I can’t help thinking about my old days spent at that great bar, the Bombay Bicycle Club in San Antonio, TX. In particular, I had in mind a couple of the regular characters I met there. Bernie, The Jewish Cowboy Boots Salesman; while I believe he was, somewhat surprisingly from Texas, he had a New York vibe; that is, he had a brash, in your face, arrogance. Maybe it was because his brother was a professional ticket scalper that Bernie always acted as if he had an edge or inside information. Another regular who was very close to my heart was George The Phone Man. He was a charming rascal, always looking for a good meal and to avoid work. He would describe to me his latest meal in detailed delight, much like the custom house official described by Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter. George really was from New York. Because I actually knew them, and not just the persona they projected onto the world, I liked both of them very much, especially George. He tried to keep it hidden, but George was a very kind and considerate human being.
Before Our Very Eyes,...
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These characters from my past come to mind when I think about Donald Trump. I always thought of Trump as arrogant and vulgar. Why must he put his own name on everything? I was never inclined to vote for him, as I am not inclined to ever vote for anyone. But a little investigation of Trump and an underlying kindness and concern for others becomes apparent. For example, see this article about his employees, Longtime Trump employee: Mar-a-Lago culture would have led many to commit crimes. From the article, “A longtime employee of Donald Trump, who testified before a grand jury in the case involving the former president’s handling of classified documents, described a culture of loyalty around Trump that drives people toward extreme lengths to protect him.” I think Trump actually likes people. He likes the people who vote for him (Did Trump Say, ‘I Love the Poorly Educated’?). He seems to like the people who probably did not vote for him like these people in Harlem, Massive Crowd Greets Trump as He Visits NYC Bodega. He liked some of his opponents like Ben Carson. He might even like foreign leaders who do not bow down to US hegemony (Trump former advisers sound the alarm that he praises despots in private and on the campaign trail). The attorney Robert Barnes says Trump is a nice guy but wants to look strong. This is how he can be tough in a debate and especially in a negotiation . . . the art of the deal.
The Heritage of the South
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Despite what I have presented here, the Democratic party and the media describe Trump as a purveyor of The Politics of Hate. Yet it is leading Democrats that seem to me to exhibit hate, or at least disgust, for the typical flyover country, MAGA Republicans. For example, it was Hillary Clinton who called Trump supporters “deplorables.” Also consider Vice-President Harris, it appears nobody wants to work for her, Harris’s Personnel Problem: Over 90 Percent of VP’s Staff Left in Last Three Years. In my experience that rate of turnover would likely occur for a boss who does not respect her employees. It is chilling to think how she will treat those voters who do not choose her.
I am not a Trump fanboy, but it seems to me that Trump practices a politics of like. Calling it a politics of hate is more a case, as Barnes often says, of confession through projection by the Democrats.
