Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Nevada caucus: Trump trumps opponents; "I'm speechless"


Supporters of Donald Trump work KKK outfits at a Las Vegas caucus site.

WHEN the dust settled in the Republican Caucus in Nevada, it wasn't even close. Billionaire Donald Trump won more than double the votes of his nearest rival, Marco Rubio. Just behind Rubio was Sen. Ted Cruz.

"We love Nevada. We love Nevada," said Trump in his victory speech.

Trump's campaign juggernaut seems unstoppable with the candidate's third win out of the first four states to last their votes. More and more, it looks like Trump will be the GOP's candidate for president.

The businessman has now won three of the four early nominating states, after similarly convincing wins in South Carolina and New Hampshire.

“We won the evangelicals," said Trump. "We won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated. We’re the smartest people, we’re the most loyal people.”


Trump is the manifestation of people's anger and frustration with a government that can't get anything done (thank you, Tea Party), an economy still coming out of a deep recession (Thank you, President Bush) and a changing demographic that shows the U.S. becoming a minority majority country by mid-century.
With his tirades against immigrants, refugees, Mexicans, the "Chi-neese," and Planned Parenthood, he also represents the resentment building among a white electorate who feel "their" country is slipping away from them.

Amid the chaos of the Nevada caucus were people dressed in the traditional hoods and robes of the Ku Klux Klan, holding up signs pledging their support for Donald Trump. The members of the New England Police Benevolent Police Association — a controversial group that endorsed Trump in December — were photographed by a number of attendees outside the Cimarron-Memorial High School location, a caucus site. 
“KKK in parking lot of Cimarron HS during Republican caucus. They keep saying take our country back. I have never ever seen this in Las Vegas. I’m speechless,” one eye-witness wrote on Instagram. 

Say what you will about "political correctness" - a term that describes language or policies intended to not offend any particular group, especially disadvantaged groups. Lately, like the term "liberal" conservative wordsmiths have turned it into a pejorative - but at least it kept a lid on people's racism and bigotry. 
Trump's campaign has thrown civility and politeness out the window and allowed that pent-up frustration spill over into the voting booth. It made it OK to wear a pillow over your head, OK to attack minorities,  OK to make fun of the disabled, OK to let it all out and be a racist again.

Trump's opponents concede they are running out of time to turn the tide in their favor. Super Tuesday on March 1, will have 12 states running their primaries or caucuses. There certainly will be concession speeches the evening of Super Tuesday, but it most likely will not be given by Trump.
###
For more news about Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.


No comments:

Post a Comment