.
Bob Moores says
I can see that I should have been more explicit in the preamble that I would be speaking in the Top 10 list as if I am a Trump supporter, not me.
In this piece I had four objectives.
1) Present actual data I have found by the means I described.
2) Present those findings in a satirical, tongue-in-cheek, backhanded-compliment fashion.
3) Subtly urge Trumpers to think deeply about the values their support reveals about themselves.
4) A fishing expedition to see how many Trumpers would reply.
I can see why those who don’t know me well would be puzzled. My daughter, who does know me well, thought the piece was “hilarious”.
Okay, I admit the devil made me do it, but in these times, can’t I be a little semi-serious once in a while?
Bob
Barbara Denton says
I would put Donald Trump’s IQ up against yours any time you want to try. If you want to find a moron look in the mirror.
This comment is for Alan Boisvert.
Barbara Perry says
Bob, Glad you explained it for those who apparently don’t know how to read what you wrote as to how you came up with your list. Sadly people only see (and apparently only read) what they want. It amazes me how many people believe in him and think he is good for this country and cares about them and the United States when in fact he only cares about himself. Thanks for a very good piece.
Robert Sommerlatte says
I thought you were writing a piece trying to understand what many of us struggle with – how do friends of many years and presumed shared values continue support an individual who in his own words and documented action, violate principles of decency and honesty that has been the basis of our friendship for years? He represents nothing remotely similar to the values and behaviors of folks I have known and loved. As an example, how do they overlook or justify behavior toward women as he stated in the Access Hollywood tapes. Those of us with Mothers, wives, and daughters would never talk about them or act toward them in this way. His attitude and behavior toward women was again confirmed with his conviction in E Jean Carroll’s case where his sexual abuse and defamation of her was adjudicated. Somehow the prurient material on Hunter’s laptop is offered as justification for TFG. Shifting the discussion like that doesn’t explain how one supports behavior in direct conflict with one’s own values and interests. I struggle daily trying to unpack the thinking of my friends who continue to support tfg. They not only defend this behavior but multiple other examples of bad behavior, up to and including his crowning achievement, the big lie, that drove an insurrection. We used to call folks who lived in an alternative reality, crazy. I don’t think these friends are but I would like to have an alternative theory of the case.
Chris S. says
If you guys think this is bad, even Trumps former is getting in trouble. Read more about the story here https://snip.ly/wjnxg3