The Trump Type

I always get a kick out of articles that speculate on Trump's mental state. Is he a madman? Insane? Unhinged? An evil genius? In the final stage of terminal syphilis? Okay, I made that last one up. I'm amused at these articles, because evidently, his type of human being is completely outside the daily experience of the authors, so, they assume he must be a person of unique, beyond-the-pale attributes.

As for me, someone who lives and works in the middle of Trump country, the only way I can imagine not having met someone like him is if you spend every waking hour engaged in some combination of working from home; working for a liberal newspaper; working for a liberal magazine; or drinking expensive coffee drinks in a cafe in an upscale urban neighborhood. Because if you've ever worked in a normal public or private sector job, or played on a recreational-league softball team, or been to any sporting event, or if you have family, or if you have friends, then you have to have met some Trump types at some point.

They typically are men, white, Republican, have some college, and work at jobs that require talent in being both a salesman and a con man: fields such as insurance, real estate, financial investments.  Now these are legal professions to be sure, but the most successful practitioners often seem to be those who blur the boundaries between lawful practice and scams. And, sometimes, the most successful are individuals who cross the line completely into illegality but are clever enough not to get caught, or if they do get caught, are able to escape punishment.

These individuals, like Trump, tend to provide well for their families, even though the ability to do so primarily comes at the expense of victims of their cons. And, also, like Trump, their success and ability to sell themselves can result in a large contingent of friends and acquaintances hanging around them, usually including some who have been conned by them, but value being part of the group too much to leave.

Based upon my observations from the heart of Trumpland, if any one of these numerous Trump-type individuals were to be elected president, we would have much the same administration as we have now. There would be the same ignorance of anything outside the president's area of expertise - namely selling and conning; the same lack of principles, ethics, and anything resembling a coherent world view or personal philosophy; the same lack of empathy for anyone other than family members; the same disdain for anyone who doesn't contribute to the president's personal wealth; the same willingness to lie, cheat, and steal from anyone and everyone; and the same lack of self awareness that there is anything wrong with any of this behavior.

That one of these Trump-types was elected President of the United States says less about Trump than it does about those who voted for him. Just as they voted for Bush Junior because he seemed to be  like them, the kind of guy you could have a beer with, they voted for, and continue to support, Trump because he, too, is like them. Smart people vote for smart candidates. Honest people vote for honest candidates. Compassionate people vote for compassionate candidates. On the other hand, dumb people vote for dumb candidates. Racist people vote for racist candidates. Deplorable people vote for deplorable candidates who take advantage of them more than any other group. Unfortunately, the rest of us must pay for their stupidity right along with them.

There are no morals more relative than conservative morals, and no hypocrisy quite like conservative hypocrisy.



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