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Why the Upper Midwest Hates Trump
The next big primary contest is Wisconsin. According to the Marquette Law School poll, Cruz is leading Trump by 10 points, a number confirmed in the latest Fox Business poll. In fact, Trump’s Wisconsin unfavorability rating is at a whopping 70 percent. Trump is leading nationally, so why is the Badger State so opposed to him?
One reason is the unique experience of Wisconsin Republicans. They’ve been through the political wringer with the thuggish protests of Scott Walker’s reforms, bitter recall elections, and unethical investigations of his supporters. The voters are in no mood for another round of political unrest, and are well briefed on the ideological underpinnings of conservative policies. When Trump repeated progressive lies about Walker’s record and tangled with popular local radio hosts, voters were not amused.
But there is something deeper at work. Find Wisconsin on a map and look to the left. In neighboring Minnesota, Marco Rubio beat Trump by 15; Cruz beat Trump by 8. Next door to Minnesota and Wisconsin is Iowa, where Cruz won and Rubio nearly came in second. While Trump can win in most parts of the country, the Upper Midwest is not buying what he’s selling. The only exception to this is Michigan, where the lion’s share of voters reside in the rust-belt southeast corner.
Most of us have heard of “Minnesota Nice” — the friendly, reserved, play-by-the-rules behavior favored by that state’s residents. But Wisconsin has a similar Scandinavian (though more German) culture, as do North and South Dakota. When the Upper Midwest of Europe relocated to the Upper Midwest of the United States, they brought their politeness, understatement, and emotional restraint with them.
All of these characteristics are diametrically opposed to the Trump ethos of baseless braggadocio, histrionic complaint, and conflict as first resort. Critics of Minnesota Nice cast it as barely masked passive-aggressiveness, but active-aggressiveness is considered not only unseemly, but unmanly.
Scandis find virtue in stoicism. When you’re shoveling a sidewalk buried in three feet of snow, your neighbor doesn’t want to hear your complaints — especially since she’s 68, has a bum leg, and cleared her driveway before the sun rose. Just do what needs to be done, and would it kill you to put a smile on your face?
I grew up in a Finnish family originally from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, so my four-foot-ten grandma (who lived to 100) instructed me in all the cultural norms, often punctuated by some choice cuss words from the old country:
- Don’t draw attention to yourself.
- Don’t use 100 words when zero will do.
- Don’t exhaust people with your problems; they have enough of their own.
- Deal with it.
There’s no room for boasting, tough talk, or threats — speak through your actions instead. If you have more than others, hide it so people don’t think you’re a [Finnish expletive]. Mrs. Gunderson is 68 years old and has a bum leg; shovel her driveway before you take care of your own.
Granted, these Upper Midwestern traits have faded as the residents are Americanized and job seekers from the rest of the country move in. But unspoken social contracts are a tenacious thing, especially when the brutal climes of the American steppe reinforce them each year.
New York values are not Iowa values. And they sure as paska aren’t Minnesota or Wisconsin values.
Published in General
Perhaps he is less organized, but I think equally criminal and corrupt. I do not think Trump will hesitate to use every tool in the exec branch to line his own coffers. Just like the Clintons! You’re right, perhaps more ineptly.
The Clinton hate machine is well oiled, adjusted, tested in trial runs, and ready for action. The Trump machine consists of a bunch of un-assembled parts, lying around on the floor, waiting to be put together.
Glen Doherty is one of a small group of human beings betrayed by someone I already admitted was evil. How many Americans will die if Trump starts World War III? If we end up in a nuclear exchange with Russia? Everything is relative. And, generally, stupid and evil is likely to get more people killed than intelligent and evil.
Then explain all those tens of millions of violent political killings in the 20th century. As far as I know, those were caused by intelligent+evil.
I don’t think Trump is stupid.
It is just that he is ill-informed on some crucial issues that I wish our president would be very well-briefed about. That may put me off of Trump, but it is a problem that has the possibility of getting improved upon.
Compare that to Madame Secretary H.R. Clinton. She is very well-informed on all the issues, but she and all her sources have a Leftist worldview. They would not be making errors like perhaps a president Trump would. No; they would be charging full-tilt in their desired direction.
The problem is that Hillary’s direction is not much different than President Obama’s direction. Only, if she wins, she will attack with new energy and enthusiasm; whacking away at what is left of the cultural supports of western civilization.
I don’t much care whether Hillary or Trump end up lining their own pockets at our expense. We can afford that.
What I fear is the final collapse of western civilization.
I don’t see Trump taking us down nearly so hard as would Hillary.
She will also be whacking away at the institutional supports.
Yup.
I feel pretty strongly that a Trump nomination is evidence of the end of Western civilization. There is only dividing the spoils after this.
For what it’s worth, on my drive to work through a couple residential neighborhoods, I just haven’t been seeing the yard signs for candidates like I have in past election years. (A couple weeks ago, J.G. wrote about this seeming lack of yard signs and bumper stickers this year . . . it’s a strange development.)
But . . . in the yards that do sport signs, the “Democrat” yards I pass only have signs for state and local-level candidates. Not a single sign for Hillary or Bernie. The “Republican” yards do have Ted Cruz signs (no Trump, no Kasich signs to be seen) as well as state and local-level candidates.
Here’s the part I find most mystifying: when I pass by the University and the neighborhood infested with college professors, there are actually visible Ted Cruz signs! In the college professor enclave!
I agree that the Trump personality goes against the mild and more moderate mid western type. Trump is all New York brashness (I’m a New Yorker, by the way) and coarseness. Manners are a lower priority around here.
That said, I could also see how if the election were held two months ago Trump could have won Wisconsin. It’s the confluence of events that have brought us to this anti Trump moment. Didn’t Trump win Michigan? I just checked. He did and he won Illinois. But his margins were less than some of his other wins. It’s not only personality that’s driving the Wisconsin vote. There is a realization that Trump must be stopped within a good portion of the Republican electorate.
Drove back through the College Professor Enclave this morning, and spotted three Bernie signs along that route. But just as many Cruz signs. No Hillary signs at all. And again, most yards that had Democrat candidate signs had neither Hillary nor Bernie signs.
Will take a different route back after lunch and see what I can spot.
I just heard a new theory…well maybe its speculation. The Republican establishment, in order to insure Trumps defeat, is now planning on supporting him.
Ha, talk about serious agita!
Great line, the only thing wrong with it is that Velveeta isn’t cheese. Wisconsin, for all its myriad faults (U of Wisconsin and Green Bay Packers being the two significant examples) produces great real cheese.
Can’t find a Cruz sign in Kenosha County. I went to Cruz HQ office in Racine and would have been happy to buy some. I left with a two bumper stickers and a deflated attitude. Down the block, the house on the corner has a Bernie sign and a Kasich sign. Boy what fun are those two having.
Do you think Bernie’s plan for “free” college education is a plus for the Professors’ Enclave?
I don’t.
You know what happens when things are free? The people that offer that “service” are perceived to be morons willing to give away their most valuable asset.
Drove back through the College Professor Enclave neighborhood, off the main thoroughfare. Saw only one extra Bernie sign.
Saw a bunch of signs for candidates I’d never heard of before. I need to drive back through there again and take a closer look.
I gotta say, the candidate who seems to be getting the most coverage in lawn signs this year is a local city council candidate. Sheesh.
Still haven’t seen a Hillary or Trump sign.
Might be more interesting if one was a Democrat and the other a Republican.
Oops. Wrong thread.