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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Trump voters are judged in fairly?

227 replies

1DAD2KIDS · 26/10/2017 10:19

I was out for dinner the other night with my mate, his old buisness friend from New York (she was in London for buisness) and a few others. Anyway talk got to politics and she said I voted for Trump. Well the table when silent (sort of like that Harry Enfield Women Know Your Limits video when the woman expresses a political opinion of her own).

Anyway it got me thinking and challenging the stereotype of a 'typical' Trump supporter. This lady is no redneck, she is a lovely, kind, highly educated and intelligent lady. When I think about it in effectively a two party system were you can either vote A or B is voting for Trump that looney? Trump is rightfully vilified but was Clinton wrongfully given a free ride? Is she not a sinister figure herself? People who live in glass houses spring to mind.

Look at the alternative, Clinton. Someone who was backed finanialy by people who oppress women, oppress homosexuality and genrally oppress human rights. She is a woman that often made provocative threats to start conflicts against countries like Iran. Someone I see as quite a sinister character with fingers in many pies. Most of all a vote for Hillary was a vote for no change (which is fine if your happy with the status quo).

I sort of see being a voter at the time as being stuck between a rock and a hard place. So if your an American who has been disenfranchised, have not benefited from or felt forgotten about by the last administration would you vote for more of the same? Or would you take a chance on someone who offers change? Personally I think Trump is a complete disaster and a massive turd. But I think we fail to understand many of the people who voted for him. Instead we just demonise them all as thick bigoted rednecs. We blame the voters but I see Trump as the symptom not the cause of America's problems. In a way I see his election as symptomatic of the failure of the last administration for many Americans. So why would anyone who felt failed by their government vote for more of the same? Oddly I think many people who voted for Trump would have voted for Burnie given the option (as if the powers that be in the democrats would have ever let him stand).

OP posts:
TheDowagerCuntess · 26/10/2017 21:52

Same in the UK - the disenfranchised voted for bloody brexit and any economic fall out hits the poor the hardest.

....and this is exactly why their thinking abilities are questioned, and they are judged.

Putting Trump supporters aside for one moment, anyone who can vote for something as monumental as to leave the EU - without there even being a whisper of A Plan - lacks critical thinking faculties.

That's just a fact. Over a year later, and the fact there is still No Plan, confirms this.

Kursk · 26/10/2017 21:53

But by calling everyone that votes for trump "racist, or sexist, or uninformed, or xenophobic." you are ignoring those that have genuine issues that need to be addressed.

This^ all you are doing is telling those people not to discuss politics in public, but to wait until the privacy of the voting booth.

I am Libertarian, many people I know thaught that the choice during the election was “who do you dislike the least”

Many trump voters I know are not racist or homophobic they just wanted change

WishfulThanking · 26/10/2017 21:58

I want to know why Weinstein is the devil, yet Trump got voted into the White House. They both have the same accusations against them and Trump was caught on tape admitting to groping women without consent. he has rape accusations (one a 13 year old girl) etc etc. I find the American people very.... weird inconsistent.

Valentine2 · 26/10/2017 22:04

I didn't RTFT. Just came in to say that, after all the experience of my work, I am never ever going to judge idiocity of people based on the qualifications they have or the salary they make.

LondonNicki · 26/10/2017 23:03

I understand people 'wanting change' but those I know who voted Trump are very educated people who should have informed themselves appropriately before sanctioning the behaviour of a nasty misogynistic racist bully.

That I can't get over even taking into account their desire for tax cuts or whatever motivated their decision.

Slimthistime · 26/10/2017 23:04

Kursk "Many trump voters I know are not racist or homophobic they just wanted change"

Did they say what changes they'd like? Or was it just a vague thing?

Lweji · 26/10/2017 23:22

It's not even as Trump magically showed up as the GOP candidate. He was selected as their candidate.

Admitedly, the choice was not great, but any of them would be less disastrous than Trump.

Trump voters' poor judgment started from the primaries' stage.

Caprinihahahaha · 27/10/2017 02:55

I think the 'they are not racist they just wanted change' just pushes them into the deeply stupid category

I hear the argument about not demonising Trump voters but unfortunately I think there is a genuine danger that we are saying 'well yes, you voted for a racist,sexist fuckwit but you've got our attention so how racist do we need to be for you to be moved away from the orange twat?

Kursk · 27/10/2017 03:55

The change that people wanted was varied, some were annoyed with illigal immigration. Others were concerned with Obamacare.

Our neighbors couldn’t afford health insurance. Obamacare forced them to buy health insurance or pay a fine. For them they paid the fine because it was cheaper and resented the government for taking their money.

Kursk · 27/10/2017 03:57

I suspect that Trump will get a second term. Especially if the Antifa protests go ahead next weekend.

Caprinihahahaha · 27/10/2017 03:59

So still falls in the stupid or racist category really

Kursk · 27/10/2017 04:03

I guess, if you want to class it as stupid or racist you can. But doing that doesn’t mean that those concerns go away.

pallisers · 27/10/2017 04:04

I hear the argument about not demonising Trump voters but unfortunately I think there is a genuine danger that we are saying 'well yes, you voted for a racist,sexist fuckwit but you've got our attention so how racist do we need to be for you to be moved away from the orange twat?

