Its a simple enough question, why do people tend to vote against their best interests?

The answer is far more complex

That is a good point. To be honest, I can't really tell you if he is sane. But it may just be what we need.

Trump will be splashing around like an oversized kid doing belly flops in a swimming pool. He is going to create an atmosphere where the usual players will need to stay alert and on their toes. The man is unpredictable. To mitigate him, politicians and governments will need to take an alert, nimble, and agile footing. He will be very hard to ignore, as he will be in possession of the nuclear football by the end of the week.

He will alter politics and governments across board. It could have a very positive impact in some cases, or a very negative impact in others. I think he will push the inertia of political lethargy and compel action in many areas. It could be a significant game change.

Do we have a choice? So far, the only choice I see is to stay alert and awake. Stay sober and ready to change direction. I'm doubtful that the usual sticking of one's head in the sand will be effective.

As a friend of mine always said: Whenever the Swiss vote about higher wealth tax - which would start at about a million or higher - they vote no because they hope/dream that one day they'll get there themselves, win the lotto or what ever.

There's been a time when I woul have taken the same stand as you do now. In fact I did until I heard more of Trump lately. But that darn US swimming pool is big and the splashes he makes might drown even us over here.

Not to worry about the red button though, they got the solution:

Meanwhile, Obama goes off the deep end:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...-idUSKBN15130B

Tom

What stand? You can sit and watch from here. I have to live with the fool. We have to figure out how to make the best of it, and I think we will.

Trump will make Mexico pay for him. Obviously.

Perhaps that's actually the (main) reason for his success:
Just like in the bible, everybody can find stuff s/he likes, enough to make it worth ignoring the (often directly) contradicting stuff.

This is what struck me about the whole thing; people voting against themselves. Seems like that article pins it on ignorance, which is hard to disagree with under the circumstances.

Indeed, a tweet from yesterday
and from Reuters
Source

Just imagine...

Anti-Trump protester sets himself on fire outside The Donald's D.C. hotel

There sure is a lot of people going nuts.

Why do you assume they voted against their interest and themselves? Trump connects with voters in ways pollsters and the media are still not able to detect and explain.

Even though we speak the same language, there is apparently a pretty wide conceptual gap. Trump operates at a wavelength many people are not comprehending. It is from a regional American context, which even coastal Americans are failing to recognize. It is even less comprehensible from a European frame of context.

It is funny. Its a situation where sharing the same language is actually more detrimental than positive. Trump apparently needs a go-between translator to speak to various audiences.

Anthony Scaramucci does a fairly decent explanation of this gap at WEF in Davos:
In Davos, Anthony Scaramucci Translates Trump Message to Global Elite

Possibly this hotel will be the source of the first challenge to Trump.
Presidents are not allowed to accept emoluments from foreign governments but many have booked rooms and planned to have events in this hotel.
So are room rents emoluments?

What looks sounds a contradiction to you also sounds like he is saying NATO needs to be renovated. There is a conceptual gap lost in translation that people seem to quickly over-react to with Trump. It's not just you. It seems to be rampant.

Tom

Are you really lecturing people on the subtleties of Trump?

Crikey.

Or he maybe he is being deliberately ambiguous to give himself some future back-peddling scope.

I guess he's learning fast after his 2014 tweets are coming back to bite him on the arse in 2017.

*****************************************
Like other dictators he is now trying to destroy the free press
Here is a link to the NBC news item that upset Trump.

Basically the theme is "Companies are "recycling" old job creation announcements to avoid Trump's twitter attacks"

Its unfortunate, also quite hilarious, that people who understand each others language can be so disconnected in understanding because of diction. I know it sounds like english to you, but it might as well, for all practical purpose, be russian.

When Trump settles in, he will likely have a staff of much more eloquent people to articulate his directives and policies. When we see actions, and we see their results, I suspect a large number of people will get a "Ah! That is what he meant." moment.

"he will likely have a staff of much more eloquent people" Hurrah for spin doctors