Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

"Maybe some racists and bigots love him, but many of his supporters simply favor a certain strategy of asshole management, as a last ditch effort at tampering a corrupt political system."

Is James saying that by condoning his racism and sexism, Trump's supporters don't add to the systematic racism and sexism?  I see this often in arguments that 'I know Trump supporters and they aren't racist and sexist' arguments. 

Disagree.   When you allow his racist and sexist comments and attitudes because you like something about him, at some point you become racist and sexist because you've shown that the targeting of women and minorities/PoC/people of other faiths - because there are other isms at play - are less important than what you want.   

And how is that not racist or sexist?   

I'm not saying our political arena isn't corrupt.  I just don't believe that forgiving - because forgiveness is another theme of this book, especially at this part - racism and sexism helps this political clime to be less corrupt.  In fact, by espousing plans that keep other ethnicities down, or even out (of the country), by allowing him to get away with 'I respect women' while calling Clinton a 'nasty woman', I believe you're only making that corruption worse.   Now we have a man in power who openly espouses his hate.  (I think.   Sometimes I can't understand him, so there's that.)

You wanted change.   And that change came at the price of the dignity, and the safety, of other people: of minorities and women.   That, my friend, is racist and sexist.   Not because you believe everything Trump says; I'm sure many of his supporters recoiled when he said such obviously offensive things.   The thing that makes them racist and sexist is allowing those things to fly because over here, look, other things.   

No argument contrary to this has changed my mind.  I get they wanted the other things, but that doesn't take away the racist and sexist action of voting for Trump.  

So let's get back to this direct quote.   It sounds to me like James is saying some people - many people - who support Trump aren't racists or bigots.  I clearly disagree.   I also see how he might be differentiating between overt racism - aka saying the racist things - and systematic racism - aka forgiving the person who says the racist things because other reasons.   If the latter is the case, he needed to be clearer.  In fact, this is the first time I wish he'd been more clear about how he was defining something - racists and bigots, what that entails, and how they are racist and bigots - so that I could get a clearer understanding about where I'm supposed to be coming from when reading this.   And I'm aware that this is another quote that produced a mini-essay, but I feel like this is important. 

Still fascinated by this read.