In Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary 2,197 of our Newton residents voted for Donald Trump.
I don’t want to believe that means at least 2,197 of our fellow Newton neighbors approve of labeling Mexicans rapists, approve of mocking the disabled, support a ban to keep Muslims from entering our country, think its disgusting when a woman goes to the bathroom, or approve of pandering to white supremacists.
So what does it mean?
@Ggreg Reibman
They watch too much bad TV?
@Ggreg Reibman
They watch too much bad TV?
Interesting – and how many people voted in total in Newton? It makes the % more interesting. Also, do we have voting details by village / voting place?
Interesting – and how many people voted in total in Newton? It makes the % more interesting. Also, do we have voting details by village / voting place?
I suggest reading politico.com a magazine that speaks of a study at U.Mass that argues that the only significant trait that differentiates voters for Trump from the rest of the population is authoritarianism magnified by fear.
I suggest reading politico.com a magazine that speaks of a study at U.Mass that argues that the only significant trait that differentiates voters for Trump from the rest of the population is authoritarianism magnified by fear.
It is so sad and scary
It is so sad and scary
F.A. Day Middle School has a principal who habitually sweeps anti-Semitic hate crimes under the rug. Newton has bigger fish to fry than how many residents voted for Donald Trump.
F.A. Day Middle School has a principal who habitually sweeps anti-Semitic hate crimes under the rug. Newton has bigger fish to fry than how many residents voted for Donald Trump.
As Donald Trump runs for President on the premise that America isn’t great, the fact that I graduated from law school proves otherwise. We’ve got many issues that need fixing, but as I’ve said before, any country that gives a kid born to a teenaged single mom with a middle school education living on welfare and in public housing the opportunities necessary to earn a doctorate is a special place.
As Donald Trump runs for President on the premise that America isn’t great, the fact that I graduated from law school proves otherwise. We’ve got many issues that need fixing, but as I’ve said before, any country that gives a kid born to a teenaged single mom with a middle school education living on welfare and in public housing the opportunities necessary to earn a doctorate is a special place.
I don’t know. . . . but I find the title of this thread upsetting. . . . . . to start, I am NOT a Trump supporter. However, the man was on the ballot, and he has filed all the paperwork necessary to be on the ballot. Every voter gets to cast his/her own ballot, and I am shocked to find so many Newton voters support him, however that is their right to do . . . . . . of course, I will also have to plan for if Trump is elected.
I am concerned for every Muslim in this country. . . . to me, he sounds exactly as Hitler did in Nazi Germany. Instead of Righteous Christians saving the Jewish citizens, we are going to have Righteous Christians and Jews hiding Muslims that have every right to live in this country legally. There are criminals in every denomination in this country (White, Black, Purple, Jews, Christians and Muslims) and to single ONE group of people smells just like Hitler.
So while I hold the same opinion of Trump as Greg, the title of this thread is not my favorite title. . . . of course it is Greg’s right to post it, and luckily in this country I can disagree with someone, and still not be a criminal – yet.
@Newton Mom: I am concerned for everybody in this country who isn’t white, Christian and male.
I don’t know. . . . but I find the title of this thread upsetting. . . . . . to start, I am NOT a Trump supporter. However, the man was on the ballot, and he has filed all the paperwork necessary to be on the ballot. Every voter gets to cast his/her own ballot, and I am shocked to find so many Newton voters support him, however that is their right to do . . . . . . of course, I will also have to plan for if Trump is elected.
I am concerned for every Muslim in this country. . . . to me, he sounds exactly as Hitler did in Nazi Germany. Instead of Righteous Christians saving the Jewish citizens, we are going to have Righteous Christians and Jews hiding Muslims that have every right to live in this country legally. There are criminals in every denomination in this country (White, Black, Purple, Jews, Christians and Muslims) and to single ONE group of people smells just like Hitler.
So while I hold the same opinion of Trump as Greg, the title of this thread is not my favorite title. . . . of course it is Greg’s right to post it, and luckily in this country I can disagree with someone, and still not be a criminal – yet.
@Newton Mom: I am concerned for everybody in this country who isn’t white, Christian and male.
So, Newton Mom, what would be your favorite title? 2,197 Newton residents exercise right to vote for racist demagogue? It’s not the title I find upsetting, but the facts.
So, Newton Mom, what would be your favorite title? 2,197 Newton residents exercise right to vote for racist demagogue? It’s not the title I find upsetting, but the facts.
Title sounds fine to me. It is stating an unsettling fact, but a fact nonetheless.
Title sounds fine to me. It is stating an unsettling fact, but a fact nonetheless.
