Why and what is MAGA?

[Always in His Presence]

I am suspect about any movement that promises leading me to greatness whilst its leader wears a trucker's cap with a suit and a tie past the beltline. I mean if you can't master the basics about male fashion, what can you do for me really?

 

[Always in His Presence]

When they talk about those old days I feel like they are saying they are opining for segregation. You know back when people knew how to stay in their place, gays were in the closet, no race mixing, women stayed at home and dad would give you a wallop if you got out of line. WHen women were women and men wore hats.

In those days - it was the Democrats openly supporting such things. So much of an embarrassment to the Party that they had to come up with a modern day fairy tale of the party's flipping.

 

[Fantine]

One aspect of MAGA is isolationism.

Let's look at that economically. Trump promises that if we abandon NAFTA, CAFTA and other trade agreements that factories will move back to the U.S. and we will all have chickens in every pots and abundant jobs. It's not that simple. First of all, when factories move back and rebuild they add technology and robotics that eliminates many jobs. The factory comes back, the jobs don't. Secondly, NAFTA has raised the standard of living in Mexico--and Mexicans aren't immigrating here. Central Americans are, because they have not yet benefited with a higher standard of living. If we had never had NAFTA our immigration situation would be more unmanageable. NAFTA had good effects and bad effects.

To say that economic isolationism would change things back to how they were is unrealistic.

Similarly with climate change and the Paris Agreement. So what if China isn't addressing climate change as quickly as the U.S. would like. Will our thumbing our noses at them and saying, "We have the right to produce just as many greenhouse gases as you, nah-nah-nah-nah!" help? It's called "global warming" (and ocean warming is the biggest contributor to our problems) for a reason! Every country has to do as much as possible and if we do nothing in a fit of pique we are making the situation worse...

 

[GreekOrthodox]

To say that economic isolationism would change things back to how they were is unrealistic.

Heck I've worked for an Israeli company in Boston. A global economy is a mixed bag.

Second, when it come to manufacturing, for example, EV battery plants here, the US still does not have a lot of those raw materials within our borders. We'd still have to deal with other countries for them.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

One way was Trump made it easier to not feel guilt for holding to Christian beliefs.

Sounds good for Christians. Why were they feeling guilty about their beliefs and what was it about Donald Trump that he eased this guilt they were feeling?

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Sir, that is clearly a baseball cap, not a trucker hat.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Sounds good for Christians. Why were they feeling guilty about their beliefs and what was it about Donald Trump that he eased this guilt they were feeling?

Beats me. Never felt guilty about being Christian.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

In those days - it was the Democrats openly supporting such things. So much of an embarrassment to the Party that they had to come up with a modern day fairy tale of the party's flipping.

I don't know why you keep bringing this up like it's some sort of "gotcha".

 

[Always in His Presence]

Sir, that is clearly a baseball cap, not a trucker hat.

Put MAGA on it and it is identical.

 

[Always in His Presence]

I don't know why you keep bringing this up like it's some sort of "gotcha".

Nope - just pointing out the truth of history.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Put MAGA on it and it is identical.

I had hoped that my use of a winky face would convey the fact that I wasn't being serious. Apparently not.

Nope - just pointing out the truth of history.

Ah, so just posting off-topic then.

 

[Eloy Craft]

Sounds good for Christians. Why were they feeling guilty about their beliefs and what was it about Donald Trump that he eased this guilt they were feeling?

Certain behaviors considered immoral in the mind of a Christian, were deemed good in the prevailing mindset of the west. Those who are intolerant of Christian values and Christians themselves were emboldened by what seemed a permanent position on the moral high ground.Then President Trump happened.

 

[seeking.IAM]

If Donald Trump is seen as embodiment of the moral high ground, both Christianity and the country are in a serious state of disrepair.

 

[Mark.E]

A peasant revolt within the GOP. It was stifled by the worst kinds of people swarming to Trump and his kids to give him the worst advice in office, but the "Spirit of '16" remained.

 

[Eloy Craft]

If Donald Trump is seen as embodiment of the moral high ground, both Christianity and the country are in a serious state of disrepair.

That's some serious snobbery. Just the right amount of condescension.
Not to mention that's an artful twist of meaning and clever use of it to exercise righteous condescension.

 

[Occams Barber]

One way was Trump made it easier to not feel guilt for holding to Christian beliefs.

You live in what is easily the most Christian nation in the Western world, apart from Greece.

Given the predominance of Christianity, why would you feel guilt about holding Christian beliefs?

Given the predominance of Christianity, is it possible that Christianity is part of the problem?

Religious commitment by country and age | Pew Research Center

OB

 

[Goonie]

You live in what is easily the most Christian nation in the Western world, apart from Greece.

Given the predominance of Christianity, why would you feel guilt about holding Christian beliefs?

Given the predominance of Christianity, is it possible that Christianity is part of the problem?

Religious commitment by country and age | Pew Research Center

OB

The Vatican says hi.

 

[Occams Barber]

The Vatican says hi.

The Vatican always seems to miss out on Pew religiosity surveys. Gallup doesn't include them either. Even Barna seems to ignore them.

The Pope oughta complain.

OB

 

[essentialsaltes]

In those days - it was the Democrats openly supporting such things. So much of an embarrassment to the Party that they had to come up with a modern day fairy tale of the party's flipping.

Are you suggesting the Democratic Party still supports segregation and gay people staying closeted?

If not, then the party changing its position is not a fairy tale.

 

[rturner76]

In those days - it was the Democrats openly supporting such things. So much of an embarrassment to the Party that they had to come up with a modern day fairy tale of the party's flipping.

They actually did. Check your history.
Most Americans have heard the story of the “Southern strategy”: The Republican Party, in the wake of the civil rights movement, decided to court Southern white voters by capitalizing on their racial fears. Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater first wielded this strategy in 1964 and Richard Nixon perfected it in 1968 and 1972, turning the solidly Democratic South into a bastion of Republicanism.
WaPo article explains how it took time but it worked.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/07/26/what-we-get-wrong-about-southern-strategy/

Also a wiki about it
Southern strategy - Wikipedia.


HISTORY.COM says:
In this video clip from Ask Steve, the Southern Strategy is explained. It was the republican party's successful plan of getting the white southern population to shift their views from democratic to republican. Up until the Civil War, the southern population was almost entirely democratic, but with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 their views quickly became republican.
Video here
Ask Steve: Southern Strategy