Mr. Feel Good. Here’s another clue: what was made…
By: Lisa Paisley-Cleveland
Tags: White Privilege, Politics, Behavior, Trump, Emotional

By Friendly Stock Pictures

Any discomfort his supporters might have experienced during this period of racial reckoning in America evaporated as they found relief from their guy, Mr. Feel Good.

So, America, your president is hell-bent on discarding votes in selected cities for the 2020 presidential election he lost. It really does not matter if these efforts to overturn a democratic election are illegal, or if it has the smallest chance of succeeding. Like most of Trump’s moves, it is designed to convey a message to his staunch supporters and to keep the funds flowing to his PAC, allegedly to raise funds for legal expenses related to this election fight. The same old message and grift continue. It has not escaped observers that the focus of his efforts is on cities of predominately black voters. Is this racist? If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then- it is a duck.

Here’s another clue: what was made clear in the Presidential election is that Trump understood that white people love being white, and who could blame them. He expertly sharpened a message to constantly affirm this fact and made them feel good. After all, there is no downside to being white in America and if you are a white male, you’ve hit the jackpot. In fact, according to the Feb. 2020 Joint Economic Committee’s report, if you are a white male in America with a mediocre education, you are better off financially than a black male with a college degree. That’s just one of a litany of racial disparities.

For those of us, of all races, that wished to see real structural change in this country to cure the infected bones of our society we need to be clear about the layers and strength of stubborn forces working against us. Policies and laws are significantly important in moving the ball forward, history has made this clear. However, what the past four years have also demonstrated is that policies and laws cannot fight against an emotional bond to a person who reminded white people of the benefits bestowed on them by merely being born white. A powerful message.

The strength and effectiveness of this emotional bond were revealed by a majority of white voters casting their vote for Trump. Yes, I understand that there was a core group of supporters who could not get enough of the divisive messages conveyed by Trump, God bless their souls. But white voters for Trump made up almost 60% while 41% voted for Biden. I have to assume that beyond the core of 35–40% there were “decent” people who made up the approximately 20–25 % over his core supporters. You know, folks not fitting the stereotypical box we tend to assign to Trump’s voters. This initially was an astonishing and disheartening fact, but the percentage is not as stark upon further analysis, but it is still significant and disappointing.

I heard the same story over and over again, told by white republicans who felt their party left them. They lamented over their childhood friends and family members, being staunch supporters of Trump. They were once part of the same political tribe but could not stomach the atrocities, lies, and an apparent fondness for sowing division. These friends and family members even understood the serious harm Trump had caused the country. Certainly, with all the criminal like behavior we all witnessed over the last four years, would be enough to cause a shift; nope. Trump remained, “their guy.” “Intelligent, well-educated, decent people,” is how they were described. They often would not offer an explanation other than “he’s still my guy.” “It was as if they were under a spell,” said one commentator.

When a behavior or stance does not make sense, it’s usually tied to something emotional. It was these “decent” people that voted for Trump after experiencing him for four years, strange behavior as viewed by their loved ones and friends. The visceral emotional attachment to an idea, an object, a person is a powerful thing. Especially, if the attachment fosters feelings of comfort and security. It is a huge part of the individual and personal experiences that undergird a much larger public reality. It often causes what appears to be irrational behavior only because others cannot grasp its powerful force as outside observers.

While over 80 million voters feared for the continuation of America’s democracy under Trump, for good reasons, and voted for Biden, a majority of Trump’s white voters appeared to love how he made them feel. They didn’t have to pretend to be “woke” to the injustices plaguing our society or attempt to hide their racial biases. Any discomfort they might have experienced during this period of racial reckoning in America evaporated as they found solace in his every word. His words, including the slogan, Make America Great Again, affirmed their Whiteness, and love for their country, as members of the majority. America under Trump would retain a white dominant majority, even in light of the changing demographic realities. “We didn’t enslave black people,” and the horrific killing of George Floyd was done by one “bad cop.” Their push back would attempt to shed the heavy baggage of history in this country since its founding because Donald Trump, Mr. Feel Good, gave them permission to bask in their whiteness, and all its perceived glory without guilt or responsibility as he systematically went about dismantling all of America’s long-standing traditions and laws. What did it matter, he made them feel wonderful after feeling tenuous in a society holding up a mirror to show what ailed it.

So how is the spell broken? Let me first state that the capacity to adjust to big and small changes is an inherent human attribute. Humans have been doing this since our history on earth. On an individual level, imagine suffering the loss of a person with whom you’ve had a strong emotional attachment. Or losing the love of your life unexpectedly, huge blows. But you move on with time, especially if your new reality is not what you expected. In time you realize that the sky isn’t falling, the country remains free from socialism, the police are still on the job, and the stock market will continue to go through its normal highs and lows. The sporadic violence on the streets are from discontented troublemakers, and the suburbs remain great places to live. Unfortunately, racism and inequality remain wicked problems, although there are important incremental steps forward, and the pandemic shows signs of easing with effective leadership. In the absence of the constant loud barrage of ugly untruths that had to be dismissed by you on a daily basis, a slow realization begins to take hold about the old object of your affection; he was an abusive imposter, and the new guy in the White House ain’t so bad.

But it all could happen again.