Quote Originally Posted by Burney View Post
I do find it quite extraordinary that the bien-pensant types all agree that Trump's election speaks of a horribly divided USA in which disunity, mutual resentment, racial division and political polarisation are at a particular high, etc, etc, but no-one ever follows through and suggests that maybe some of the blame can be laid at the feet of the guy who was running the place for the 8 years.

So you agree the place is a mess, but the bloke who was in charge while it became a mess gets a free pass? It's bizarre.
I think his victory speaks of an economic division, particularly geographically, that has grown hugely in the last decade, for obvious reasons. He exploited this by discussing the types of solutions the political mainstream wouldn't touch because it involves tariffs, bashing climate change etc etc...... those issues helped him hugely and were a significant part of the victory.

The populist stuff (Mexicans, the wall etc) is politically divisive but I doubt it involved anybody actually changing their mind. He gave a voice to the 'silent majority' and the rest reacted the way they always do, with unabashed fury.