Reach Out to Trump Voters

[RecoveringJournalist]

This is a bit old. But it's a good article nonetheless.

I'm of the mindset that if we collectively demonize and shun Trump voters that we are giving them what they actually want - or what they have been instructed to seek by their mind-controlling "media" sources. They're being instructed to completely shun anyone who disagrees with their worldview - that anyone with an alternative view is not to be trusted and is not a "real" American. How can we move forward as a country in this fashion?

In my eyes it's better to engage them in open discussion without yelling and name-calling. Try to find common ground away from political discussions first. Then admit to some weaknesses in your party's platform (and there are plenty to choose from). This softens their view a bit about you as a person. Then you can begin talking about REAL facts.

Allowing tribalism to fester unchallenged runs the risk of eventual armed conflict.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/dont-demonize-trump-voters/

[hatrack]

1. Be my guest . . . .

I have better things to do with my time.

[moda253]

2. More like be ready to educate them when THEY reach out

Otherwise we are wasting time effort and valuable resources to try and reach people that do not seem able to understand how to look out for themselves.

They do not want our help and would not accept it. THere is half a country that doesn't vote... Spend time reaching THOSE people.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. Yes - we do need to spend

Time reaching out to people who did not vote. ITA - a much better use of our time and resources. There are many Americans who feel left out of the process or that it is a waste of time. . . in light of this total cluster fuck right now - we need to assure them and pull them into the process.

[lib-ruhl]

11. Those are my same thoughts.

Motivate the non-voters. The conversion rate of 45 supporters would be so small, it wouldn't be worth the time or effort. There was a shit load of people who didn't vote that would make a huge difference at the polls.

[ismnotwasm]

17. Yes!

I agree, engaging the ones who aren't "into" politics, or feel (or are) disenfranchised is a resource of richness, that doesn't include trying to "understand" racists and bigots and those who want to combine church and state

[LisaM]

51. Yes, I think that's right. I know of a Trump voter who now hates him

and it's over animal rights. I could have told her ahead of time that he came in dead last as far as animal rights go. It would have been pointless.

Then he signed some bill into law that stripped away some animal protections and she went ballistic. At THAT point, I referenced what I'd known during the campaign, but I didn't say it in a judgmental way, just stated it in a matter of fact way.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. Agree to Disagree

From the Blog:

*****
This vote was not a referendum on the moral standing of 47 percent of American voters, and it’s a dangerous mistake to assume all Trump supporters espouse the same ugly values of the candidate.
*****


It was and remains so for me. I know that Donald Trump is inferior to me on every metric. I also believe that birds of a feather flock together.

What you permit you promote.

They permitted it.

They should forever be tied to this decision.


This isn't going to go the way of the Iraq War. There were MANY Americans who were demonized and treated as 'unAmerican' because we didn't get along to go along with the status quo. We weren't 'conciliatory'.

I would suggest this to the author of the blog - They won. They have to be the better sportsmen/women and reach out to us. It's not incumbent on us to lick their heels. Even then, I can't trust them. I've become a Horrible, Terrible Russophobe these past few months and "I see Russians. I see Russians everywhere."

Truthfully - I don't want them in my yard.

[ollie10]

5. Many Trumpkins are brainwashed

Period.

You are not going to reduce their tribalism by showing weaknesses of their opponents. This will only increase their tribalism.

The die hard Trumpkins are cult-like

.

[RecoveringJournalist]

6. I don't think it's irreversible

I have several longtime friends who are conservative and very educated. Talking to some of them today is COMPLETELY different than doing so several years ago. A friend of mine who is community leader and looms large in local Democratic Party issues agrees. She says they are different people.

If the opportunity arises, I'm engaging people in my circle. I've actually been able to soften the hardcore party stance of two of them so far. I've found that it is possible. But you need to be able to point out some Democratic shortcomings to get them to let you in.

Sure, some cannot be reached. But I think it's unwise to lump all of them into the same basket.

[SharonClark]

14. Ok, I'll engage with you first

How is talking to them today different than doing so several years ago?
What does you friend mean when she says "they are different people"?
What Democratic shortcomings do you point out?
What Republican shortcomings do they point out?

[RecoveringJournalist]

18. Wow

Alright.

Question 1) Today they are more entrenched in right wing talking points after years of exposure to their alternate sources. They seem to have become more closed-minded overall.

