I really encourage people to look at it from the opposite angle. What does that older gentleman dislike so much about the status quo that he’d rather engage in strenuous mental gymnastics than accept it? I don’t claim to have the one true answer, but I bet you can identify a couple plausible ones.
I agree with your sentiment. It is just hard for me to comprehend how a billionaire who's shown time and time again he cares little for normal folks, can have such an impact on their perception. His cabinet was filled with billionaires with country club membership. This is easily accessible info. Normal folks would rather elect those who deny them entry to that club, because of how they feel about the status quo. Not sure how this is the answer. I bet if their social security was cut in half, they would see it as a force of good because Trump said so. Amazing really. If that's not a cult of personality, I don't know what is
One of the important factors in Trump’s rise is that he’s the first Republican leader in decades who doesn’t talk about cutting Social Security. Not talking about it doesn’t mean it can’t happen, of course, and I personally think there’s reason for concern. But it’s a big shift. Matt Yglesias calls it “unhinged moderation”, and I think that’s basically correct; imagine telling someone in 2004 or even 2014 that a Republican would appoint a gay Treasury secretary.
A gay Treasury secretary is not much surprising and even less substantial.
Bush before 2004 with little controversy appointed several gay people. By 2014 moderate Republicans accepted gay soldiers and civil unions. Trump's 1st administration argued gay people could be fired for being gay. And failed to persuade 2 of 5 Republicans on the Supreme Court
