interesting article....I've always said Trump's greatest accomplishment will be he got everyone talking about the government, how it runs, what the rules are and should they change. Conservatives, liberals and those in between... all of them are more vested and interested in what is going on than ever before. Now I feel it's mostly about liberal tears on the one side, but they are still learning more about Civics since they were in elementary school.
I do think people didn't realize the gravity of that election and that sucks and the impacts will be long lasting (especially in the courts) But I gotta imagine that voter turnout in 2020 will be tremendous. I'm confident it will set records. I think that will also have a great impact in all other seats of government in that election too. I know hubris...gotta watch it
three years later the pain has led to something else: A "Trumplash," a ferocious backlash against the President that's boosted progressives and weakened conservatives in several ways.
He's pushed more progressives to get involved in politics.
His denigration of women inadvertently helped inspire a record number of women running for the House in the 2018 midterms.
His immigration policies ensure that Latinos, the nation's second-largest ethnic group, now lean decisively toward the Democratic party.
Trump also helped do something else that Obama couldn't. He revived the Obama Coalition, the group of young voters, women and racial minorities that first put Obama in office.
Trump has taken away one of the most effective weapons used by racists -- plausible deniability,
Kruse told me.
"Racist policies work better when they don't seem to be racist," Kruse said. "If you could give voters in the middle some plausible deniability that this isn't about race -- 'I don't believe in segregation, I believe in neighborhood schools; it's not voter suppression, it's voter integrity' -- If you put a more positive spin on it, it invites more people in who don't see this policy as racist.
"Once the veneer comes off, a lot of people in the middle will shy away," he added. "Trump has taken away the veneer."