2) When before they would be more willing to be rational and open to alternative points of view, that is not as much of the case these days. See answer #1.

3) Bernie was shafted plain and simple. And that has NOTHING to do with whether or not I agree with him over Hillary. Also the Dems are embracing big money. They shouldn't. Do you want me to go on?

4) They said Obamacare isn't as bad as they had originally thought. They said that Republican voters are not taking the Russia allegations as seriously as they need to.

Waiting for the closed-minded people to "reach out first" is like waiting for the Koch brothers to admit their wrongdoings. Ain't gonna happen.

But hey, never mind. Let's just go to our respective corners and come out swinging.

[ollie10]

29. It depends on who you are talking about

My point is that the true Trump believers......they are irreversible. Think Jonestown.

My question to you is why is it US who should point out the bad in Democrats? The Trumpkins do a good job of that by themselves.

We didn't lose the election because we didn't criticize Democrats enough.....and we won't win elections unless we start shouting out how good our ideas are, not how bad they are.

[JustAnotherGen]

32. Yeah - Republicans do a pretty good job

In pointing out what they 'think' is bad about the Democratics.

I'm racking my brain about bad things that white male Christian republicans think are 'bad things' about Democratic Party and well . . .

This black Unitarian woman is probably not the best person to point these so-called 'bad things' out.

My very existence is an offense to that demographic you know!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. How are you going to do this?

[RecoveringJournalist]

8. Read post #6

EOM

[Wounded Bear]

9. Good luck with that...

it is my experience that when you "reach out" to them, they are the ones who start the yelling and name-calling. I suppose you could duct tape them to a chair and play Enya to them for 36 hours or so to try and calm them down, but I doubt that would work.

[Blue_Tires]

10. Not this bullshit yet again... Let them extend the olive branch FIRST

When rural white folks start caring about the issues affecting urban minorities half as much as I'm supposed to be caring about THEM, then we might be able to talk. Lest we forget, that's how politics is supposed to work -- You give something to get something.

Am I the only one wondering why brash, blustery, unfiltered Trumpites have such fragile egos when they've spent a generation mocking the "PC Thought Police, Microagressions, Safe Spaces, Diversity, etc. etc."

[JustAnotherGen]

35. Nope you aren't

Really - they have fragile egos and are sensitive souls? I'm right there with you - I'm not buying that.

[The Polack MSgt]

36. exactly my thoughts as well

They poisoned the water thinking that only other people would get sick, and now I'm supposed to give a rat's ass about their sadness.

They still don't fucking care about anyone but themselves - they are just having a pity party because they assumed that all the bad things would only happen to the Blacks and the Mexicans and Muslims and the liberals and gays and the Jews and Trans people and pro-choice women and the college educated and on and on and on...

But sure let's talk about how Democrats are bad - that'll make a difference

[brer cat]

48. ITA.

Well said.

[EffieBlack]

68. THIS!

[Orrex]

12. Fuck every last one of those idiot racist fuckheads.

Last edited Tue Jul 11, 2017, 03:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Just one time, let's let those idiot racist fuckheads reach out to us, for fuck's sake.

If Democrats win the election, we're immediately told "We need to reach out to Republicans."
If Republicans win the election, we're immediately told "We need to reach out to Republicans."

Fuck that. We are the victims of theft. They STOLE the fucking election from us. We have absolutely no obligation to reach out to them.


We reach out them, but they do not want our outreach.

We understand them perfectly well, but they do not want our understanding.

We try to empathize with them, and they mock our empathy as weakness.


Fuck them. And I have no patience for nominal Progressives who roll over and show their submissive bellies to the very same idiot racist fuckheads who are looking for a soft place to stab.

[VermontKevin]

19. This. I'm done with the reachout when they can't give the courtesy of a reacharound. nt

[The Polack MSgt]

43. Heh

[Moostache]

13. Anyone who voted for Trump is complicit in the destruction of the USA...

I have no use for them and would rather spend my energy formulating plans for how we partition this once proud nation into 2 halves and still maintain a contiguous land mass between the coasts that is part of the United States!

I believe that forming a border with Canada on the North, the United States where the current border is and a new Confederate States border to the south of that existing line is the best solution. About 100 miles should be sufficient, though 200 may be better to keep them away from our infrastructure. Unfortunately, for people like myself stuck in St. Louis, East Kansas, we'll likely have to depart the area or submit to life in the Confederacy...same for other urban centers in the mid-west and south...places like Louisville, Nashville, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Memphis and others...sad days ahead indeed.