That doesn't have to be the response though and most thoughtful people who care about the political process in the US are trying very hard not to do that. There are a significant and unchangeable minority who are absolutely racist. The rest are moveable. My guess is people who voted for Obama also voted for Trump - how did that happen? A better response would be to ask what is so wrong with the political system and voting system that the republican party can be hijacked by a non-republican anomaly who most of the establishment of the party hated (and still hate). And what is so wrong with the democrats that no one pointed out the utter unelectability of Clinton -it was like the emperors new clothes. I went along with it too to some extent. But the reality was that Clinton had already been 2 terms in the white house and she was running in a "third term for a democrat" election - difficult for even a perfect candidate. Both Bill and Hillary have huge baggage - they successfully negotiated the murky waters of DC for decades. They are wily, clued-in, politicos who know how to manage the swamp. I don't detract from the immense wish to serve the public that Hillary Clinton has - but she also had an immense desire to make her personal mark on history and has a lot of history that could be used as a weapon. She should never have been the candidate.

And let's face it. Bill Clinton was pretty bad in the sexual misbehaviour stakes and no one calls him on it now. Trump is a slime ball but what Bill Clinton did to Monica Lewinsky was unforgiveable imo. For the sake of a quick blow job, Bill Clinton basically exposed that young woman to be the enduring laughing stock of the entire world. She was 22 and an unpaid intern and he was the married President of the USA. And then he lied about it. If Trump did that, people who still love Clinton would be baying for his blood.

I supported both Clintons and Trump is making my life miserable just by existing but "they are stupid, we are not. Go away stupid fucking racists' won't get us out of this but will likely get us further into it.

Caprinihahahaha · 27/10/2017 04:08

But the danger is that you mumble along with the racism and misogyny

By all means say 'what are your issues' and deal with those - the Democratic Party assuming that the next president elect was chosen because of their connections rather than their worth, the sense that the status quo was lining the pockets of politicicisns who abandon their constituency etc etc
But joining them in pointing at people of colour as the problem is pandering

Caprinihahahaha · 27/10/2017 04:12

Kursk
People believing that brown people are the enemy is not a pint of view we should elevate
The fact that they feel screwed over may be legitimate. Agreeing with them and nodding along that a wall between the USA and Mexico will help is joining in the fuckwittery rather than empowering critical thinking

We need to stop assuming thick opinions need listening to. Problems need to be addressed but when the source is so obviously scapegoatingvwe need to challenge it

Kursk · 27/10/2017 04:14

That is true, just going with the flow doesn’t help the wider race issue. But there are a few who are not looking at the wider implications. They just want their own life to improve.

Next election I am already planning on voting libertarian.

Caprinihahahaha · 27/10/2017 04:17

Yep
People just want their own lives to be a bit better and blaming someone for your difficulties is really tempting.
Just ask the Daily Mail Grin

derxa · 27/10/2017 07:51

Indeed. The same people also shot a gun in pizza joint as it was apparently the location of a democrat paedophile ring. And that Sandy Hook was a Hillary plot to take the good ol' folks guns and that no kids died. Bloody hell Grin Us rednecks eh What are we like? Just as well I don't have a shotgun.
No I don't like Hillary Clinton. Her behaviour in the past has been dodgy to say the least. Trump's lack of fitness for office goes without saying.

shhhfastasleep · 27/10/2017 10:19

Yeah, the Sandy Hook conspiracy nonsense is chilling. And the accompanying memes of Obama as a crybaby because, as he’s an empathetic human and a father, the thought of murdered children made him cry.
Oh and Las Vegas was a false flag stitch up too. Or a leftist/jihadist attack.
The extremists are desperate.
But not all Trump voters are extremists. Like all Leave votes aren’t extremists. Still made a stupid decision to vote that way.

hackmum · 27/10/2017 10:24

I am really fed up with being told I need to "understand" Trump voters. Do Trump voters make any effort to understand Clinton voters? Nope, thought not. On the contrary, at Trump rallies, people were encouraged to shout "lock her up". Since when was that an acceptable way to treat a political opponent? The whole Trump campaign was based on outright racism, misogyny and xenophobia. People need to own that. They ought to take responsibility for their own actions. I'm utterly sick of this, "Poor me, I just wanted change, and I couldn't vote for Hillary because she had a private email server" schtick.

WishfulThanking · 27/10/2017 11:27

Trump voters/voting absteiners still haven't explained why they have voted Harvey Weinstein's twin to be their president.

Why Harvey Weinstein is disgraced but Trump is President

CardinalSin · 27/10/2017 11:40

Agree Hackmum, it's just like the Leave voters now telling the Remainers to sort it out!

Kursk · 27/10/2017 11:41

WishfulThanking

I believed the thinking is.... allegations against Trump came out during an election, could have been fabricated by Clinton.

Weinstein allegations came after with little political motivation.

Kursk · 27/10/2017 11:42

Anyone else here concerned about the 4th November protests?

TSSDNCOP · 27/10/2017 11:45

Both parties sank to new low levels when selecting their candidates. The Democrats also woefully underestimated the views of people living in the flyover states: just like Brexit here. Just like here I think many, many voters wanted to stick it to career politicians. Many, many voters would not vote for a woman. President Trump reflects the ugly truth of politics. Smart people should ask why and invoke the change needed that means he only lasts one term and someone like him never gets the chance to be re-elected.

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