Millions of people voted against their own interests in 2016. All are not "Assholes."

[ismnotwasm]

70. Since I always respect your posts, I took a little time to think

I've posted elsewhere that as a nurse, I've cared for fox-watching Trump voters in the most intimate ways possible. I've watched them fight for life, I've watched them accept death. Professionally, I of course don't participate in personal politics at the bedside. I listen, and deflect when I need to.


So, while not always "assholes" they fall into four rough categories 1) bigots--they will rail against "illegals" in the most ignorant way possible. Or say things like "race relations got so much worse under Obama" or worse. 2) Politically ignorant. They repeat memes, are often at least superficially to deeply religious, and seem to be greatly influenced by this. Up here in the Northwest, they blame the decline of logging and fishing/crabbing on the Judge Bolt decision of 1974. There is no changing their minds about this.
3) Stupid--yes, this is a thing, although sometimes it's not so much stupidity as mental instability and prone to believe conspiracy theories. 4) Single issue voters. It might be a particular economic reason i.e. "Bring back jobs" for those whose jobs aren't practically ever coming back or it might be anti-choice activists. It might be ranchers or even hunters with a particular beef against government regulations.

This last category are actually least likely to be "assholes" on a personal level, although I vehemently disagree with their opinions. There is no changing their minds about votes, although reasonable conversation can be had. They are often torn, like the public school teacher I met in Ohio, who disliked the things Trump was saying,but "could never" vote for Hillary and in the end voted her anti-choice conscience.

Or some combination of these categories.

So I don't know about "converting" votes. Our Information Age is such that any opinion you hold can be validated in some way, and truth with facts are easily ignored.

I still hold that anyone who voted for Trump after his "grab them by the pussy" comment is going to be hard to reach, and yes, many of those votes came from assholes.