General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I know this is going to be unpopular but I am friends with and I understand many Trump supporters [View all]SpankMe
(2,957 posts)I know people who run farms (large vineyards and vegetable crops where I live), and who are deployed in the military, and a couple who tend to their special needs children. These people are either out of the country for long periods or are spending 70+ hour weeks working.
Yet, all of them had the sources, means and methods to understand just what Trump is and what the real issues were. They weren't those who just "voted for change" because of "how they felt" and just drank the Kool-Aid that the country was "going in the wrong direction". They took their responsibility as citizens seriously and did some amount of actual thinking.
These people learned from a few quality sources that:
- The economy was, in fact, on the mend.
- Over 12 million jobs had been added in the last 8 years.
- The stock market had more than doubled its value in the last 8 years.
- LGBT rights saw huge gains in the last 8 years.
- Fewer Americans were dying in wars abroad.
- That attacks on women's rights were on the ascendency.
- Bigotry and racism were up.
- ...and much, much more.
Even though they still felt that things weren't as rosy as they'd like, they still were able to arrive at the conclusion that Trump wasn't the answer.
Those who voted Trump "to change the status quo" were influenced by right wing mythology that made them "feel" the country wasn't going in the right direction. They didn't do much to look in to these right wing talking points. They didn't take the time and effort and do their civic due-diligence. They willfully stayed in an information vacuum and let their prejudices run wild.
I know Hillary and Bernie voters who couldn't find work, either. They, too, felt that America wasn't going in the right direction for them. But, they had the smarts to know that in the ups and downs of economic cycles, there are going to be winners and losers. They know that the train wreck of 2007-2008 was especially severe and that the rules of recovery were now different.
But, they could also see that what Trump was promising was nothing but hot air. And some of the stuff he was promising was just downright harmful.
I know we can't characterize all Trump voters as racist ignoramuses. But it's fair to say that a majority of them are. I say this because I have seen no evidence to the contrary. In my personal sphere, it's about 40% nice people who voted Trump for change, and 60% who voted Trump and who see the world through racially-tinged, cynical, hate-liberals-at-all-cost set of eyes.
In some cases it's fair to generalize. And in this case I'll say that "I feel" a majority of Trump voters are racist, vile assholes. If their "feelings" that we're headed in the wrong direction can be taken as legitimate, then my feelings on this matter are legitimate, too.