Don't kid yourself: Bathrooms cost us this election

[jmowreader]

Just before the election I ran an ad from the Shoshone County Republican Party in one of my papers. It was one of those "if you believe x y and z then you should be one of us" ads. It listed all the normal stuff - lower taxes, less regulation, no gun control...and at the bottom of the list was "people should use the restroom of the gender they were born with."

THOSE kinds of issues killed us this year. People who voted Trump did not care if a guy who can't stay out of bankruptcy court, who buys imported steel and sells imported shirts, and who runs a business in an industry thick with illegal immigrants even cares about fixing the economy, restarting the US manufacturing sector or fixing the immigration problem. They cared about exactly one thing: is a person who was born male peeing in the ladies' room?

Well...backtrack a little. They cared about a few more things than that...like if women are getting abortions even though they know no one who's ever gotten one nor could they get one themselves, how terrible the "sanctuary city" of San Francisco (in which they wouldn't set foot if hundred-dollar bills floated down from the sky like leaves in autumn) is, or how we'd all be prosperous and happy if the government would just stop regulating everyone to death.*

Ask someone who voted for that sociopath why they did and the answer will probably be, "he will Make America Great Again." Ask them exactly what that means and you're sure to hear "you know, he'll make America great again." The reality is, either no one KNOWS what making America "great again" will entail - or they don't want to tell you America will be great when "all the people who aren't like me" are gone.

* Google "Bunker Hill Superfund site" or "B.J. Carney" to see where unregulated industry will get you. You'll love this one: in St. Maries, Idaho, there is a piece of land next to the St. Joe River that was once used for treating utility poles. When the place opened there was no such thing as a pressure treatment chamber, so they did the next best thing: dug a ditch 50 feet long, 20 feet wide and 20 feet deep, stacked poles in the ditch with wooden stickers in between, put some sort of a lid on top of the poles to keep them from floating up, and filled the ditch with creosote. A week later they'd pump the creosote out and retrieve the poles. And now you know why a city of 2200 residents has a three-story hospital with a full-time oncologist on staff.

[yardwork]

1. I don't think so.

[radical noodle]

2. Yep!

Economics was a small part of it. A very small part although many of them don't want to admit it.

[SMC22307]

11. LOL! Poll after poll, the economy was tops.

With terrorism not far behind.

[radical noodle]

13. Not with the people I know anyway

how's that?

[SMC22307]

14. Hilarious. That's how that is.

"It's the economy, stupid." ALWAYS.

[radical noodle]

15. With many but the people I know who voted for Trump

are mostly seniors... retired folks who could give a spit less if there are jobs out there. They were upset about all these strange things that we never had in the 50s. Some are even anti-birth control. All anti-abortion. Anti gay marriage. And so on.

[SMC22307]

17. Well, seniors in my circle are nothing like that...

and they voted for Hillary from Connecticut on down to North Carolina.

[radical noodle]

18. I'm in Florida

In a retirement community. One woman in our community even thought Trump was handsome, for God's sake.

[SMC22307]

19. Ew. (n/t)

[BlueStreak]

27. No. "It's the Candidate, stupid"

Yes, the economy is always important. How many times did you hear this candidate talk about hoe strong the economy actually is, with almost 7 years of uninterrupted private sector job growth?

And how convincing was this candidate about stopping the unfair trade deals? Of course, her husband signed NAFTA so she couldn't really back off that. And she was very late to give some kind of tepid, weasel-worded position on TPP. Meanwhile Trump was vigorous in his attacks on the economic state.

Alan Grayson paid for a poll that showed some very interesting results. He discussed this on Thom Hartman's show. Running against Trump, Bill C, Biden, Obama, and Sanders would have done better than Hillary. And likewise, running against Hilary, Cruz, W, Rubio, Romney, and Ryan would have done better than Trump. Both parties picked the worst possible candidates. And neither of these candidates would beat "none of the above". Grayson makes a very compelling case to require "none of the above" on the ballot. His main argument is that if you know you must beat "none of the above", then you will have to stress some positive things -- give the people reasons to vote FOR you rather than voting AGAINST the other person. Here is Grayson explaining that in detail.

&index=1&list=PLVJp0WsaT_2uPpR6rNETDWcFCISHWLdIX

[liberalnarb]

3. The Electoral College cost us the election.

Along with racism, sexism, xenophobia, islamophobia, and homophobia. We're better than this. Don't scapegoat the Transgender community.

[jmowreader]

5. I'm not scapegoating the transgender community

The people who voted for Trump because of bathrooms didn't do it because women's rooms are overflowing with Men In Dresses Ogling Your Innocent Daughter - most of those assholes never saw a TG person in their lives. They are freaking out because somewhere, sometime, there MIGHT be someone doing that.

In a very real sense it was members of the species H.sapiens like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, who were instrumental in demonizing anyone they didn't like, who inflicted the mangled apricot hellbeast on the rest of the world.

[ucrdem]

4. No the VRWC did what they're good at and stole it under cover of wedge-issue-du-jour.

Old story but it wasn't bathrooms and it wasn't BLM. Basically we won.

[HassleCat]

6. Easy to understand.

If ya gotta schlong, ya use the men's room! Issues like this attract a surprising number of voters. We like simplistic stuff and simplistic solutions, as elucidated by simplistic candidates.

[GeorgeGist]

7. That would explain why Trump won North Carolina ...

and McCrory ???

