… As he nears 100 days in the White House, Mr. Trump has demonstrated that while he won office on a populist message, he has not consistently governed that way. He rails against elites, including politicians, judges, environmentalists, Hollywood stars and the news media. But he has stocked his administration […] Read more »
Racism motivated Trump voters more than authoritarianism
During the 2016 presidential campaign, many observers wondered exactly what motivated voters most: Was it income? Authoritarianism? Racial attitudes? Let the analyses begin. Last week, the widely respected 2016 American National Election Study was released, sending political scientists into a flurry of data modeling and chart making. … Below, I’ll […] Read more »
Donald Trump’s election flips both parties’ views of the economy
Having Donald Trump in the White House has had a revolutionary effect on the economic outlook of Wisconsin’s most partisan voters, recent polling suggests. In a flash, it has turned Republicans into rosy optimists and Democrats into dour pessimists, reversing the mood of voters in both parties. You probably didn’t […] Read more »
Trump’s populist revolution is already over — for now
Not yet 100 days into Donald Trump’s presidency, the populist revolution he seemed to promise is already over — at least for now. Two weeks of head-spinning policy reversals have put Trump squarely inside the chalk lines of conventional Republican conservatism on both economics and foreign affairs. CONT. Doyle McManus, […] Read more »
Donald Trump’s Tilt Toward Convention
As Donald Trump jettisons his “America First” campaign promises at an accelerating pace, the populist nationalist political movement that roared into power with him is beginning to resemble a paper tiger. Trump’s march to the GOP nomination last spring demonstrated there’s a substantial audience within the party’s rank and file—particularly […] Read more »
I Thought I Understood the American Right. Trump Proved Me Wrong.
… Trump’s campaign was surreal and an intellectual embarrassment, and political experts of all stripes told us he could never become president. … Historians, of course, are not called upon to be seers. Our professional canons warn us against presentism — we are supposed to weigh the evidence of the […] Read more »