Yes, Trump is racist, xenophobic, an alleged serial rapist, and all around detestable human being. These things are of zero doubt to any reasonable person. And of course, most of us here are perfectly reasonable people.
Trump also remains blindingly, stubbornly popular with a bulk of the Republican electorate. Hillary was right when she called these die-hard Trumpers “deplorables,” and in hindsight she may have not done herself any favors by trying to distance herself from that perfectly appropriate adjective. There is indeed a throbbing vein of angry racism that runs through that crowd, along with a disturbing brand of nationalism masquerading as patriotism.
But I don’t think that’s why Trump remains popular with the 35-40% of his loyalists.
He remains popular among this certain segment of America because he is viewed as STRONG and ENTERTAINING. And Democrats need to vehemently correct the record in that regard.
For a frightening number of Americans, characteristics such as empathy, compassion, and loving one’s neighbor are seen as weakness. The concept that “we’re all in this together” is met my frantic cries of socialism! When we scream “that's racist!" these people laugh, thinking they have "triggered the liberals” once again. When Trump tweets, the same comments that strike horror on you and I are viewed as “refreshing” and “funny” and “that’s why we like him!" by his cult followers. In short, they view him as a leader for the very same reasons we view him as a complete and dismal failure.
To counter this, Democrats would do well, I submit, to paint Trump as WEAK.
A person who locks children in cages is WEAK.
A man who cozies up to dictators is WEAK.
A man who sexually preys on women is WEAK.
A man who repeatedly lies is WEAK.
A man who changes his mind on world events according to the latest comment from Fox & Friends is WEAK.
A man who cannot keep people from fleeing his administration is WEAK.
A man who spends his free time golfing instead of meeting with soldiers is WEAK.
A bully like Trump is not strong. Bullies are WEAK and COWARDLY.
And none of his antics and behaviors are funny. His shtick is old, it’s run its course.
You make Trump beatable in 2020 by making him unacceptable. And while his palpable racist and sexist core in a perfect world should exclude Donald Trump from any serious re-election talk, I fear that alone won’t get the job done today any more than it worked in 2016.
You make Trump unacceptable by making him look WEAK. You make him unacceptable by breaking the mystique — rampant, I think, among elected Republicans who dare not cross him — that Trump is a deeply flawed but strong man. Remember what Republicans and Fox News did to Hillary in 2016? Among other things, they floated conspiracies that her mental and physical health were in jeopardy. They weakened her; they took the one big thing she had going for her — her toughness — and hit her hard.
You make Trump look weak by not fearing him, and you make him weak by not reacting to every horrible thing the man does — because that’s what Trump wants. When he makes us jump, he wins.
By calling out Trump for his weakness, Democrats elevate ourselves into the superior position of true strength. And voters like strength.
Trump is a cowardly weenie. And he needs to be called that repeatedly.