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To the editor:
It’s been suggested that Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris were weak candidates and poor campaigners. I don’t disagree. While not the best the Democrats could have offered, both were head-and–shoulders above the man who beat them — Donald Trump.
Forget pundits and Monday morning quarterbacks; re-watch the 2016 and 2024 presidential debates. Can anyone honestly say Trump outshined Clinton or Harris? MAGA voters enthusiastically chose Trump — despite his character flaws and campaign blunders.
Was Trump a better candidate or campaigner than John Kasich in the 2016 GOP primaries? MAGA voters thought so, giving Trump 9.7 million more votes than Kasich. In 2024, Trump didn’t even bother to campaign against Nikki Haley, an eminently better choice, and still beat her by 12.6 million votes. I doubt a reincarnated JFK would’ve received a single MAGA vote in 2016 or 2024.
Trump succeeded where others failed because he appealed to voters’ fears rather than their hopes. Joseph McCarthy, an alcoholic, second-rate GOP senator realized the political power of fear, gaining national attention and working-class voter support by falsely claiming Communists had infiltrated post-WWII American society.
William F. Buckley Jr. built upon McCarthy’s “Red Scare,” adding the “Black Scare.” In 1957, Buckley wielded his “blog,” the National Review, to eloquently and speciously argue “Why the South Must Prevail” in its battle to deny Black Americans voting rights and integrated schools.
The cornerstones McCarthy and Buckley laid comprise the foundation of today’s MAGA movement. Painting Democrats as “socialists” and “woke” still serve to keep the fires of fear burning. Trump’s “Immigrant” and “Cultural Replacement” scares (DEI, migrant crime wave, critical race theory, etc.) round out his MAGA political machine. As Richard Nixon noted “People react to fear, not love. They don’t teach you that in Sunday School — but it’s true.”
Joseph Cannisi
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Word Man
Depending on your political ideology, Trump is either the best or the worst president in modern times. However, that’s not the most crucial aspect. What truly matters is that individuals educate themselves about the campaign issues and solutions presented by the Democrats and Republicans. They should also consider which candidate best aligns with their views and offers solutions to the challenges that Americans face today.
Let’s be honest, both Democrats and Republicans campaign on the basis of fear, doom, and gloom, and scapegoating. The reason Trump is in the White House is simply because he is the most effective demagogue. If you listen to past presidential debates, both Democrats and Republicans can become creative when spewing forth their impassioned demagoguery.
Tuesday, August 26 Report this
reenjoe
It turns out the fears Democrats expressed - a backslide into authoritarianism - were real.
While the fears Trump pushed - migrant crime waves, the erosion of merit due to DEI and CRT brainwashing America's children - were all FALSE!
Thursday, August 28 Report this
Word Man
Remember, reenroe, that the only thing you should fear is fear itself, accompanied by a mischievous elf in a red suit and a red scarf, who wanders through dimly lit apartment corridors, regaling you with tales of political intrigue involving Mr. Trump and the MAGA movement, while the elf’s protégé serenades you with “ The Impossible Dream.”
Friday, August 29 Report this
reenjoe
Nonsensical comments like Word Man's latest involving "a mischievous elf" make having a serious debate impossible.
Friday, August 29 Report this
Word Man
Look beyond the obvious realities of life, and you’ll enter a spiritual realm that transcends the mundane world and its close-mindedness. The mundane world encompasses the visualization of thoughts and ideas that have been deeply ingrained in the human mind for countless centuries. These ideas have permeated the very fabric of the human psyche, as evident in the societal constraints that hinder human enlightenment and the metaphysical perspective on life. Akin to a solar eclipse blocking the sun’s rays from penetrating the darkness of outer space, close-mindedness prevents humanity from fully realizing its unlimited potential and fostering peace on Earth.
My post can be considered transcendental writing with a touch of parody. It focuses on human enlightenment as a continuous, inward journey of self-discovery and inner growth.
Monday, September 1 Report this