Why Do Liberals Hate Trump? (Part One)

Let’s notice something significant: Donald Trump is the most liberal Republican nominee since . . . well, it’s really hard to tell: Maybe Tom Dewey? In any case, recall that Trump embraces many positions popular with major factions of the Democratic Party coalition, such as trade and entitlement spending (Medicare and Social Security), and the Iraq War. He probably favors single-payer health care, and his conversion on abortion seems insincere. Why do liberals hate him so much more than previous Republican nominees (though having used up their vocabulary saying every previous Republican was literally Hitler redux, they have nowhere new to go with Trump)? Immigration is one major area where Trump departs from liberal orthodoxy, and that’s probably enough for liberals and their media toadies to run the racist drill.

One reason (and there are many, which is why this will be a series) is simply that he threatens to blow up the conventional interest group alignments, and this terrifies the establishment of both parties, but especially the liberals. But beyond immigration, Trump is showing signs that he’s not going to play by the conventional playbook of the Republican defensive crouch on race, and this should terrify liberals. Take this spot, which came out this morning:

More of this, please.

POSTSCRIPT: Even The Nation magazine agrees, back in February:

Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote

. . . What have the Clintons done to earn such devotion [from black voters]? Did they take extreme political risks to defend the rights of African Americans? Did they courageously stand up to right-wing demagoguery about black communities? Did they help usher in a new era of hope and prosperity for neighborhoods devastated by deindustrialization, globalization, and the disappearance of work?

No. Quite the opposite.

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