In Virginia, Biden calls for empathy for Trump backers: ‘We have got to let it go.’

[DonViejo]

With an eye to postelection unity, Vice President Biden on Monday evening urged supporters in Fairfax County, Va., to prepare to let go of anger toward Donald Trump and empathize with the fury driving his supporters.

Biden appeared alongside Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) and their spouses in a final-hour push to secure a Democratic victory in Virginia. And the sometimes sharp-tongued Biden offered a tone of reconciliation in his final pre-election campaign stop.

“I’ve been tough on Donald Trump, as tough as anyone,” said Biden, who just two weeks ago mused about taking the GOP contender “behind the gym” if he was in high school again. “But when this election is over, we have got to let it go.”

“God willing, we are going to win this, but there are a lot of people who are going to vote for Donald Trump,” Biden said. “We have to figure out why, what’s eating at them. Some of it will be unacceptable, but some of it will be about hard truths about our country and about our economy.”

“We have got to stop being blinded by anger. We have to start seeing each other again.”

-snip-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/07/in-virginia-biden-calls-for-empathy-for-trump-backers-we-have-got-to-let-it-go/?wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1

[RandySF]

2. I do empathize with some

Some people are voting out of sheer frustration at being left behind.

[ronnie624]

61. Trump supporters are not being "left behind".

Most of them earn a good living at a job with good benefits, and have little trouble making it in life, according to data on the matter. They're angry about something, but it isn't because they don't have the necessities for a comfortable, secure existence. There are other elements at work here.

[C_U_L8R]

4. Yes BUT

the rightwing lying, racism, bigotry, etc has to stop - especially in their media.
It's absolutely unacceptable.

[still_one]

5. Joe, it isn't up to us, it is up to them. We aren't the ones who called for armed revolt

[tymorial]

56. True but how we respond to those childish threats

demonstrates our character and maturity.

[still_one]

59. Don't assume they are childish

[obamanut2012]

6. Nope, not this time -- all it got us before was Teabaggers

[dalton99]

12. Bingo.

[Dawson Leery]

53. ..and it got Lincoln and JFK assassinated.

[Lotusflower70]

8. Joe Biden

He is such a classy guy. And as for why we have to be the adults, you have seen the GOP right? Good luck finding an adult there. I know the racism, sexism and hate that fills their hearts. But they are part of this country too. Just like Romney's 47%. We have to bridge the gap wherever we can as hard as it may be. We are one nation. And the President has to work on behalf of all and reach across the aisle. We can't give up on humanity.

[vi5]

9. Yeah.....no.

We're not the ones voting and acting and speaking out of anger.

They've finally exposed themselves as unrepentant racists, bigots, and misogynists. They are the ones who need to "let it go" and accept that their time has gone and it is not coming back.

As far as I'm concerned every single Trump voter including any of my own family and friends can straight out go fuck themselves. I'll never look at or speak to any of them in the same way again.

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. +1000000!

[dalton99]

10. Not when they're talking about Hillary's impeachment and doing her harm

You can't turn the other cheek to snakes

[Demsrule86]

13. Biden is a good man.

Sadly, I can not warm up to Trump deplorables...they are a racist misogynist group...just can't do it.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

14. You know Joe is thinking "This is a big fucking deal!"

FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT

[smorkingapple]

15. Fuck them. I feel no sympathy at all. They spent years telling POC to stop blaming others

now I'm supposed to feel sorry for them that what we were railing about 2-3 decades ago when capitalism eviscerated the inner cities is now hitting the suburbs? Especially when combined with racist policies?

Stop blaming others for your problems

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps

Stop playing the victim card

Remember those words?

Fuck those people. They want to go the way of the dinosaur, let them watch the comet enter the atmosphere.

[Kelt_Gyrl]

17. I will try to let go if they don't riot and start threatening to take over the Whitehouse.

I appreciate Bernie Sanders call for unity but there is a big question that remains to be answered. Will DTC supporters follow Donald when he wants revenge and wants them to retaliate? Many of his supporters seem to already have extremist views which they apparently aren't ready to change and they have already threatened to take arms with a Hillary win. The worth of a person is best seen in defeat. If they are gracious and respectful, they are a good person and a professional. If they scream and rant and threaten, they are a disturbed individual and need to be treated that way.

