A drive around our neighborhood treats the driver to the sight of many "Trump 2020" signs. Our neck of the woods even enjoys the ironic proclamation of Trump-supporting flags subtitled "Stop the Bull**it." (I am thankful that I've not yet had to explain that phrase to my inquisitive young children--but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they read it and ask.)
The plethora of local support for the incumbent president makes me reflect on the desires of voters who have a radically different political perspective than I. In light of the number of false statements made by the incumbent president, it occurs to me that his supporters do not view honesty and integrity as a necessary virtue in a presidential candidate. In light of the president's misogyny, it seems to me that decency, kindness, and respect (not to mention desiring justice for women generally) are not important for his supporters. And for dyed-in-the-wool Republicans, the incumbent president shouldn't have high appeal.
So why vote for Trump? We all vote for reasons that seem good to us. There must be good reasons for seeking his reelection in November.
The simple "not a Democrat" rationale seems initially appealing, but for the drawbacks listed above. A Republican (or anyone else) who respects the value of our constitutional democracy would, I think, be appalled at these toxic characteristics of the incumbent president. The effect of his presidency has not, I think, proven anything about the value of the Republican party or platform over the Democratic one. All it has done, I think, is spread a maelstrom of political damage and destruction--
And at this point in my reflections my present hypothesis surfaced. I hypothesize that the main positive motivation for support of our incumbent president is a desire for political destruction. The call to "drain the swamp" has come to mean "cripple the federal system by whatever means possible, even if those means are themselves awful." The Republican goal, in Trump, has transformed from "limited government" to "hobbled government so dysfunctional that it can't even organize itself to interfere in state and local affairs." Similar to the "any port in a storm" adage, perhaps Trump supporters feel that there exists no reasonable hope to reform the federal government. The solution? Cause it to collapse from the inside by electing someone who will, through malice and incompetence, cause the system to seize up.
We all have complex motivations for our political leanings. But I submit this "executive demolition" motivation as a driving force for those supporting the incumbent president in his upcoming reelection bid. My next wondering is whether the president senses this desire from his base. If so, then his reelection could mean an even more intense and distasteful second term. Could he permanently cripple the executive branch?
~ emrys