Donald Trump and the Hate Contingent

Donald Trump is a racist, xenophobic bigot; but so is one third of the Republican Party. Donald Trump has said disgusting things about women. Donald Trump has supported a black lives matter protest of being beaten up at one of his rallies. Donald Trump has made unbelievably racist comments about Mexicans being rapists and murderers. Donald Trump has mocked the physical impairment of a disabled reporter. With outrageous comments that are reminiscent of America from 50 years ago Donald Trump has received a surge in the polls at every turn. Now we have Trump lambasting all Muslims as terrorists. He would ban all Muslims from entering the country. He would place all Muslim Americans unders surveillance. Really America, what's next?.. Concentration camps for whatever ethnic or minority group Trump decides to hate next? 

Perhaps a better question would be what is the Republican Party going to do next. Donald Trump has a solid constituency of a about a third of the Republican Party that is just as racist and xenophobic as he is. Sure it's mostly the deep South, but the Republican Party has aligned itself with the racists and the bigots of the South for decades in order to win elections. The hate contingent, as I have dubbed them, has been a reliable voting block for Republicans in recent years. Can the GOP rebuff Trump, the hate contingent, and still have a party left?

Chris Christie has called Trump's recent comments 'ridiculous'.  Jeb Bush recently regarded Trump as 'unhinged'. Lindsey Graham called out Trump on CNN's New Day as a 'religious bigot' who should 'go to hell'. Paul Ryan joined the chorus against Trump, saying his comments 'are not who we are as a party'. Really? Just his Muslim comments? What about his well documented comments on Blacks, Jews, women, and Hispanics? The GOP is at war with itself; and I'm not sure which side is going to win.

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Donald Trump is a GOP wrecking ball

Donald Trump is a GOP wrecking ball. Armed with a pocket full of cash and a mouth full of Fox News talking points, the pseudo-populist has run away with the GOP base. His anecdotal, GOP dogma is plucked right from the Fox air waves and the Rush radio transmissions; and it's irresistible to GOP base voters who are particularly predisposed to 'facts' that match their idealogical world view.

To those of us paying attention, there is no mystery why Trump was climbing in the poles. It's the same reason why Fox News is atop the ratings. His musings sound sweet to the ears of the neo-confederate GOPers who are extremely uncomfortable with the progress of the last 50 years in the United States. The voters to whom Trump speaks aren't particularly religious. They aren't fiscally conservative. These are people who are alarmed by the idea of a Black President. Obama can't possibly be competent to them. The base voters consisting largely of middle and lower income whites, find the idea of minorities living high on the hog from minimum wage and welfare objectionable--even if it's not true. The browning of America and influx of Hispanic immigrants represent a threat to their concept of the good ol' U.S. of A. Trump's 'build a wall' rhetoric hits home for these folks. It's as if Fox News and Rush Limbaugh had a baby that decided to run for office.

Pair the base predilections with Trump's brand of bravado and reality TV media presence, and we have one hell of a GOP candidate. Trump's message: "I'm rich. I'm smart. I'm never wrong. I'm not a bigot, I'm just not PC." It's scoring home runs, and he has laid waste to "establishment" candidates.
Trump on Bush: he's "weak on immigration"
Trump on Graham: he's an "idiot" and "a stiff"
Trump on McCain: he's "totally about open borders" and "I like people who weren't captured"
Trump on Perry: "He's got the glasses"
Trump on Rubio: he's "weak on immigration" and "weak on jobs"
The Democrats couldn't pay for this kind of negative GOP press. The only thing better would be if he manages to hang in there long enough for the first debate and hurl insults at the other contenders on national TV for an hour. Did Trump slip up by insulting McCain's service and war record. Perhaps, but even that is debatable. If anything, his recent comments may unite the other contenders for a combined attack; but even then, Ted Cruz is lurking in the shadows to pick up his leavings. It's all very interesting, and hilarious. As 2016's Ross Perot, Trump is poised to wreak enough havoc to send a severely handicapped GOP representative to battle the Democratic nominee. In my view, the only thing that could possibly trip up Trump in a major way is if he lies on the federal disclosure form. We all know how he likes to exaggerate his net worth. Personally, I hope he hangs in there for the debates so America can here loudly what the GOP base really thinks and how repugnant it is in the light of day. I suppose we'll all just have to wait and see; but I'm just the average Black man, and that's my 2cts.

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