I give what I get. I try to be respectful but if the other person can't be, I walk away because it isn't worth a fight. If they start a fight I will finish it because I refuse to be intimidated by a bully. Today will show the person that Trump is and whether his supporters are the same or are just confused people. I have been in law enforcement and I know how to read people and I can say that Trump will not go easily and it may get really ugly. I expect the worse but hope for the best.

[Wounded Bear]

19. He's a very wise man...

and he's speaking the truth. Like Lincoln said:

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

Sure, we need to be firm about our progressive principles, but we do need to live with the "other side" too.

[adigal]

78. And look what they did to the country and then Lincoln

Tore us apart. All they understood and understand is force. Sadly.

[TrekLuver]

20. I'd be more than willing....but we are not dealing with sane people here. Does Biden understand

where to root lies to this insanity? Does he understand that these lying news sites are cultivating this? This is not going away.

[Kelt_Gyrl]

21. oops, typo!

I should have said Joe Biden Not Bernie Sanders in my post. Sorry for the confusion!

[VulgarPoet]

25. Bullshit.

If hatchets are getting buried, they'll be in foreheads and chests. Everyone who voted for Trump effectively voted to give a bunch of mangy, flea-bitten backwoods sister-fucking rednecks free rein to talk about lynching me and/or anyone like me in broad daylight, rather than in the safety of their swamp-ridden safe havens and klan rallies. Fuck. That.

[dalton99]

31. Yep. Bigotry is not like a headache that you can fix

and this election has made it more permanent

[Turin_C3PO]

48. I feel the same way.

These assholes need to be held accountable for their actions. One small quibble is the worst racists I've seen aren't in the backwoods (or the city of course) but in the towns and suburbs. The worst thing is that people think because I fit the demographic, that they can talk shit about their hated groups without consequence. I quickly shut them down.

[Fahrenthold451]

26. Too early, Joe

[enki23]

27. We can't afford to stare into the face of American Fascism and "let it go."

I don't propose we try to round them up, for fucks sake. As if it would be possible in any case. But we can't fucking forgive and forget either. They won't.

[Montauk6]

28. Sure, if they let go of Vince Foster.

[dalton99]

34. and the EMAILS!

[SamKnause]

35. Sorry Joe, I disagree.

They are the enemy !!!

Everything they represent and the policies they enact will destroy this country.

I am not angry.

I can not find common ground with people who deny science, facts, and common sense.

I don't want bipartisanship with the Republican party.

They have already moved this country too far to the right.

They must be stopped, not coddled.

They must be laughed at and ridiculed off the public stage.

They are an embarrassment.

[Osakagreg]

36. Yup! For my own sanity if not for any other reason.

Republicans will be republicans. Not sure there is anything I can do to help them.

[Va Lefty]

37. Biden’s a good man, but I have little if any empathy for bigots and authoritarians

[procon]

38. He's one of a kind, a man with real class. nt

[lunasun]

39. Good for you Joe but I will still be on their hate list tomorrow so when they let "it" go and

as a movement apologize and act decent maybe I will think about it . Amnesia isn't a flip switch

Not holding my breath waiting for them it didn't happen after civil rights laws or gay marriage
They just keep fighting equality and justice and didn't wake up just last June like this or hate POC because of NAFTA
They will fight our new POTUS at every turn I bet and fight her jobs bills just like they did with Obama so if it is the economy blame their own reps they elect . Let those house reps go
Really reconciliation for me not a top priority. Let us who are already together work on the dem platform points and the future of this already great country. We need to move forward

Even if you were not a specific target Joe remember they declared your country not great and weakened and a demagogue and fascism was their selected solution. They can rise and grow even more powerful with time.

Wont harrass them but won't let how numerous and far they got be forgotten

[HipChick]

43. Not me...I hold grudges...

Birtherism, total disrespect for President Obama, Racial Slurs

What's eating at them? People who don't look like them...

[Paladin]

44. Biden is a kinder, classier guy than I am, I guess.

After what they've put us through this election cycle, I'm in no mood to forgive Trump's supporters. They imposed literally the worst presidential candidate in this country's history on us---they deserve nothing but our scorn, at this point.

[geek tragedy]

55. yeah, fuck that. They're going to be declaring war on us nonstop, that's all they do, is seethe and

resent.

Just ignore the fuckers.

