As Trump Points Out Democracy Is The Voters Get What The Voters Want, Good And Hard

Donald Trump might not be a career politician but he’s grasped the essence of this democracy thing, As Mencken pointed out, it is that the voting public should get what they ask for, good and hard. Which is, of course, the joy behind his policy of sending asylum seekers to sanctuary cities. It’s also why so many Democrats are incandescent at the policy.

Sure, there’s a certain amount of confusion over whether the policy is actually being followed, or even would be legal if it were. But this is politics, it’s the pose, the bravura perhaps, that matters, not reality.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Trump says US is already sending migrants to sanctuary cities[/perfectpullquote]

Hmm, maybe. The idea that the Federal Government would ever be coordinated enough to do something like that is in itself suspect.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] President Donald Trump held a rally in Green Bay Wisconsin, on Saturday night, mostly touting his work in office, calling out Democrats, name-shaming Democrats and spinning a rolodex of cliches often heard at his rallies. However, when addressing immigration and trying to shore up the southern border with Mexico, the president recalled his recent banter that he would start sending immigrants who overstayed their visits at holding facilities to the so-called sanctuary cities. [/perfectpullquote]

It might even be banter. But it’s terribly effective politics:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “Last month alone, 100,000 illegal immigrants arrived at our borders, placing a massive strain on communities and schools and hospitals and public resources like nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wis. “Now we’re sending many of them to sanctuary cities. Thank you very much. They’re not too happy about it. I’m proud to tell you that was actually my sick idea.” “What did they say? ‘We want them,'” Trump continued. “I said we’ll give em to you.” [/perfectpullquote]

Stand outside reality, even morality, for a moment. Think a little how human beings work. There’s a disagreement about something. Say, whether some number of immigrants should be allowed in or not, the rules under which they should or should not be. One side says the rules should be lax and we’ll not cooperate with strict enforcement. The other side says the rule should be strict and desire enforcement.

Now you say, OK, if we’ve people who have immigrated in violation of those rules we’re going to send them to the lax guys to take care of.

It works beautifully as a little play on how humans work. Look, you asked for this, you’ve got it, what are you complaining about? Even, the only reason you can complain is because your earlier stance was mere posturing.

This is actually part of that behavioural economics that so much is made of thee days. The ultimatum game say, the lessons that has for the manner in which people will punish others even at cost to themselves. They’re all variations on something humans are excellent at, discerning the beliefs and motives of other humans. We’ve got to be, for we’re a social species, that’s what it all means.

The real lesson here being Trump as a politician. Sure, it’s not been his lifelong career – although more of his life has been about PR than many seem to recall. And more of politics is about PR than most would be comfortable detailing. But for someone who has only been doing it perhaps these past 4 years, he’s damn good at it.