So I have had two really interesting conversations in the last week that led me to want to post this on here.
First conversation - I have a friend who is a Republican California Congressman. We have had many conversations over the last couple of years but I wanted to talk to him after these Cohen hearings. He is in no way, shape or form a Trump fan. He really can't stand him and he talks like that is far more common amongst Republicans than it is not. He is not what I would consider part of any "Establishment elite". He grew up leading worship at his church, he went to a private Christian University and he started his political career as a young Mayor of a small rural California town. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and so much of his distaste for Trump has to do with the discourse that exists...and he feels Trump has amplified it to a maximum degree.
Second conversation - Another friend who is an entrepreneur/small business owner. He is far more a libertarian than anything else and wouldn't even call himself a Republican. But he usually votes that way. Like the other, he loathes Donald Trump. His reasons are a little more practical in nature. As a libertarian, he hates the tariffs that Trump has placed on so many goods/companies that he believes has taken away their ability to use free enterprise, etc. He has a laundry list of things that he has disagreed with (and some he has liked).
If you asked both of these two, they would prefer any Republican to Hillary.
But, both of them have talked many times about what they consider "the greater good". My libertarian friend is certainly worried about the freedoms that he believes are being challenged by the left. But he is even more worried about what has become of the political system, balances of power, and more than anything...the wealthy (and very much includes Trump in this) dominating legislature.
My congressman friend is worried about many things as well. Maybe more than anything he believes America works best when the two parties can compromise and meet in the middle. And he believes that even though that was trending in the wrong direction before Trump...that after Trump it has been "obliterated".
Both of these two guys are incredibly intelligent. Both successful. One is from California and the other is from the Midwest.
All of that background to lead to the question I posed to both of them:
Trump has a 90% approval rating amongst Republicans. This is astounding. It is higher than Reagan and both Bush's. 90%. Of course, his approval rating overall for his entire term (on average) is the lowest of any President in decades. But most Republicans love him.
And now I am quoting one of them:
"Not to be trite, but Trump said during his campaign he could shoot someone in Times Square and no one would care {my comment: his actual quote was "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody...and I would not lose any voters"}. We (Republicans) all brushed it off as hyperbole. Just Trump being Trump. But I am watching this Cohen thing, and I am reading blogs and twitter. And I swear, I think he really could. I think Fox News would spin it as an example of Trump standing for the 2nd amendment. Look, Cohen is a dirtbag. Everyone knows that. He's a liar. I know it. You know it. The Republicans know it. And the Democrats know it. But that is really the point isn't it? Trump had a scumbag that everyone hates as his 2nd guy for a decade. Just think about that. All of these guys who have been indicted. They were all Trump's guys. You would have to be a complete moron not to know that most of this is true. But yet, I watch Fox, I read blogs, I follow people on twitter...and everyone just defends the guy. Everyone just says 'Cohen is a liar' and just drops it. Even the Republican members just sat up there and didn't ask one question to find out if any of it was actually true. This is about the President of the United States breaking serious laws. And all I keep reading is that "Hillary did too". I ground my kids for a week when they use that as an excuse. And I seriously...honestly wonder...what would he have to do for Republicans and/or Fox News to not approve? And I genuinely don't know that answer."
And I wonder as well. For a moment...forget what any other politician has done. Just make it about Trump.
What would he have to do for Republicans in large to not approve. His February approval rating is at 43%. Reagan's was at 40% at this same stage.
What would it take for Trump's 90% amongst Republicans to drop?
Bookmarks