This sums it up...

smerka

I've been thinking about this for awhile but could never quite put it into words. This does http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/opinion/the-governing-cancer-of-our-time.html?referer=

nkjacobsma

Yes, I keep saying that Trump is the right's version of Obama. The quote, "Trump’s supporters aren’t looking for a political process to address their needs. They are looking for a superhero." expresses exactly what I mean.

snp605

I absolutely disagree with pretty much all of that. While I agree that part of the appeal of Trump to a certain segment of society is his bully mentality and that they they want the bully beholden to them vs. the other side's bully, I don't agree that people who want outsiders don't value compromise and deal-making. The REAL problem as I see it, is that there is too much deal making and most of it done in the name of the continuation or furtherance of the individual politician's political career. People will not touch certain issues because their campaign funding might dry up or it might hurt them when they want to bring some pork barrel issue to the table soon. Clinton is one of the few people who was ever able to make any real headway on entitlement issues and that was because he was seen as coming from a working class background, a democrat and even then he got a ton of pushback on it. In fact, much of it got rolled back over the years. I really don't think he would have been able to get even half of it done now. As time has gone by the webs and ties of the deal making have grown tighter and stronger to where nobody takes a stand over things that are decent and right because it is political suicide.

The author states "We are now at the point where  they won't hold hearings on the Supreme Court nominee.." which makes this sound like a series of events has gotten us to this point rather recently. This has gone on for YEARS. In fact, Democrats Patrick Leahy, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid and Joe Biden have historically made impassioned and successful arguments to that exact end as far back as into the 80s. Here is Joe Biden's speech on it in 1992, the SECOND time in his Senatorial career he made the strenuous arguments before Congress about just that thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZlzhULrJC0

I would argue that the decline in trust by the American people has come from two things not related to Trump or outsiders

1. people are more educated about the political process and the candidates if they choose to be. Thanks especially to 24 hour news and the internet, people have much more access to detailed information on candidates, policies, issues and laws than they were able to do previous to that. Familiarity breeds contempt.

2. thanks also to #1 candidates have become almost caricatures of real people because they have been packaged up to deliver sound bites and be ready for endless photo ops. They no longer seem like real people but bad stage actors being propped up by organizations with agendas as figureheads. Unless it's your agenda, it's nearly impossible to trust.