Lack of Insight

For John, BLUF:  The MSM still doesn't understand why people support Mr Trump, and lack the introspection to learn.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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To paraphrase former US Representative Barney Frank, from what planet is New Yorker writer Mr David Remnick. "American Demagogue" He blames Mr Trump on the Republican Gray Beards, on the Tea Party, on anything but the American Intelligentsia.

Here is the final paragraph:

The G.O.P. establishment may be in a state of meltdown, but this process of exploiting the darkest American undercurrents began with Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy and, more lately, has included the birther movement and the Obama Derangement Syndrome.  Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who compete hard for the most extreme positions in conservatism, decry the viciousness and the vacuousness of Trump, but they started out by deferring to him––and now they ape his vulgarity in a last-ditch effort to keep pace.  Insults.  Bigotry.  Nationally televised assurances of adequate genital dimensions. This is the political moment in which we live.  The Republican Party, having spent years courting the basest impulses in American political culture, now sees the writing on the wall.  It reads “Donald Trump,” in very big letters.

The only thing Mr Remnick♠ misses is that those of us not part of the ruling elite think of the bien-pensant as vicious and vacuous, as ego inflated and unwilling to see or allow for other points of view.  They have slammed the door on the rest of us and we, frankly, think they are no longer our guiding lights.  Once upon a time we looked to those staid gentlemen from the Northeast, Ivy League educated, as having great insights.  But, times have changed.  The elite is no longer what it was, and what it had been turned out to be not as good as we thought it was.

As an example, while Mr Remnick sees bigotry♥ in the response of Americans to the San Berdoo shootings, the rest of us see and understand due awareness of a new threat.  Having gazed at Paris, twice attacked, we are cautious.  Our betters in the elite see the risk as small and not near their front door.  Sure, Mr Trump said suspend receipt of refugees from Syria until we have a handle on who is coming in.  That only makes sense to many people in these United States.  Actually, I suspect we have a good handle on it but the Current Administration has been unable to articulate what is really going on.  I don't feel informed.  I hear "just trust us".  Not likely.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  I did a cut and past of his name from the article and the spell checker changed it to "Redneck".  What can I say.  Maybe the machines are smarter than the folks using the keyboard.
♥  Some people use racism in this case, but that is ignorant.  It is a religion, not a race, and only a part of that religion.  The idea that awareness equates to bigotry seems strange to me.