The New York Times has just published another focus group roundtable, this one involving fourteen voters "who described Donald Trump as 'extreme' and differed with him on some key issues, including abortion rights, and decided to vote for him anyway." In some ways, these voters will get what they want from Trump: they don't like undocumented immigrants, and, as one participant puts it, they "think we need someone a little arrogant ... to straighten up the world." But in many ways they back an imaginary, parallel-universe Trump -- someone who doesn't exist in the real world.
They all seem dismayed by the state of America today -- with some exceptions:
Mary, 50, Asian, Wyoming, assistant
I was just looking at my retirement accounts, and it looks like the economy is doing pretty well right now.... Kenneth, 62, Black, California, truck driver
The election went well, but even prior to the new administration coming into office, things were going well. The economy is better.
You folks know who's president right now, don't you?
Trump apparently made populist promises on a frequency only these voters could hear:
