Describe Trump's Ideology

[Kingpoleon]

Populist paleoconservative-leaning left-libertarian.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Nationalist, populist

[pho]

It's basically a dumbed down version of the sort of paleoconservatism Buchanan was preaching in the 90s with most of the 'moral decay' stuff ripped out.

[MK]

I'm kidding obviously.

I do think that immigration is the only issue that matters to Trump. I think he's running a single-issue campaign. He is very economically left-wing for a Republican (he supports universal health care, raising capital gains tax, closing tax evasion loopholes, staunchly protectionist, etc). He is also obviously lying about his positions on social issues like gay marriage and abortion (I think he secretly supports both). I think that calling him an anti-immigration liberal is somewhat accurate. He seems to be liberal on a lot of issues and is primarily campaigning on immigration to appeal to the GOP base. Maybe calling him a "centrist whose main focus is immigration" is a better description.

So Trump would basically be a tough guy Kasich without the hard stance on immigration?

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

left-libertarian.

wut?

[Shadows]

http://i.imgur.com/UJ57xnU.jpg

[President Johnson]

A moderate in many ways.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Anyone describing Trump as a "moderate" is in dire need of a lobotomy.

[Fuzzy Bear Loves Christian Missionaries]

Some people have already said this, I know, but it's true: Trumpism.

Authoritarian, populist, moderate, nativist, anti-establishmentarian; yeah, all of these things are true, but what he really is is a Trumpist.

It's all about the Trump with him. I'm not even referring just to his narcissism, I'm also referring to the fact that his campaign is less about the issues and more about GREATNESS. Trump is making the case to Americans that he has made himself GREAT and he will now make America GREAT. He'll make deals. We'll be the best. They're killing us, but Trump will put an end to that because he's GREAT. While he does talk about the issues, that's never been the main focus.

Not everyone is buying it, but if you buy that Trump (a successful businessman with loads of money and property, his own TV show, a conveyor belt of supermodel wives, and seemingly well-behaved, sane children) is GREAT you'll probably vote for him, because who doesn't want to live in a GREAT country? It's a universal message that everyone can get behind, but they're staunchly divided on how to do it. Trump knows that, therefore, it's harder to unite people behind issues than it is to unite them behind the GREATNESS of an entertaining populist leader.

Whatever it is, this is probably the most fascinating and entertaining election ever because Trump is perhaps the most fascinating and entertaining candidate ever. Whatever you think about his issues or personal life, you can't take that away from him.

Probably the most accurate post here.  It only seems a bit wordy; I don't think you can describe Trump's "ideology" (if you can even call it that) in any shorter of a description.

Note the underlined portion in the quote.  Lots of times, outlandish Presidential candidacies have been speculated, and folks would anxiously wait and wonder how the thing would play out, realizing that these proposed candidacies were either publicity stunts or trial balloons.  Trump actually went through with it; he's as "All In" as it gets.  That's the part that makes this campaign fascinating; the fact that THIS time, the outlandish candidate actually went forward with "the show".

[mencken]

Whig (in the American sense of the word) would fit the bill perfectly.

[VPH]

Nebulous is the best word to describe it, but it seems to blend a number of political currents.
-Nationalistic: Particularly, his little song and dance that he had those girls do was creepily jingoistic.
-Protectionist: 45% tariffs? Yeah.
-Xenophobic: He's anti-immigrant and makes it very obvious.
-Manipulative: Trump's ideology is all about personal gain at the expense of others. He's manipulating every one of his supporters to gain power.

[Leinad]

Populist paleoconservative-leaning left-libertarian.

There's a hint of paleoconservatism, I suppose, but in no way is he any definition of "left-libertarian."

Anyone describing Trump as a "moderate" is in dire need of a lobotomy.

How so? Obviously he's not moderate on some things, but on more issues than not he takes a position in between Republican orthodoxy and Democrat orthodoxy. Take abortion, for example. And he's said nothing about gay marriage besides "accept it and move on." And his position on Israel and Palestine? That's downright crazy by Republican standards.

Simply saying "moderate" alone, without any modifiers, is faulty. But in many ways he is a moderate in contemporary US standards, for better or worse.

...

Whatever it is, this is probably the most fascinating and entertaining election ever because Trump is perhaps the most fascinating and entertaining candidate ever. Whatever you think about his issues or personal life, you can't take that away from him.

