The biggest mistake I think people make is they automatically assume racists must be misinformed or tricked or stupid. When they can be intelligent and know more, and it comes down to simply not liking a certain group for existing and wanting to reduce those groups influence and population within their country. And that can be despite them seeing more of the world than other people.

I think this automatic assumption of wanting to believe they are dumb or tricked is why they have successfully gained traction, since people still keep underestimating their intelligence and planning. Its like people just don’t want to believe people can actually be evil at their core.

Yeah, lot of bigots are self aware enough to try to hide their hatred and point to other things when it comes to making what they support more palatable to those who might not be. They aren’t complete idiots like some immediately assume which is why they have been underestimated by the opposite side and gained such huge traction and seen increasing success.

Even the dumb ones don’t try to show the full extent of the bigotry, since they know there are still some in society who resist such ideologies despite growing embracement of it.

If they are intelligent then the xenophobia and desire for authoritarian government to push policies that would be difficult to pass is what they rationally voted for. For well off intelligent racists who might get along with some minorities but see them as exceptions as opposed to the norm Trump is doing a good job.

Got to not see it through the eyes of someone who is concerned about the economy, health care, or international relations. But, bigots who have a long term idea of the America they want and willing to suffer economically for what they believe is a better future for their kind.

And those who are intelligent are good at arguing they aren’t racist, which is why they are smart enough to come up with slogans like America first as opposed to ethnic cleansing and use of minorities in some positions to point as examples of how they are totally not racist.

Sorry to tell you this but the racism really resonated with them.