Trump supporters are often characterized as non-educated whites. Surely some are educated. Do his educated supporters resent the implication? I don't see any contradiction of the description. Why?

It doesn't take a lot of education to know that if you're among those doing most of the work, the paying and hauling of the water, you can tell when you're getting screwed royally. That doesn't require a college education. I'm college educated and I've probably forgotten more about uneducated whites than most of the elitists in the country could know. I was born into that group.

Such statistics are just part of the game. When a left wing politician gets blue collar, less educated support, it's spun as a wonderful example of the downtrodden masses rising up to "fight the power". Who on the right would dare to opening suggest they're just ignorant "uneducated" fools? When a right wing politician gets some blue collar support, shameless liberal elitism follows.

In the U.S. everyone gets an education. Information is more available than ever before. Anyone who can read has access to that information. I think the idea that college education is necessary to be an informed voter is elitist nonsense.

I studied Molecular Biology at university. They taught me a lot about Molecular Biology and nothing about the world. I was a young and naive centrist when I went in and I was young and naive centrist when I came out. Living and working in the real world and doing my own research is what formulated my world view.

Higher education in certain subjects MIGHT provide some political insight e.g. history, economics. Though the subjective nature of these subjects makes them very vulnerable to establishment propaganda. You can't teach wisdom.

You seriously don't see anything wrong with people who mock others for being poor, white, or non educated? What classifies as non educated? Not having a college degree? The fact is those same people are the very ones who on other threads... also say you don't have to go to college to be smart... which is a bit hypocritical.

Look I am a college advocate but I find the notion that there's somehow magical smarts because one goes to college to be absurd.  There's still people who can't find their a$$ even if they looked for it hard enough both non educated and educated.

I want to stop here and point out that if someone said "black, poor, and uneducated" in the same sentence those SAME people who label with "white and non educated" would have an absolute fit.

At any rate I find people with hero complexes a bit appalling because they always feel entitled to tell me how I feel and what my opinions should be.

These things are generalizations which are only partially true.

Being a Trump supporter does not automatically imply you are a racist.

However, admitted racism/xenophobia is the strongest predictor that someone will be a Trump supporter.

Similarly, not all Angry White Guys vote Republican, but if you do vote Republican, the chances are high that you are white.

None of this is destiny. If the GOP can find a way to attract more non-white voters (or, as they've done since Obama's election, use targeted voter suppression, gerrymandering, and negative campaigning to discourage Democratic-leaning turnout), it will be successful. If the Democratic Party can find a way to attract more voters from historically GOP-leaning demographic groups, it will do better.

But demographic reality is demographic reality. Of course, there is a difference between noting a demographic reality (African-Americans and Latinos tend to favor the Democratic Party) and making moral claims about demographic reality ("AAs and Latinos vote Democrat for 'free stuff' and because a lot of them vote illegally").

Mahalo for your thoughtful and helpful analysis OS. I find politics very dispiriting these days. One group thinks Trump is a saint and savior while the other group thinks he is evil and a destroyer. How do these two groups discuss anything when they see the world so differently? I have given up. Pointing out his warts/flaws is ignored by his supporters. It seems  he is a non-stick Teflon pan...everything slides off and out. Those who would have found someone like Trump morally reprehensible now adore him and embrace. How does one deal with that? I can find no way to do so. It's like talking to a brick wall. Continuing to do that makes no sense to  me. So we wait it out and see how truly skewed and disaffected the American people are. If they elect Trump prez they have abandoned their country and given it up to the predators. Willingly. I could never have imagined that. Happy Sunday!  :)

I don't understand a portion of your answer PP..."....I've probably forgotten more about uneducated whites than most of the elitists in the country could know." What does that mean? It makes no sense to me as stated. Thank you for your reply and Happy Sunday to thee!  :)

I agree. You also cannot teach common sense or morality. Thank you for your reply AS and Happy Sunday to thee.

Hello Rosie:

At one time, there were educated Republicans like William F. Buckley, George Will, and even Paul Wolfawitz..They had sway in the party..  However, these days there's another flavor of "educated" Republican, like Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Hannity, and Alex Jones.. They are the revered ones now..  And, they could care less that we think they're stupid.

excon

I know plenty of "educated" people.  They know books.  They don't know how to think for themselves or gain insight into what makes them tic. 

My cousin?  She is very educated.  Or enough anyway.  She chooses sides that are convenient to her.  That is all people think about.  What is in for THEM.  Not you.  Not me. THEM.  They do not care at all about any opposers.  You are making life inconvenient for them and what they want to think, so anyone else is the enemy. 

You can have 10 degrees and be a total ass. 

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink m2c. You can set up a list of moral imperatives but you cannot make anyone adhere to them or follow them. You can expose them to your list of what you think makes a person moral but you cannot transform them from immoral to moral UNLESS they want to be transformed. You can teach it but the students won't necessarily absorb it, understand it, agree with it or adhere to  it. Thank you for your reply.:)

Once upon a time long ago the Republican party boasted a president who advocated tearing a wall down. Now many of them are supporting a cartoon character wannabe prez who advocates building a wall. Can you explain the devolution from high hopes to hopeless excon? Me neither! Thank you for your reply m'dear! :)

Very true. And you can have no degrees and be a very thoughtful human being. Thank you for your reply Sharonna! :)