Name:	copperline -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 11:40:39 AM

Some time ago, Hodja wrote that I just didn’t understand what Trump supporters saw in their candidate, and I have to say I agreed with him.   Since then I have spent a good bit of time thinking about what he had to say.

At about the same time, my nephew sent me an internet meme entitled “Donald Trump is like your drunken uncle”… a funny send-up of Trump’s brash and often poorly considered pronouncements in his campaign speeches.  It was pretty funny, but got me to thinking about the relationship between Trump supporters and their candidate.

It occurred to me that Trump supporters have a similar relationship with him that a family might have with an active alcoholic. 

If you are married to an active alcoholic, there are several things you tend to do in order to cope with that very bad situation.   When they act inappropriately, you tolerate it but experience  a lot of embarrassment.  When the alcoholic is rude or even aggressive toward other people, you smooth it over with excuses.   When the alcoholic does things that are dangerous, even damaging, to the family… you try to do damage control, smoothing it over, talking to the offended people with the intention of decreasing their upset & outrage.    And when the alcoholic does things that are clearly against your personal interests, you are silently angry but publically tolerant and accepting.

The problem with having a relationship with an alcoholic is usually that you can’t easily get out of it, feel a great deal of worry about the correct course of action, and have lots of doubt.    Frequently you think the outcome of leaving could be worse than the humiliations and risks of staying put.    Family members can be very loyal, even if it is not in their best interests to do so.

So it is with Trump supporters.

As Trump continues to careen down the campaign path, taking brash rhetorical shots at ‘enemies’  and picking unnecessary fights, he is also much like the alcoholic who ...stinging from criticism of their actions … seeks to repeatedly  justify and defend their past behaviors.   For instance, Trump returns to discuss incidents when his supporters wish he would just move on  pass that… like the Megan Kelly or John McCain mis-steps that he brings back up in speeches.   The only apparent reason for doing this is to defend himself by saying once again that he was not doing anything wrong…but by doing so he simply underscores what his supporters know:   he shouldn’t have done that in the first place.    At other times, Trump will be confronted with things he has said & done, & his response comes down to “I don’t remember doing that”.   Family members of alcoholics are really familiar with that excuse.

Now Trump doesn’t drink alcohol at all, nor does he appear high.   Instead, he appears to be intoxicated on something  else that affects his judgement and is so highly desirable that he seeks it out constantly… even to his own detriment and the detriment of people who have come to count on him.   Trump’s drug of choice is the adrenaline that comes from hearing the cheers of his crowds….. the attention, adoration, perhaps the power that comes with great wealth & recognition.  It’s a heady mix that it warps his sense of judgement and how he feels about his responsibilities toward those people who count on him to be steady & mature. 

If you don’t think he gets intoxicated by the attention & adulation of his crowds, look at how he spins “off message” when he leaves teleprompter speeches and riffs off the top of his head ….spurred on by the reactions he is getting from the crowd.     He simply follows the applause lines, continuing to elaborate on topics that his campaign advisors repeatedly tell him to stay away from because he says too much and strays away from coherent, relevant campaign messages.   Trump ignores this advice because he likes to hear the applause so much that he lives for it, and nothing else matters except the feeling that his people love him, respect him,   they make him feel both powerful & vindicated.   When Trump is being foolish, he is unaware of it…. Like your drunken uncle.

With only a few months left in the campaign, you actually hear quotes from  experienced GOP professionals talking about whether Trump needs an “intervention”…. A direct reference to the idea that they see him in the same light as my analogy suggests.   Trump is like the out of control alcoholic who keeps going while  his supporters want to believe he will someday change of his own accord, magically transforming himself into “the person we all knew he could be”.   That futile hope sadly describes  many an alcoholic’s family perfectly.   They are trying to love him but have to ignore, tolerate, or excuse a vast amount of factual behavior to do so.  They are trying to live with the discomfort they feel at him, and just hope nobody gets hurt too badly in the meantime.  

And as some family members continue to do this,….ignoring what they see, tolerating what they hear…. they can gradually appear to be as out of touch with reality as the alcoholic themselves.   

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 12:04:54 PM

I don't recall stating that about Trump supporters...maybe I did....but Trump has significantly cranked back on the insults, brash responses, and so forth.  Of late he has been responding with much more calm, measured responses.  I've said many times that with the choice between Hillary and Trump I would hold my nose all the way to the voting booth and vote for Trump.  In my mind I KNOW that Hillary would complete Obama's quest to turn us into a second rate socialist state.  I also believe Trump has the ability to adjust to situations and his performance as POTUS would be quite different than you think.

another opinion:  I think what Trump is saying about Putin is akin to the Time person of the year selection.  Doesn't have to be something good, just make a difference.  Trump admires Putin for being a strong leader, not what Putin is trying to do.  Strong, decisive, looking out for HIS country.  All the things Obama is not.