Probably the most accurate post here.  It only seems a bit wordy; I don't think you can describe Trump's "ideology" (if you can even call it that) in any shorter of a description.

Note the underlined portion in the quote.  Lots of times, outlandish Presidential candidacies have been speculated, and folks would anxiously wait and wonder how the thing would play out, realizing that these proposed candidacies were either publicity stunts or trial balloons.  Trump actually went through with it; he's as "All In" as it gets.  That's the part that makes this campaign fascinating; the fact that THIS time, the outlandish candidate actually went forward with "the show".

Thanks, and yes, Trump's ideology is very hard to pin down in a sentence. If I could it would be this: "Trumpism: the philosophy that Trump is great and he will make America great through a populist, nationalist, authoritarian, nativist, anti-establishment platform generally in between both parties." But even then, that's a long sentence.

You're right in that Trump is the outlandish candidate that actually happened. He's the dream/nightmare come true. Not everyone thought he would run, and while he's never been known as anything but eccentric, I'm sure few could've predicted his campaign to be as shockingly unconventional as it's been. And of course, almost no one who isn't related to him or paid to tell him nice things thought he would be the front-runner ever, much less when voting actually started, much less now, with more than half of the delegates already decided. This is the Onion article, this is the joke in a "bold predictions" thread, this is the daydream by an imaginative political nerd that has came to life.

[IceSpear]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

[Dr. Arch]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

L

O

L

[Likely Voter]

The one thing Trump has been consistent on for decades is trade. He is a protectionist. It is hard to know what else from his current set of positions is genuine or just pandering.   Even if he pivots for the general we will still not know what is real and what is pandering.  I do believe that his narcissism demands maximum adulation and when faced with a general electorate he will try and contort himself to fit that.  But we may never know what is true ideology is unless he becomes president.

[Ljube]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

Please leave that fascist term out. I would say that he is a right-wing progressive, but otherwise a moderate, slightly left economically.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

Please leave that fascist term out. I would say that he is a right-wing progressive, but otherwise a moderate, slightly left economically.

right-wing progressivism isn't a thing...

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

Please leave that fascist term out. I would say that he is a right-wing progressive, but otherwise a moderate, slightly left economically.

right-wing progressivism isn't a thing...

Trump is more liberal on some issues than Hillary, but obviously neither is progressive.

[Ljube]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

Please leave that fascist term out. I would say that he is a right-wing progressive, but otherwise a moderate, slightly left economically.

right-wing progressivism isn't a thing...

Trump is more liberal on some issues than Hillary, but obviously neither is progressive.

I think TRUMP is more progressive than Hillary.

[Dr. Arch]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

Please leave that fascist term out. I would say that he is a right-wing progressive, but otherwise a moderate, slightly left economically.

right-wing progressivism isn't a thing...

Trump is more liberal on some issues than Hillary, but obviously neither is progressive.

I think TRUMP is more progressive than Hillary.

You must be a troll. There is no other way I can rectify what you're saying.

[Ljube]

You must be a troll. There is no other way I can rectify what you're saying.

Have you listened to any of the TRUMP's speeches?

If you have and you still think I am a troll, then you are tone-deaf to TRUMP's message due to your PC conditioning. But that will change in time.

[TJ in Oregon]

Nietzsche hiding behind an American flag.

Master morality = Winners
Slave morality = 'Low Energy'
Will to Power = Poll number obsession, also like 60% of his campaign
Ubermensch = Trump
Perspectivism = flip flopping every 10 minutes

OK the last one is a stretch but the rest matches better than I'd suspected.

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

Right-wing progressive fascist moderate.

Please leave that fascist term out. I would say that he is a right-wing progressive, but otherwise a moderate, slightly left economically.

right-wing progressivism isn't a thing...

Trump is more liberal on some issues than Hillary, but obviously neither is progressive.

I think TRUMP is more progressive than Hillary.

You must be a troll. There is no other way I can rectify what you're saying.

he's the ultimate trump  troll/hack

[hopper]

A Libertarian-Leaning Conservative bordering on a Moderate Libertarian Conservative. An inter-moderate maybe?

[ag]

A Libertarian-Leaning Conservative bordering on a Moderate Libertarian Conservative. An inter-moderate maybe?

It would be hard to find a less appropriate characterization. He is a radical anti-libertarian immoderate.