By Javad Heirannia

Trump appeals mostly to white middle class: Georgetown professor

October 28, 2016 - 12:26

TEHRAN - A professor of political science at Georgetown University tells the Tehran Times that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is mostly capitalizing on the white middle class.

“Trump appeals mostly to the White Middle class and, especially men, who feel that they have been neglected by Washington and its internationalist elites,” Hunter notes.
Hunter says Trump is appealing to the white middle class because they see their living standards have fallen and their job being lost due to globalization.
Following is the text the interview:

Q: What is your prediction of the U.S. presidential election?
A: There is still three weeks until the election. A lot could happen in three weeks. Already the divulgence of some of Hilary Clinton’s e-mails have raised questions about her probity. They have also shown her close ties to Wall Street and the financiers who many people in America blame at least for part of America’s economic problems. Therefor although most opinion polls indicate that Hillary Clinton is likely to win the elections, a surprise Trump victory cannot be totally ruled out. Much would also depend on the turnout of the respective candidates supporters. For example, a low turnout by African-Americans and the Latinos would diminish Hillary’s chances of victory.

Q: Basically, what groups vote for Trump?
A: Trump appeals mostly to the White Middle class and, especially men, who feel that they have been neglected by Washington and its internationalist elites. They have seen their job being eliminated, partly because of globalization and their living standards fallen. There is also anger at some cultural shifts as well as what many see as excessive lawlessness, reflected in mass shootings.

Q: Trump accuses the media of launching a coordinated move against him. Please explain?
A: The mainstream media certainly prefers Hillary Clinton. However, the idea that media has distorted Trump’s personality is baseless. The only thing the media has done is to air various statements made by Trump in the past. In this respect, Trump has only himself to blame.

Q: Considering the short time remaining to the presidential election, is it possible to see some issues brought up by both candidates to significantly affect the result of election?
A: There is always the possibility that new and embarrassing issues regarding both candidates could come up. But in view of the embarrassing revelations already made by both candidates about each other, it is difficult to imagine what else could be revealed.

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