Can we turn to our 'better angels' after this election?
Lincoln was speaking for history, not to the South. He was dealing with a hopeless situation. Trump voters are in two groups - die hard Republicans and economically disadvantaged men. Trump is the personification of the Prosperity Gospel. His followers want to believe in Trump and themselves. They don't want help from the government, which they think is something that only welfare mothers get. If you want to believe something, evidence to the contrary is disregarded.
People who read the New York Times know that Trump is a two-bit hustler, but the Times is not a credible source for Trump voters. Older Trump voters believe Nixon got a raw deal and the younger ones do not even know who Nixon was.
For whatever reason, Schumer and Schiff thought that election interference (which did not happen this year) was impeachable. Trump voters did not think so. If they had made a case on where Trump was getting his money (Russia), they might have had a shot. They are reaping what they sewed.
Trump's prosecution by Vance may convince some of Trump voters, but only the seizing of Trump assets by his creditors will convince them that Trump was no billionaire - he was simply an heir with billions, all of which went down the crapper.
Losing faith in Trump will not bind the wounds of the nation. Protectionism has now been discredited by Trump - it turns out the neo-liberals were right about free trade. Arguments about global warming will not help bring Trump voters back in. They need to see bold action, not marginal change. Old men like Biden and McConnell, whether they agree or put on the normal show, are not really capable of such things. The usual suspects have nothing to say. Time to look elsewhere.
When Trump is off the stage, Trumpism goes away.
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