There are some distressing issues festering in the US, and there are some Americans who have opinions that are truly frightening to me. Donald Trump seems to appeal to these people. Even though he might not be so right-wing as they are, there's something about Trump that appeals to the far right, even to White Nationalists. Maybe it's good to get that sort of thinking out in the open, so it can be refuted.

I heard an excellent interview on the NPR Fresh Air (click) program last week. Terri Gross was off duty last week, so Dave Davies did the interview of Evan Osnos. Osnos did an article in the New Yorker (click) Magazine titled "The Fearful and the Frustrated: Donald Trump's nationalist coalition takes shape—for now." Osnos says Trump's success has given right-wing extremists permission to express thinking that would have gotten them fired from their jobs in past years.

Maybe it's good that we know what these people are thinking, scary though it may be. I'm guessing that Trump's support is no more than twenty percent of the electorate - but he does seem to have the plurality among the Republican candidates. If Trump wins the nomination, I'm sure there's no way he can win the 2016 election.

...or so I hope.

-Joe-