My first introduction to the rhetoric of the right – of which Trump is wholly part, and was created by – came from a newspaper columnist who spent years ranting and raving about ‘political correctness’ and ‘homosexual agendas.’
I was a sad and lonely gay kid, his words demeaned me and libeled me and my community. He wrote of activists prowling our schools on “a sacred mission to indoctrinate and expose as many students as possible to their gay agenda,” and referred to safe zones for queer kids as a “peculiar fixation…out of the mainstream…an obsession with all things gay.” He said Jen Price was only hired as principal of Newton North because she was gay (for Jeff Young was, of course, “obsessed with hiring gay personnel.”) To quote: “Newton gay activists and educators have for over a decade tried to impose their agenda on our school system.” In that same column, he mocked the idea that a transgender principal (the horror!) might be hired by the far-off year of 2013. When children were given an age-appropriate book about two male penguins raising an unwanted chick in Lexington, he called that book a deviation from “a normal school in a normal environment.” In fact, people ripped down GSA posters. In fact, I was bullied for being gay. In fact, “safe zones” and gay teachers saved my life.
His name is Tom Mountain, and right now he runs the Republican Party in Newton. He ran for School Committee a couple years back and won over 4700 votes.
So nope, not surprised. At the votes, or the rhetoric, or the party from which they come.
My first introduction to the rhetoric of the right – of which Trump is wholly part, and was created by – came from a newspaper columnist who spent years ranting and raving about ‘political correctness’ and ‘homosexual agendas.’
I was a sad and lonely gay kid, his words demeaned me and libeled me and my community. He wrote of activists prowling our schools on “a sacred mission to indoctrinate and expose as many students as possible to their gay agenda,” and referred to safe zones for queer kids as a “peculiar fixation…out of the mainstream…an obsession with all things gay.” He said Jen Price was only hired as principal of Newton North because she was gay (for Jeff Young was, of course, “obsessed with hiring gay personnel.”) To quote: “Newton gay activists and educators have for over a decade tried to impose their agenda on our school system.” In that same column, he mocked the idea that a transgender principal (the horror!) might be hired by the far-off year of 2013. When children were given an age-appropriate book about two male penguins raising an unwanted chick in Lexington, he called that book a deviation from “a normal school in a normal environment.” In fact, people ripped down GSA posters. In fact, I was bullied for being gay. In fact, “safe zones” and gay teachers saved my life.
His name is Tom Mountain, and right now he runs the Republican Party in Newton. He ran for School Committee a couple years back and won over 4700 votes.
So nope, not surprised. At the votes, or the rhetoric, or the party from which they come.
I’m not sure anyone has read any of the articles on “authoritarianism” that have emerged, recently. The phenomena is explained more by focusing on the individual, reacting to their perception of social and economic change, rather than attributing it to the “strong leader,” who is exploiting it. In other words, the theory would imply that it’s not the candidate’s “policies” that are popular, it’s that his supporters are in need of a tone that channels their emotional response to said change.
http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism
I don’t know if it’s the correct explanation, or if it is limited to Trump. But it is interesting in that it would suggest that it is fear, rather than “anger” fueling the current political zeitgeist.
I’m not sure anyone has read any of the articles on “authoritarianism” that have emerged, recently. The phenomena is explained more by focusing on the individual, reacting to their perception of social and economic change, rather than attributing it to the “strong leader,” who is exploiting it. In other words, the theory would imply that it’s not the candidate’s “policies” that are popular, it’s that his supporters are in need of a tone that channels their emotional response to said change.
http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism
I don’t know if it’s the correct explanation, or if it is limited to Trump. But it is interesting in that it would suggest that it is fear, rather than “anger” fueling the current political zeitgeist.
@Bill: Thanks for the vox.com reference. I suggested the article above from politico that also talks about the weird trait that describes Trump supporters, differentiating them from the rest of the electorate:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533
(I don’t know if that link is live, but you can copy and paste it into your browser to see the article.)
When certain people feel frightened or threatened, they are much more likely to look for “knights in shining armor” or demagogues to protect them and keep them from harm. I think NewtonMom is right. It was those people in Germany who allowed the rise of the Third Reich.
Trump may not be Hitler…but there is no way for an informed voter to tell that. “We will make America Great Again” he says. Platitudes are easy to swallow and don’t have price-tags to show that they may be unrealistic foaming at the mouth.
But the biggest mistake we can make is underestimating Trump. He is savvy and shrewd, a graduate of Wharton, even more impressive than Harvard for its production of roll up your sleeves business leaders who can read balance sheets, understand the footnotes on company Annual Reports and create and maintain successful businesses. He started out with Daddy’s money, but didn’t just spend it. He grew it into an empire from one of the most competitive real estate stages in the country. He has dealt with politicians and, likely also, criminals. Successfully.
