Quote
What does worry me is what [ed. Trump] started
I disagree.

I don't believe Trump started the movement. So let's take a look at the history behind it.

The MAGA group is primarily motivated by immigration issues (and the associated racist issues) i.e. whites versus colored folks. First words out of Trump's mouth were aliens crossing southern border. First issue of interest for MAGA's is immigration. So if the first thing these folks think about is how superior they are to colored folks, it is an implicit admission they are authoritarians. So the question is, did Trump start the movement?

I'll go back to the racist block of southern Democrats prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1965. This block of voters became disenchanted with the Democrat Party as the northern Democrats voted for the bill. The Republican Party despite the fact they voted for the bill decided to seduce this group of disaffected voters to the Republican Party with advertisements of their concerns solely for these voters vis a vis all voters in the South. Thus began the migration of Democrat voters to the Republican Party.

So if you look at the context of their political history it becomes clear this is the foundation for MAGA. Add the additional influences of the NRA in the late 70's and the rise of Gingrich in late 80's, and finally the formation of the propaganda arm of the Republican Party with Fox News in the 90's, we see a full complement for the theoretical basis of MAGA.

Trump has some media savvy, and he took advantage of the skepticism of big government, and and largely cynical bigotry of these formerly disaffected Democrat voters. These folks are simple minded and suffer from political paranoia. People not "them" are out to get them and they believe they are superior to the "others".

Republicans for the most part have ignored the MAGA group and simply provided a shill for them, tacitly condoning their bigotry by denying they are bigots. These establishment Republicans have long known who the MAGA were and are but couldn't allow non-Republicans to consider the Republican base were bigots. Trump was the first to recognize how much power these folks had in the party and simply tapped into it.

This is the reason I argue that unless and until one of Trump's opponents openly endorses MAGA for what they are, Trump will win nomination. And let me quote this ....
Originally Posted by Trump
you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.

Trump should scare everyone. You know what he is and you know what he wants. The MAGA has laid the foundation for a giuoco piano coup. From the local levels of government to state offices to federal government and now we have allies of the failed coup buying residential areas 2 blocks from the Capitol. If you were planning another coup, the board pieces are in place, simply waiting for the right time to move.


ignorance is the enemy
without equality there is no liberty
America can survive bad policy, but not destruction of our Democratic institutions