They sort of tried to blend in, camouflage, they rolled along with it, and in fits and starts they threw tantrums about not being allowed to say the (bigoted) things on their mind without being made to feel wrong or looked down on for it.
Then along came Trump and so many of these muted bullies, racists, misogynists, and homophones saw that someone could sa6 those things publicly and not only not be shouted down, but also gain support.
They rallied behind the big bully, because even though he hits them too and takes their lunch money, he makes them feel accepted for their bigotry instead of chastened. Not to mention, they now have a big public banner for their different tribalistic hatreds, a large group that can differ in individual views but generally doesn’t cast aspersions over belittling and dehumanizing people. The club doesn’t all have to agree on anything except that voicing your hateful feelings is acceptable or even admirable.
All of this is stuff that’s been stirring for so long, and of course Trump is just the person who managed to light the fire without getting buried for it. Yet here he is, wielding the power to enrich himself and his cohort, protect himself from punishment for his many past and present crimes, and have people hang off his every word on the planet’s biggest stage. What more could a greedy, narcissistic rapist want?
They sort of tried to blend in, camouflage, they rolled along with it, and in fits and starts they threw tantrums about not being allowed to say the (bigoted) things on their mind without being made to feel wrong or looked down on for it.
Then along came Trump and so many of these muted bullies, racists, misogynists, and homophones saw that someone could sa6 those things publicly and not only not be shouted down, but also gain support.
They rallied behind the big bully, because even though he hits them too and takes their lunch money, he makes them feel accepted for their bigotry instead of chastened. Not to mention, they now have a big public banner for their different tribalistic hatreds, a large group that can differ in individual views but generally doesn’t cast aspersions over belittling and dehumanizing people. The club doesn’t all have to agree on anything except that voicing your hateful feelings is acceptable or even admirable.
All of this is stuff that’s been stirring for so long, and of course Trump is just the person who managed to light the fire without getting buried for it. Yet here he is, wielding the power to enrich himself and his cohort, protect himself from punishment for his many past and present crimes, and have people hang off his every word on the planet’s biggest stage. What more could a greedy, narcissistic rapist want?