Now Trump Really Scares Me!

I’m not afraid of Trump beating Hillary. I think even he knows that for this election, he is toast.  His numbers with large blocks of voters are abysmal — particularly the ones the GOP said they needed to win. He will turn out the Hispanic vote for Hillary. Same for African-Americans.  And despite the visibility of women in his campaign (Ivanka and Kellyanne Conway) his numbers with women in crucial toss-up states spell disaster.  The Washington Post reports that 60 percent of Virginia Women “have a strongly unfavorable view” of him. Colorado is even worse — 62 percent.

Trump may be lots of things, but he isn’t stupid. He knows he can’t win if he doesn’t go beyond his base. So what is he doing?

Thomas Friedman says one should always prepare not just for the victory, but the day after.  And the day after the day after.  And that’s what The Donald is doing.  Preparing for life in the spotlight after the election. And who better than to partner with than Stephen Bannon who has made Breitbart News even more incendiary than ever.  And, as Greg Sargent writes in the Washington Post:

“Either Trump is delusional, to the point of being entirely incapable of appreciating why he’s currently losing to Hillary Clinton. Or he has a diabolical plan to break apart the Republican Party and pocket a big chunk of it for himself, for post-election fun and profit.”

So what would the world look like with a continuing Trump presence?  And add to the mix a Breitbart-style partner and an Ailes-less Fox News. Certainly a Trump cable network, spewing the same things he has been saying during the campaign. And, as for Breitbart, check out Snopes.com for what Breitbart thinks is fit to print. Today Breitbart News’ website carries articles on Clinton Aide Huma Abedin’s “very clear ties to radical offshoot of Islam,” and “Clinton does paid errands for Russian oligarchs.”

So look for the day after the day after. And think about what it will do to our civil discourse.  How it will affect race relations.  Think anti-semitism among Trump supporters is a minor aberration, just wait.  And be afraid.  Be very afraid.