[CharlotteVale]

62. Sorry, no can do. I live in Fairfax County and I plan on always hating Donald Trump with

the white hot heat of a thousand suns.

[Quiet_Dem_Mom]

63. My neighbor put a Trump bumper sticker on his truck a few weeks ago.

That was a letdown. I knew he was a R (most are in this county), but this man is a genuinely nice person who drops everything to help a neighbor. He even volunteered to drive out to help my in-laws when their heater gave out during a cold snap.

The neighbors are also a Gold Star family. Their son died in Afghanistan and his two daughters visit their grandparents frequently. This bumper sticker showed up way after the Dem convention. Way after Trump's month-long tirade against the Khan family. Way after it came to light that that Hate Orange didn't even know what a Gold Star family was. Way after the "pu**y" grabbing Hollywood Access tape.

Seems like some Republicans have such a low threshold for their candidate that the only thing they require is the R next to their name.

I can't even begin to understand that thought process.

[renate]

66. thank you for sharing that

If I'm puzzled by how such a nice person like that could support Trump, you must be truly flabbergasted (and disappointed) since you know him well.

But it's nice to be reminded that not all Trump supporters are rabid and frothing at the mouth like the ones we see on TV. It's still a real puzzle, but it's a good reminder.

[MoonRiver]

64. Uh, NO.

Those scum need to be closely monitored by the FBI AND CIA. A lot of them are outright traitors and possibly domestic terrorists.

[Afromania]

65. huh?

What's with all of this let's feel bad for the Trump supporters garbage our side is starting to spew?!!? I'm all for us all living here on starship Earth, but those guys are just vicious. There is nothing we can do or say that will get them to work with us in doing anything. Infact , they are willing to even work against themselves to spite the Left.

Cmon, just look at how they are Savaging Republicans that, justifiably, think Trump is batshit and unfit for the office of the President. The tiny hand brigade is/was willing to sink the entire GOP for a freaking Orange Cheeto Nazi, Faux Jesus wannabe, Nero incarnate, Derptron 9000 that will throw them to the dogs as soon as look at them. There is no way they will be anything less than openly hostile towards us after this. We can be as nice as can be any it won't change anything at all.

Well, in any case, good job Deplorables because after today not only will the revolution be dead but the Republican Party as well. The only thing positive to come from Trump's run is that he kicked the rock looking for votes. NOW we can finally see all the filth that has been festering just out of site. You can't fight what you can't see.

[LAS14]

68. If we want to stop gridlock we have to begin by following Biden's advice.

It doesn't help to say "They oughta wanna." We can only control ourselves.

[adigal]

79. You're kidding, right?? Please tell me you are. Obama tried this.

Does Merrick Garland mean anything to you? Collusion of the FBI and the Trump campaign. Gridlock sucks, but it's better than compromising with monsters.

[qwlauren35]

74. Yeah, we need to do this.

In the same way that Bernie supporters have voted for Hillary, despite their views that she is not the best candidate, but she's the Democratic nominee, there are Republican voters, especially pro-life and pro-gun voters, who voted for Trump because he's the Republican nominee. We differ in opinions, but we want a strong country. There are people who simply didn't want a political insider. They aren't hateful. There are people who honestly believed that Trump could bring back manufacturing jobs, especially to some of our impoverished areas. They aren't hateful.

Some people simply overlooked the bluster and bullsh*t and liked the policy statements. Or liked an aspect of the message, weren't affected by the rest, and therefore couldn't relate. (White privilege at its finest.)

I don't hate those people. I have to accept that those people live in the same country as I do. I can't kick them out. I just have to hope that many of their kids have different views.

Frankly, I don't have the energy to hate. I have better things to do.

And realize that those who hate don't really have much of a life if they have nothing better to do.

[NastyRiffraff]

75. Joe Biden is a much nicer person than I am

I won't let it go. I won't forget how this incompetent, racist, misogynist, xenophobic monster tried to take over my country and become a dictator. Make no mistake, that was his intention, although of course he wouldn't call it that. Donald Trump should be an anathema everywhere for the rest of his life. As for the people who supported him, it's too bad stupidity isn't against the law. What IS against the law is advocating assassination. We heard a lot of that from supporters and the candidate himself, and I won't ever forget it.

[adigal]

77. No. No empathy. None. They want to jail Hillary. Screw them.

I've had it with empathy. It's gotten us Republicans who are treasonous with impunity.