By the way, he announced an Affordable Healthcare alternative last night. I believe that, aside from his suggestion to abolish the “individual mandate” to buy healthcare coverage, a mandate necessary to support the economic viability of a sustainable healthcare system, it is not crazy and is worthy of consideration for debate, as our current costs of the Affordable Healthcare Act explode. We can certainly learn some things from him. But we should be very wary of voting for him.
@ Ben Miller: the social platform of the right is the main reason that I became an unenrolled voter and have distanced myself from the Republican Party. I am, however, not happy with the Dems and their costly ultra progressive activism either!
Where are all the sane moderates in the world when you need them?
@Bill: Thanks for the vox.com reference. I suggested the article above from politico that also talks about the weird trait that describes Trump supporters, differentiating them from the rest of the electorate:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533
(I don’t know if that link is live, but you can copy and paste it into your browser to see the article.)
When certain people feel frightened or threatened, they are much more likely to look for “knights in shining armor” or demagogues to protect them and keep them from harm. I think NewtonMom is right. It was those people in Germany who allowed the rise of the Third Reich.
Trump may not be Hitler…but there is no way for an informed voter to tell that. “We will make America Great Again” he says. Platitudes are easy to swallow and don’t have price-tags to show that they may be unrealistic foaming at the mouth.
But the biggest mistake we can make is underestimating Trump. He is savvy and shrewd, a graduate of Wharton, even more impressive than Harvard for its production of roll up your sleeves business leaders who can read balance sheets, understand the footnotes on company Annual Reports and create and maintain successful businesses. He started out with Daddy’s money, but didn’t just spend it. He grew it into an empire from one of the most competitive real estate stages in the country. He has dealt with politicians and, likely also, criminals. Successfully.
By the way, he announced an Affordable Healthcare alternative last night. I believe that, aside from his suggestion to abolish the “individual mandate” to buy healthcare coverage, a mandate necessary to support the economic viability of a sustainable healthcare system, it is not crazy and is worthy of consideration for debate, as our current costs of the Affordable Healthcare Act explode. We can certainly learn some things from him. But we should be very wary of voting for him.
@ Ben Miller: the social platform of the right is the main reason that I became an unenrolled voter and have distanced myself from the Republican Party. I am, however, not happy with the Dems and their costly ultra progressive activism either!
Where are all the sane moderates in the world when you need them?
Sallee: Whoops. Didn’t see that up there. It’s fascinating stuff, and pretty much concludes that the two-party political alignment is not only over, but has been. And it’s the best explanation I’ve seen for the current dynamics. You might want to start with the link in Sallee’s post. The Vox article is much longer, but it provides data for the wonks.
Sallee: Whoops. Didn’t see that up there. It’s fascinating stuff, and pretty much concludes that the two-party political alignment is not only over, but has been. And it’s the best explanation I’ve seen for the current dynamics. You might want to start with the link in Sallee’s post. The Vox article is much longer, but it provides data for the wonks.
Ben Miller, not sure if you are the same Ben Miller that was a student representative on the School Committee while you were in high school in Newton, but if you are, I just wanted to thank you and tell you that we haven’t had such an intelligent, thoughtful, well spoken student rep since your graduated. Thanks for your contribution to Village 14 today.
Ben Miller, not sure if you are the same Ben Miller that was a student representative on the School Committee while you were in high school in Newton, but if you are, I just wanted to thank you and tell you that we haven’t had such an intelligent, thoughtful, well spoken student rep since your graduated. Thanks for your contribution to Village 14 today.
@jo-louise: it’s me. and thanks so much! Those years were a very interesting and informative view at the functioning of a certain kind of system.
Also, feel I should report I got an email from Josh Norman yesterday (where on earth does he find the time) telling me that Tom Mountain was nice to some Log Cabin Republicans once, and has “moderated a lot”. A quick google shows he’s still in favor of banning all Muslim immigrants and tourists; an unhinged and bigoted idea that plays right into ISIS’ plan to divide the West and moderate Islam. On my assessment of his character, rhetoric, and ideas I remain un-moved.
@jo-louise: it’s me. and thanks so much! Those years were a very interesting and informative view at the functioning of a certain kind of system.
Also, feel I should report I got an email from Josh Norman yesterday (where on earth does he find the time) telling me that Tom Mountain was nice to some Log Cabin Republicans once, and has “moderated a lot”. A quick google shows he’s still in favor of banning all Muslim immigrants and tourists; an unhinged and bigoted idea that plays right into ISIS’ plan to divide the West and moderate Islam. On my assessment of his character, rhetoric, and ideas I remain un-moved.