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In reply to the discussion: Anthony Bourdain eviscerates privileged Eastern liberals' for utter contempt of working-class [View all]spin
(17,493 posts)52. If I had polling data how could I tell if it was accurate or not? ...
All the polling data prior to the election showed Trump had ABSOLUTELY no path to win 270 votes in the Electoral College. I had great faith in these polls but they were dead wrong. Consequently I have developed a lot of distrust for polls and the people who take them.
I did find this interesting opinion piece in the Boston Globe.
Understanding the undecided voters
By Diane Hessan NOVEMBER 21, 2016
***snip***
At first, I couldnt understand how anyone could be undecided. The distinction between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was so clear to me, the gap so wide. Much to my surprise, it was easy to find the Undecideds: people who had significant enough reservations about both candidates that they were searching for a sign, looking for more information, or just waiting it out until November.
Over the summer, I found and interviewed over 300 undecided voters, and 250 of them agreed to stay in touch, to send me weekly diary entries about their emotions, what they were thinking about both Clinton and Trump, and how they were leaning when it came to their vote. I had no responsibility to change their views; instead, I synthesized the data that I was collecting, and reported in to the campaign. I also added the insights that I had and made regular suggestions about how the campaign might better articulate its positions and modify its strategies
***snip***
During the debates, I tracked what was compelling and reported in. They liked it when Clinton was calm and not shouting. They were bombarded by NRA ads that claimed Clinton would take away their guns. It bothered them that Trump was a bully and was outrageous in his insensitivity to people with disabilities. It bothered them that someone on Clintons staff literally took a hammer and smashed her Blackberries. On the other hand, Bernie Sanders was right: My voters were sick of hearing about e-mails.
Last week, I reread all of my notes. There was one moment when I saw more undecided voters shift to Trump than any other, when it all changed, when voters began to speak differently about their choice. It wasnt FBI Director James Comey, Part One or Part Two; it wasnt Benghazi or the e-mails or Bill Clintons visit with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the tarmac. No, the conversation shifted the most during the weekend of Sept. 9, after Clinton said, You can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.
***snip***
Things were not the same after that, at least with my voters. I remember wondering whether that moment was like Romneys 47 percent: a comment during a fund-raiser from which the candidate would never recover, proof that, like Romney, Clinton was an out-of-touch rich person who didnt really get it. It struck me that many of the people who were considering Trump were just hard-working Americans who wanted better odds for a good life.
***snip***
It is crushing to me that Clinton lost. When my mother was dying, in 2014, she told me that her only regret was that she never saw a woman president. I wanted to see one, and Clinton was my big chance: a smart, committed, experienced woman who would be trusted to deal with the most serious of crises. I could taste her victory: Even with her flaws, she was running against a misogynistic, racist, inexperienced birther.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/11/21/understanding-undecided-voters/9EjNHVkt99b4re2VAB8ziI/story.html
The surprising part to me is that if Hillary did lose a significant number of the undecided voters because of her "deplorable" statement why didn't Trump lose even more undecided voters with his many obnoxious statements? Did the undecided voters give Trump a break because he wasn't a polished politician?
To be honest there are times when I feel I have stepped into a parallel universe where the rules are far different and logic is illogical. The problem is I can't seem to find a way to return to my home universe.
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Anthony Bourdain eviscerates privileged Eastern liberals' for utter contempt of working-class [View all]
FarCenter
Dec 2016
OP
Anyone who is willing to destroy the country due to hurt feelings deserves the condescension.
LonePirate
Dec 2016
#2
And the far end of the spectrum of rhetoric coming from Trumpist Dumbfuckistan, people get killed.
baldguy
Dec 2016
#22
The real irony here is that the right-wingers scream about 'special snowflakes wanting safe spaces'
LeftishBrit
Dec 2016
#72
Another white or rich liberal who can afford Benedict Donald... why listen to these people?
uponit7771
Dec 2016
#7
The fact the term 'working-class' has been hijacked by the right and the left keeps using it
nini
Dec 2016
#9
"The contempt is not for the 'working-class' but those who voted with their racism, homophobia..."
Different Drummer
Dec 2016
#73
do you have any polling data to support your assertion? If not, I would
KingCharlemagne
Dec 2016
#49
I clicked on this thread intending to reply "You mean yourself, you smug asshole?"
Iggo
Dec 2016
#35
Bourdain is assuming everyone is like him. He is an extreme elitist. I doubt he thinks any of us
stevenleser
Dec 2016
#38
I have contempt for stupid, racist, hate-filled people regardless of whatever the hell they are.
BlueStater
Dec 2016
#50
There's some parts of the South where I suspect he'd get his ass kicked...
Buckeye_Democrat
Dec 2016
#56
I might point out to Anthony that if it wasn't for "privileged Eastern liberals," the people he is
Vinca
Dec 2016
#62