Why it IS economic anxiety, at the root
Polling is important. Polling can tell us where the participants in the current lifestyle consciousness are, and we do have to take it seriously. But expecting the participants in the current lifestyle to accurately explain WHY they feel they way they do, or WHY they are willing to believe what they do, is truly problematic. This latest article from 538 is convincing and compelling. The graph showing how people "feel" about the economy, and how it directly correlates with political party and not how the economy is actually performing is likely the most convincing portion of the article. The thesis is that the root of the Trump support is not due to economic anxiety, but rather to race and partisan politics that grew up in opposition to the Obama presidency. I do not deny that that is the immediate cause. I do disagree that it is the ultimate cause. Hate must find fertile ground to overcome the messages we see all around us that tell us to love our brother as ourselves.