Sure, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Idaho and Washington will lose some territory to the USA in the process, but it would allow for a contiguous United States stretching from Maine to California without ever having to cross Confederate land as we go (and the treasonous rat bastards in the Neo-Confederacy will likewise stretch from Florida to Arizona in an unbroken line...look on the bright side, it is a lot of flat land along that northern border, a grand opportunity for a new, high-speed rail corridor from Chicago to Seattle. In 30 years, those of us who leave the hellholes in red states won't even remember them and will look back as a great time of renewal and opportunity.

I'll miss the national parks in Utah and Wyoming and Colorado...but hey, in 30 years when the Neo-Confederacy is over run with fallow lands, uneducated morons for a population and President Baron Trump, they may just decide to secede from the Neo-Confederacy and sue for reinstatement to the union....otherwise, fuck them...wallow in stupidity, die from starvation and disease and don't even THINK about sneaking into union territory as illegal immigrants seeking opportunity and better life...I no longer wish to share the bond of countryman with these mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, superstition-loving, asshats. They can all piss off, treat each lother like shit and worship their rich while they collectively die as a result.

Of course, the price they must pay for their "freedom"? ALL military assets of the United States are returned to the lands of the United States and NO Nuclear weapons are EVER permitted in the Neo-Confederacy....we cannot allow them to become the 22nd century North Korea under some future Trump descendants.

[bresue]

15. I agree...and I try, try so hard not preach to them....

I start with open ended questions and let them talk (if they are civil and open). Sometimes, they come to the answer through self discovery.

Sometimes not...but then that is America...we are allowed to choose.

[RecoveringJournalist]

20. Yes

And if works ONE time it was worth the effort.

[Orrex]

23. No, that's a recipe for a guaranteed Republican majority

The same effort that it takes to win over one idiot racist fuckhead would enable 10,000 disenfranchised Democratic voters to cast their ballots.

It's simple math: kiss the ass of the person who deliberately voted to destroy the nation, or empower thousands of oppressed victims.

[BainsBane]

16. Insults should be reserved for Democrats

We are frequently told that as corporatist, neoliberal shills, we are the problem. Trump voters, including White Supremacists, are to be treated as allies, while the Democratic majority and their party are the problem.

Yeah, we've gotten the memo, about a hundred times now. The fact that the argument for allying with the right is not reflected in treatment toward Democratic voters does not go unnoticed.

While I'm not familiar with the OP, I can say that in the past the same people who have previously advanced this argument have shown absolutely no willingness to engage in conversation with Democratic voters who disagree with them in the most minor areas (rarely having to do with issues). So there may be a number of reasons for adopting such a position, but it's clear it has nothing to do with Democratic electoral prospects.

[Orrex]

22. You're also a misandrist, don't forget.

So many labels, so little time.

[BainsBane]

24. that's because I like ice cream

[Orrex]

26. Love that gif!

[BASE]

21. There are quite a few I'd love to reach out and smack

MO is pretty red so there are unlimited opportunities for me.

We do have a lot of single issue voters here, those are the ones that might be worth talking to. It's been hard since this election though....

[Duppers]

25. Tried

They only get angry - too brainwashed.

[Fluke a Snooker]

27. Sorry, the racists MUST be taken on. Millennials are taking notes

...and they are NOT happy with the Republican Party.

In my opinion, it is impossible for Democracy to work with Republicans allowed to vote.

[Squinch]

28. .

[louis-t]

30. I don't engage, but if THEY say anything

I have been shaming them. "You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You didn't do your homework" or "You people want sooo bad for a so-called 'businessman' to run the country like a business and you think that will save us all. Well, you were wrong. A business is a business and a country is a country."

[C_U_L8R]

31. My sister is one

but I'd need a hazmat suit and permethrin to go into that den of deplorables.
I just ignore her.

[Paladin]

33. Fuck that. They have proven to be unworthy of our kindness.

There's nothing to be done about their rabid desire for conflict---they hate us too much, and they are too stupid to change their ways. Put all your efforts into getting more Democrats elected to office, where some real good can still be accomplished. The smarter segment of the trump bloc will eventually come crawling back to us; the rest of them should be permanently written off as the losers they are.