Name:	copperline -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 12:36:10 PM

Trump admires Putin just as you say.

But we should remember that Putin annexed Crimea and Trump just suggested he would send troops to the Middle East to take their oil field production for our own.  

That gives us a strong clue to how Trump will behave when he admires someone like Putin in my opinion.....

And then there is Kim Jong Un........ a nightmare in waiting for whoever becomes the next POTUS.   I shutter to think about the impossibly steep learning curve ahead for a real estate agent & TV star if you were to dump this job in his lap.   I don't think Putin nor Un will slow down in order to give that guy time to learn how to be Presidential.   We are talking about hair-trigger situations here, and adversaries who are likely to be delighted to have us elect a completely inexperienced, and unreasonably confident, Commander in Chief.

With all due respect, do you think you can hold your breath that long?

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 12:47:23 PM

Been holding it for almost eight years.....and I didn't even vote for him.??

Name:	copperline -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 1:13:45 PM

LOL....good point.

Name:	au67 -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 1:24:20 PM

Barack Obama is no laughing matter unless you see him throw a baseball or ride a bicycle.

Name:	copperline -	Reply
Subject:	uh-oh
Date:	9/12/2016 1:45:44 PM

Someone has already flagged my post as inappropriate.

Name:	rude evin -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 3:17:46 PM

CL......without meaning to I believe you have described the lose/lose situation that Hillary has been in for all her public life with her husband.........

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 4:25:27 PM

You obviously didn't grow up with an alcoholic, otherwise you would know that comparing Trump and an Alcoholic is totally inappropriate.  I can assure you that Trump is nothing like an alcoholic.  I'm surprised given your background that you would be so insensitive.

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 4:55:34 PM

He does that often, rude.

Name:	copperline -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 6:31:48 PM

You are wrong.   I'll be happy to email you a copy of my resume so you can see how much time I have spent working with alcoholism.  And I can invite you over to see the 20th Sobriety Anniversary chip that was my Dad's.  I grew up in an alcoholic family that found AA and worked with families like I described all my professional life.   I'm not insensitive to them, not at all.  Far from it, I'm sympathetic.

I didn't say Trump was alcoholic.   I was observing that his supporters may have something in common with family members of active alcoholics for the reasons I explained.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 7:07:48 PM

Trump supporters are nothing like the family members of an alcoholic.  Working with alcoholics or living with a recovering alcoholic is nothing like growing up with an active alcoholic.  I think it is wonderful that your father got his 20year sober  and that your family got something out of Alanon.  But this is something I have no sense of humor about.  You seem very concerned about all the injustices paid to Muslims, blacks, and a host of other groups that left leaning people like to champion, but you find it humorous about the what families of alcoholics go through.  I'm sure you could make the same joke about the families of people suffering from mental illness too.  It's just not funny.

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Golly, Gee.....Copper-krap*
Date:	9/12/2016 7:29:52 PM

Looks like your verbosity has shown your true colors.  Warned you about that.  Looks like I've been correct all the time.  Hey, tell us about THE HILDA B-----H's wonderful health while you have your foot in your mouth and your head up your ........a.......

Dimo--krap = idiot*

Name:	copperline -	Reply
Subject:	Warning: verbose Anti-Trump post ahead...;)
Date:	9/12/2016 11:42:17 PM

You have read something into what I said that is not there.   I am not making fun of anybody.  

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Thank you Hound
Date:	9/13/2016 7:01:25 AM

I had the same thoughts but let it go because arguing with idiots is a waste of time and come g from me copper would just dismiss it as a right wing attack.  I too thought he is supposed to be some sort of counselor/psychologist yet make that kind of comment? Sure am glad none of my loved ones will ever use his services. I think his dad must have been on a "dry drunk" all those 20 years. Poor thing grew up in a dysfunctional home, got a little education,  and now feels superior to the rest of us and feels compelled to show us how enlightened he has become and try to enlighten us also so that we may bask in his superior knowledge and wisdom.

Name:	copperline -	Reply
Subject:	Like I said
Date:	9/13/2016 8:41:10 AM

Like I was saying, family members can be very loyal.  Even when it's not in their best interests.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Like I said
Date:	9/13/2016 10:03:20 AM

Loyalty is a bad thing? You are loyal to a liberal ideology that has proven destructive of society every time it has succeeded in being entrenched in a society. Venezuela being the most recent example. So what does that make you? Are you a deplorable person for being a loyal ideolog to liberalism?