[SMC22307]

10. Last I heard, McCrory is trailing Cooper by at least 7,000 votes...

and has requested a full recount.

[LostOne4Ever]

8. it wasnt even an issue this year.... nt

[Demsrule86]

9. So in order to win we must throw LGBTQ, Transgender, women, minorities,

undocumented, and Muslims under the bus...that is kind of a 'pale' idea of freedom now don't you think...kind of a white dudes sort of Democratic Party and Republicanesque...of course we would be selling our soul and still lose.

[SMC22307]

12. Horseshit. None of them need to be thrown under the bus...

INCLUDING white working class males. Howard Dean understood that as DNC chair. Why didn't the Hillary campaign listen to the warnings?

[Demsrule86]

24. This is the problem.

Some people seem to think by supporting civil rights for all ...we somehow are throwing white voters under the bus. I find blaming Transgender folks particularly hurtful as they have a very tough time of it. Do you know how many are murdered or commit suicide? Now, consider if we had said at the height of civil rights fight...the march on DC etc...we need to back off this civil rights thing as it is throwing white voters under the bus. It would have been a bad idea and it still is. We have to fight for what is right period.

[SMC22307]

28. Either the Democratic Party is the "big tent party," or it isn't.

And that includes white males. And as we just learned, white males in MI, WI and PA whose votes matter, in a BIG way.

No one is saying back off civil rights for all. But what percentage of the electorate went to the polls with "transgender rights" at the top of their priority list? I imagine it played a role in NC, what with Pat "HB2" McCrory, the NC brand, and jobs lost. But poll after poll nationwide indicated 1) the economy and 2) terrorism as top concerns.

Bernie said no one gives a damn about the e-mails. And I'll say no one, or at least very few, give a shit about bathrooms. What they care about are McJobs, astronomical college tuition, UNaffordable healthcare (not everyone qualifies for ACA subsidies), pensions being a thing of the past, and working 'til the grave. Also, the horrific drug problem in many of these abandoned towns. The system has failed them, and NO ONE should be surprised that they gave the other major party a chance.

I've posed this question a number of times but it remains unanswered: What is the Democratic Party's strategy for winning back the 60+ electoral votes we lost in the Rust Belt? Hoping that Trump is a colossal failure isn't enough.

[Demsrule86]

29. No one should be left out of the big tent. We live in Ohio.

As for the rustbelt...Hubs was in autos for 30 years was just forced out...pension cut to a 1/3 of what it should have been...he works now as a temp...this is considered decent here. I have argued on this site that we need to stop telling people the jobs aren't coming back...because they have to... retail or service jobs return the lowest profits in the manufacturing process. There is no reason we can't manufacture here. Trade is bullshit the way it is practiced now...our markets are wide open but other countries markets are closed, our companies ship jobs overseas to enrich the few and it is not just the blue collar jobs either...hubs old company has shipped accounting jobs overseas...ask anyone who works for HP or Dell...time to put an end to this nonsense...but people are so brainwashed about trade. I vote Democratic in every election but that is in spite of trade...there are many in Ohio and other rust belt states who said enough of this shit and went for the guy who promised to fix trade...oh he is a liar...but what did they have to lose? That being said, I will not throw other Democrats...people of color, undocumented workers, women ( I am a woman), Muslims or LGBTQ under the bus...we have to do what is right too.

[SMC22307]

31. "Haunting pictures of Rust Belt decay"

http://nypost.com/2014/04/24/haunting-pictures-of-decay-from-the-american-rust-belt/

Americans should be ashamed by this. Same with areas of North Carolina, where textiles and furniture once dominated. This impacts people of all colors, but let's just attack white men.

People are so brainwashed. An acquaintance from Central America rails against low wages and voices support for unions, then is first to consider a temp job as a scab with Huffmeister (?) at a northern hospital that may soon be going on strike. People whine about Walmart, but are like junkies with cheap $hit from China, so they shop there. Speaking of which, guess we'll soon be treated to videos of stampedes for cheap electronics. Hope no one is killed! God Bless America.

Yes, Trump is a liar, but also yes, what did they have to lose?

[radical noodle]

16. NO! Never

Just because ignorant people voted for Trump doesn't mean we stop doing what's right.

[Demsrule86]

23. That is my point. I am done with the election and primary fights...we lost the electoral college.

I am ready to move on...we should be attacking the Republicans not each other...we play right into their fascist hands when we eat our own.

[jmowreader]

20. To win we must break through tired stereotypes

If you think people can't change if given the proper motivation...



...when was the last time you saw one of these?

We lose when the Hard Right demonizes our side. We lose worse when we change our way of thinking or acting to stop the Hard Right from demonizing our side. We WIN when we soften the Hard Right's microscopic, cast-iron hearts.

[Demsrule86]

22. I don't doubt we can change viewpoints...we have to...but that was not my question.

I am unwilling to throw fellow Democrats under the bus...we have a big tent party with many viewpoints...all should be respected and have a voice.

[AgadorSparticus]

21. Maybe a teensy bit of it. But I think many old folks are just bigots and rascists.

[lunasun]

25. No rec

[FreakinDJ]

26. Perhaps in your world ....

Honestly - it was the candidate we put forth

[DemocraticWing]

30. Then let's convince people why trans people need rights, not run from the battle.

We have to articulate our vision for making the country a better place, not just shirk in fear of rejection. And that includes economic and social issues both, although they are related intimately: few groups are more economically marginalized than trans people, for example.