[LanternWaste]

34. Critical thought and logic do not penetrate dogma and bias.

Critical thought and logic do not penetrate dogma and bias-- as the former is merely learned while the latter is part and parcel of human nature.

The geologist reaching out to Joe Six-Pack who believes the earth is 6,000 years old is an exercise in futility.

[Orrex]

37. .

[hamsterjill]

38. Best of luck in your trying to acccomplish that.

The Trump supporters' egos are too important to them. They will never admit that they made a mistake. They will defend him until the end of their days. If he's found guilty of treason, they will still be blaming it all on Hillary and Obama.

If we "admit to some weaknesses", they will only see that as complete and utter weakness, pounce on it, and use it against us in the future.

The way we defeat them is to outnumber them.

[Fluke a Snooker]

40. We outnumber them at least 99 to 1 worldwide

What needs to happen is to expedite them into our country, where we can fast-track their voting rights. This will be taken care of in the next generation. What we MUST do now, though, is to get in the faces of ALL republicans, particularly at their town halls, at their campaign headquarters, and frankly, ANYTIME they are out in public, and to shame all of their associates and family into compliance with the progressive agenda.

[hamsterjill]

45. We need to incentivize more Americans to get to the polls and vote.

We already outnumber them in America with citizens. Hillary won the popular vote. We need to concentrate on getting voters to the polls, making sure voting rolls are not improperly purged, etc. We need to concentrate on gerrymandering and making voting districts fair again rather than district lines being cast to benefit Republicans.

I'm with you on the town halls, except that in my own state, neither Senator is having any town halls that I know of. Because they are too afraid of what their constituents will say to them. Big cowards!

[Fluke a Snooker]

49. We need to direct our new citizens to red/purple states and purple representative districts

Perhaps we can have George Soros seed a massive residential settlement in red and purple states so we can challenge and then dominate states to permanently subvert the deplorable and racist votes and super-majoritize the Senate and House with progressives, as well as guarantee that every president from now on will be a progressive. Once we have the house, senate, and presidency again this time around, we can then work to change the constitution to eliminate the electoral college, sealing the fate of republicans and conservatives, from which we can then shift capitalism to socialism in one fell swoop, repatriate all property oppressively owned by racists, and ensure that the purpose of all worth is to redistribute assets only to those in need, eliminating greed, and finally entering the global community with our head held high.

First, though, let's get those residential settlements in place.

[ProfessorGAC]

39. Your Own Post #18 Seems To Suggest This Is Doomed To Failure

They don't listen anymore, they're completely entrenched, they used to listen to rational points but now they don't, . . .

What part of your own argument are you not seeing?

[billh58]

41. As Ron White says

"you can't fix stupid."

[sheshe2]

42. No thanks.

[Demtexan]

44. I will.

With a 2x4.

[JHB]

46. Love your enemies,it'll drive them crazy - Mark Twain

More crazy, in a lot of cases. Just don't expect any dramatic turnarounds. But don't let them burn the MAGA caps and pretend they never voted for him, either.

[murielm99]

47. They can reach out to us,

not the other way around.

How can we move forward as a country? By outvoting them. There are more of us to begin with.

I live in a red county. I see those assholes daily. I am not reaching out to them.

[hatrack]

50. For your edification . . .

"I guess maybe kill someone..Just in cold blood." - Trump voter, on what Trump would have to do to lose her support

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/07/13/trump-country-russia-scandal/474789001/

Link to tweet

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029327866

[lpbk2713]

52. Sounds good in theory.

But most of the Rs I have spoken with are adamant.

Their willful ignorance is stronger than my patience.

[Corgigal]

53. Obama tried that.

Smarter, nicer person then me. Didn't work too well.

I rather talk and work with people with a open mind.

[EffieBlack]

54. I might be more open to this if

African Americans expressing concerns and frustration were deemed to be worth this kind of effort and outreach.

Instead, we're treated as if we're just whiners who don't understand the realities of politics and need to stop bitching already and get with the program - and we're even told that efforts to address our concerns are one of the main reasons the party is losing (you know, "identity politics&quot .

And then we have to watch while people in our party insist on chasing after and begging the support of people who don't give a shit about us and, in fact aren't likely to vote Democratic unless and until they're assured that our issues will take a backseat because we make them uncomfortable.

