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In reply to the discussion: Why Do Hillary Supporters Lose Their Minds When You Criticize Her? [View all]Kall
(615 posts)Go on Twitter and you can just follow the people who you like and agree with. You can choose the news outlet that gives you what you want - if you're conservative you can watch Fox, if you're liberal, you can watch MSNBC. Even on DU, you see it - if you want to shut out differing opinions, you can go to the Hillary group or Bernie group - and then go on "open" forums to argue, having had your beliefs reinforced unchallenged. If you go on Daily Kos, I guess there's some kind of unspoken rule that I didn't realize - you're not allowed to post comments against the candidates in diaries that are marked "for Bernie" or "for Hillary". I don't think it's healthy, but there it is.
After enough of this, it's natural to have your beliefs reinforced without being challenged, and believe that all criticism is invalid and from the other party. I went into a Daily Kos diary that was complaining about why people don't believe Hillary is trustworthy and honest. I pointed out that it was in large part because of her policy reversals, and incidents like making up stories of being under Bosnian sniper fire to boost her foreign policy resume, and standing by the lie (and lying about the people who accompanied her who said it never happened) until the video came out. In response, I was attacked as purveying a "right-wing smear" with the Bosnian sniper story that she made up herself, and mocked with photos of dogs and pandas. My comment was then flagged and removed - if you want the root of the problem, it probably begins with the fact that truthful statements about Hillary's credibility in response to a question is a site violation. Hillary attacks Bernie's single-payer health care plan using Republican talking points (Eek! Taxes! Don't mention elimination of private insurance costs!) and hasn't presented any form of plan of her own, but it doesn't seem to shake her supporters' faith in the idea that she's highly committed to universal health care.
I just don't understand people who do this. I don't have a problem admitting that as reprehensible as Trump's campaign is in other ways, he's arguing the right positions on free trade and being less militarily interventionist, and those positions have real resonance this year. Hillary is going to be ridiculed when she tries to argue that she's really against the TPP, based on her record for both selling it and every other trade agreement. And rightly so. That doesn't mean I like Trump, and no, "he makes his ties in China" is not going to be an effective response - his will be that he doesn't make the rules by which his business needs to compete, and it'll be valid.