Republican Voters Must Be Embarrassed

[_Some Schmo]

I was thinking about it today, and it occurs to me that I've never actually met a big Trump fan that made it known to me that he was a big fan. I've met numerous people willing to make excuses for him, but nobody who says how great they think he is.

I don't have a lot of contact with dumb people in real life, given what I do, so any Trump voters I meet cite Hillary as the reason they voted that way, not because they liked Trump. They'll readily admit he's "not a good man," but claim to have considered him the lesser of two evils they were confronting in 2016.

I can't help a suspicion, however, that the way they talk to me about Trump is different than how they talk about him to other Republican voters. I get shadows of the weaker talking points from them which sound like they're coming from the right-wing-nut-o-sphere, like they are moderating their opinion given they know I'm aware of Trump's (lack of) character.

Anyone else suspect Republicans downplay their love of Trump when talking to normal (not in the cult) people? Frankly, it's at least good to imagine some people recognize they should feel shame for supporting such a despot.

[_Maksutov]

Don't see that at all. They're loud and proud in Zion.

And Trump supporters aren't the only "dumb" people. Woo-sters on the "left" give them a run for the money.

[_Some Schmo]

Don't see that at all. They're loud and proud in Zion.

Really? That's interesting.

I wish someone would act that way with me. I'd love to unload on someone live.

[_Some Schmo]

And Trump supporters aren't the only "dumb" people. Woo-sters on the "left" give them a run for the money.

Of course. You don't have to be a Trumpette to be dumb, but you do have to be dumb to be a Trumpette.

And frankly, I don't find the nuts on the left nearly as dangerous or concerning as those on the right. Wanting free healthcare and college tuition for all doesn't seem like as big a cultural threat as encouraging white supremacy, for instance.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Why would they be embarrassed? Trump is doing what they want. He's appointing Consevative judges, gutting the federal government, sticking it to the Libs, the economy is doing great, the military is finance, he's addressing the southern border as best as he can, supports anti-abortion agendas, and he hates the media.

He's them.

- Doc

[_EAllusion]

Trump is flailing on immigration. He doesn’t appear to understand his own signature issue on a basic level. His policies regarding it have offered a mixture of cruelty and spectacular failure. They are not succeeding even on their own terms, which is what critics kept trying to point out it would be the case in the first place.

If you believe the symbolic cruelty and massaging of cultural xenophobia is the point, which I mostly do, this isn’t a problem. It should be for anyone who likes him because they think he will “address the Southern border” in the way they purport to want.

[_Maksutov]

And Trump supporters aren't the only "dumb" people. Woo-sters on the "left" give them a run for the money.

Of course. You don't have to be a Trumpette to be dumb, but you do have to be dumb to be a Trumpette.

And frankly, I don't find the nuts on the left nearly as dangerous or concerning as those on the right. Wanting free healthcare and college tuition for all doesn't seem like as big a cultural threat as encouraging white supremacy, for instance.

I see no reason to give a pass to the gibberings of Oprah's unvaxed minions no matter the threat from American Breiviks. Irrationality is as much the enemy as a set of cultural values. They often go together.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Trump is flailing on immigration. He doesn’t appear to understand his own signature issue on a basic level. His policies regarding it have offered a mixture of cruelty and spectacular failure. They are not succeeding even on their own terms, which is what critics kept trying to point out it would be the case in the first place.

If you believe the symbolic cruelty and massaging of cultural xenophobia is the point, which I mostly do, this isn’t a problem. It should be for anyone who likes him because they think he will “address the Southern border” in the way they purport to want.

Yes. That's it. Of course.

Back here in the real world his base basically wants to build a wall from CA through Texas, and Trump would pretty much do it if it weren't for those meddling kids the Democrats (and a few sane Republicans). He's attempting to lock the border down to a relative trickle, which is exactly what his base wants. They don't really blame him for any failures along the border, they put that squarely on the Left.

They're thrilled with him. Besides, who's a better option for them? I'd say no one is.

- Doc

[_EAllusion]

Trump is flailing on immigration. He doesn’t appear to understand his own signature issue on a basic level. His policies regarding it have offered a mixture of cruelty and spectacular failure. They are not succeeding even on their own terms, which is what critics kept trying to point out it would be the case in the first place.

If you believe the symbolic cruelty and massaging of cultural xenophobia is the point, which I mostly do, this isn’t a problem. It should be for anyone who likes him because they think he will “address the Southern border” in the way they purport to want.

Yes. That's it. Of course.

Back here in the real world his base basically wants to build a wall from CA through Texas, and Trump would pretty much do it if it weren't for those meddling kids the Democrats (and a few sane Republicans). He's attempting to lock the border down to a relative trickle, which is exactly what his base wants. They don't really blame him for any failures along the border, they put that squarely on the Left.

They're thrilled with him. Besides, who's a better option for them? I'd say no one is.

- Doc

If you elected Trump to build a wall, Trump has failed you. He could not negotiate that even with full party control of Congress. He is an absolute failure as the candidate who promised to deliver a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. And if you elected Trump because you think building a wall will reduce illegal immigration by deterring border crossings, you are going to be sorely disappointed if you ever do get your boondoggle.

If you elected Trump to slow immigration to a trickle, he has failed you. That hasn’t happened. In fact, Trump’s “national emergency” rhetoric is predictated on that being a failure.

If you elected Trump to make you feel good about being a racist/xenophobe and maybe to see cruelty visited upon Hispanics/Latinos, then he’s doing great.

I wasn’t talking about whether 2016 Trump voters like Trump. That has a lot more inputs than people’s feelings about Trump on immigration. I think most voters have basically zero idea what is going on and use mental shortcuts that don’t even consider policies and their effects.

[_Some Schmo]

I see no reason to give a pass to the gibberings of Oprah's unvaxed minions no matter the threat from American Breiviks. Irrationality is as much the enemy as a set of cultural values. They often go together.

What makes you think I give them a pass?

I can usually draw a right-winger in to listen to me by offering a few consoling words on how some people are overly sensitive, or too easily offended. They love that crap (and besides, I'm serious when I say those things). But I use that strategy when I'm talking to someone in real life. I don't use it here because the right-wingers on this site are generally representative of the nut-jobs, not regular "conservatives" and I feel no need to try for a serious conversation with them. What's the point? I don't try for a serious conversation with my dog, for essentially the same reasons.

ETA: And incidentally, this is part of the reason I wonder how much the people I talk to are "toning it down" for my benefit. How many of the people I talk to are nuts when they post online? How many of the crazies on this website seem normal to coworkers in real life? I'm guessing there's some overlap there.