So I won't be participating in the "let's make friends with Trump voters" foolishness. As far as I'm concerned, they can stay right where they are. The party can more than make up for their lost votes if it exerts the energy it's putting into convincing Trump voters to change their minds toward supporting and mobilizing minority voters.

[The Polack MSgt]

67. I wish I could kick and rec replies

All of these " make nice with people who wish us harm" ops make my teeth itch.

Talk to Democrats. Reach out to disenfranchised voters. Oppose racists at every level. Be fucking Democrats. Unahamed and strong in our convictions.

Fuck modern day Neville Chamberlain - peace in our time - appeasement believers.

Here - here is the truth:

They hate us. They actively chose Trump because in their mind any Dem was worse.

The best of them doesn't deserve to even smell the shit of an honest Democrat

[MFM008]

55. Reach out

With a sharp wit and a dull axe.....

[MyNameGoesHere]

56. Time after time after time and after time and after time

And after time and after time and after time, if you reach out, they find it easier to land the blade in your back.

You need to remember the forever and ever and ever and ever and ever, and at least 20 minutes after you pass on.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

57. Many are hopeless. Some smaller percentage might be persuadable.

It doesn't help to view all Trump voters with overt hostility (although I admit that there are people I have stopped talking to since the election). But if you can discuss politics with a Trump voter without getting into a shouting match, more power to you; I'm not sure I could. However, they didn't all have the same reasons for voting for him. There are the usual low-information voters who were eager to latch onto whatever con they wanted to hear. There are people who voted for him for no reason other than that they totally hated Hillary (most of the Trump voters I know are in that group). Some people voted for him because they actually approved of his racist/sexist/xenophobic/white supremacist message (this is probably the group least likely to be influenced. They are True Believers.).

Most Trump voters won't change their minds, if they ever do, unless they are harmed in some way by policies that can't be attributed to anybody but Trump. For example, the majority of Midwestern farmers supported him, but his approach toward NAFTA and other trade issues will, if implemented, hurt them badly, as will cuts to the USDA. Farming is an unstable line of work anyhow, and crop prices have been bad for several years. If farmers start going bankrupt in large numbers because of a Trump-instigated trade war (like this: http://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2017/07/11/u-s-farmers-fear-trade-war-if-trump-penalizes-imports-steel-aluminum/468696001/), some farmers, at least, might turn against him.

But the real focus, I think, should be on people who didn't vote at all. Identify exactly why they didn't vote: Did they dislike both candidates? Did they just not care? What are they looking for in a candidate? Those are the people that can be won over. Maybe some Trump voters will desert him if he hurts them enough, but I think voter outreach energy should be focused mainly on the non-voters.

[cwydro]

58. I dont think they care if we reach out.

Right now they still think they're the winners.

[LovingA2andMI]

59. Naa....We're Good....

They're DEPLORABLE.

[JI7]

60. Fuck them. I'm tired of this shit. How about the way they talk about black people

And other minorities ?


Why are the racist white people seen as the victims

[BlueJac]

61. Fuck the idiots.....

they will always vote against themselves, no matter what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Different Drummer]

62. Anyone who can reach out to them is more charitable than I am.

Seeing as how their willful ignorance is possibly going to destroy this country, I don't have it in me. Sorry.

[xor]

63. At this point I think most rational conservatives who that would work with are no longer

Trump supporters (or never were). The conservatives that I tend to have interesting debates/discussions with are pretty much on the same page as me when it comes to Trump. The ones I know who are strident Trump supporters who make excuses for everything don't appear capable of having rational discussion. They ignore valid points and redirect to other topics when a serious discussion is attempted. If they don't like something then they call it fake news and dismiss it without any thought. I always thought engaging was the best way to deal with them, but this isn't business as usual.

[lunasun]

64. Imo it's a mission for whites to take on . Trumpers resent and won't listen to nonwhites . Good luck

Best to be Christian and hetro you know real Americanz
Maybe while you come up with all the weaknesses in the dem party you claim to choose from you will talk yourself into not voting

Nice how you scare us with threats of armed conflict
Keep on your recovery

[kcr]

65. OMG! Armed conflict!? /sarcasm

Please. I don't respond to threats. This is just the same old bullshit trying to get us to move to the right. Not buying it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

66. Fuck 'em with a rusty nail. They can "shun" the hell outta me. This is all I got for them.....