Whitelash

[HAB911]

New Year’s day I wrote a full page letter to twenty of my friends stating if they supported Trump, and I knew three did, then there would be no further communication from me, ever. I detailed all the reasons, , treasonous, intolerant, xenophobic, misogynist, woman hating and abusing, racist, white supremacist, white nationalist, violent neo-Nazi, science denying, Russian apologist, Putin puppet etc. All but five responded positively to my letter, leaving the balance to be Trump supporters.

Two of those supporters have called me and we talked for about 30 minutes each. The gist of both conversations was that I was correct in my assessment, and this was why Trump was elected, and they were proud of it. They were proud to have the chance to destroy what Obama “has done to our country” by tearing down the government and remaking it into something totally different, and they hoped that now I would feel the way they have felt for the past eight years.

We are facing an annihilation level event here. From NC changing the power of the new governor, the apparent witch hunts of government agencies and the expected use of the Holman Rule to fire those they don’t like, no transition for ambassadors, killing congressional ethics, defunding PP, and the list goes on and on. They are not only going to get their way, they intend to exterminate all resistance in the future as payback for the last eight years.
The seething hatred of Obama crossed lines of politics into religion, sexual orientation, gender, AND race. I was surprised by the fact the conversations revolved around Obama and never once was Hillary mentioned. Is it racial hatred or policy hatred?

[HoneyBadger]

1. So they see Trump as a referendum on Obama's 2 terms?

Vs economic or social or partisan issues? So they would have voted for any Republican, Carson, Cruz, Bush, for example. Interesting, especially if one assumes that they were registered Democrats.

[HAB911]

2. Yep

One was even adamant that Trump wasn't his first choice, the more libertarian of the two

[HAB911]

3. 5 Reasons Why I Have Absolutely No Respect for Most Donald Trump Supporters

Like many reading this, since Donald Trump launched his campaign, I’ve lost friends over heated exchanges concerning the most incompetent person to ever be elected president in this nation’s history.

Read more at: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/5-reasons-absolutely-no-respect-donald-trump-supporters/

[Eleanors38]

4. Turn our back on "Most Donald Trump Supporters," and Democrats can kiss their ass goodbye...

There are tens of millions of them, and they are motivated to vote for many reprehensible and nonsensical reasons. They have to be brought over. That is what a political party is for. That is poli sci 101. Otherwise, Democrats will as a matter of form fade into invitation-only, 3rd Party status with some influence on the coasts. Those are the numbers, HAB911.

[HAB911]

5. The ones in my realm

cannot be rationalized with, I have tried. Hate is too strong for thought

[Nay]

6. The Democratic Party has not, and still is not, the party that seems interested in

keeping even those people who are Democrats, never mind Trump supporters. They have imploded. This means that we, as liberals/progressives, will have nowhere to go for the foreseeable future. Unless we are willing to be full-on propagandists and put billions of dollars into reversing the poisonous RW bullshit that fills the airwaves and internet, we will get NOWHERE. We also need to proceed on the fact that most people are pretty dumb and stop waiting for facts to wake them up.

IMO, and I've said it before, only extreme dislocations and pain will shake people out of their fantasies once those fantasies have been implanted in them by those who benefit from the stupids. That's what will have to happen here. I think most citizens will be perfectly happy with light fascism, as the Germans were. It's more about making "those people" toe the line than it is about any sort of freedom. After all, this country talks a lot about freedom, but like all societies, it is mostly talk.

[LanternWaste]

10. No doubt, accepting bigots, racists and sexists into the Democratic fold would allows more wins

No doubt, tolerating, wooing and then accepting bigots, racists and sexists into the Democratic fold would allows more wins, but at the cost of losing what the party actually stands for... that's Obvious Stuff 101.

[Eleanors38]

38. Sorry, but you want find virgins and saints in church. You find sinners.

Private, invitation-only political clubs don't win elections.

[guillaumeb]

29. If Trump won 51% of the actual votes cast,

and only 59% of registered voters actually voted,
that means Trump had the support of 30% of the registered voters.

If the 41% who did not vote can be motivated to vote, the Democrats would have no need of the racists among the Trump voters.

[Eleanors38]

37. "If the 41% who did not voted can be motivated to vote...." When have they Ever been?

Democrats must decide:

Are we a political Party

or

Are we a limited membership, invitation-only political club?

The persistent discussion in DU over how tens of millions of voters who didn't vote our way can be ignored/condemned is rather unbelieveable. It makes the rawest case for the very elitism of which the Party is accused, and reveals a fundamental ignorance of a political party in a democracy. But it amazes me how some on this site cannot recognize the utter irony in all this talk.

[guillaumeb]

39. Agreed. It is necessary to motivate the (heretofore) unmotivated.

Grow or die. I agree that there is far too much energy wasted arguing about "real democrats" versus "fake democrats" and too much discussion about ignoring the so-called deplorable voters. While there undoubtedly are too many unreachable racists, the Democrats must find a way to register people and demonstrate that there is a reason that people should vote.

[Eleanors38]

40. And I agree with you on that.

[Maru Kitteh]

7. Carter, for example, was more progressive than Obama. So just WHAT was it about PBO?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻
👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻🎩👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻
👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻
👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👱🏼👴🏻👴🏻👴🏻👱🏻🤡
👴🏻👱🏻🙉👨🏾


and soon to be . . .😡

[11 Bravo]

18. Could it be ...

MELANIN?

[Fresh_Start]

8. its hatred of their lost of prestige

to a black man.

Clinton was collateral damage.
But Obama hatred and by extension hatred of everything that happened during Obama's terms of office. For example, marriage equality...wasn't determined by Obama but rather by a republican loaded supreme court...but it doesn't matter...its Obama's fault.

[Cha]

9. HOw about brainwashing by foxsux?

[HAB911]

11. I suspect that for some

especially the retired, one of which blamed the the great recession on Obama because he was elected in 2004 so it was on his watch. After I slam dunked him on that one he was speechless. I hate stupid people, I really do. Now I wish I had asked if he thought the ACA and Obamacare were two different programs, could have slammed him again I bet.

[Cha]

12. They are like inhabitants of another Universe to me..

Though it turns out my former husband, in California, in another life is one.. I heard about it through my son. So mind boggling.. I was actually married to a fox truther.

My son told him he wouldn't work(doing some repairs) if fox was on the tv.. his dad told him.. "it's all true" lol. Anyway he turned it off for the interim.

Seriously weeding out your friends, huh?

[HAB911]

13. Yes

The actual last paragraph:

I have been struggling with how to address this, get my head around it, and put a stake in the ground regarding it. There was no question in anyone’s mind what this person was and what he stood for while running. Anyone who could vote for him despite all this is not someone I want to be associated with going forward. The thought of speaking with a supporter enrages me further as each day’s news breaks with more insane cabinet appointments. At this point, I am disassociating myself from people who voted for the loser of the popular vote.

I did this as a preemptive strike to avoid shouting matches in the future, in person or on the phone.

Note: never once did I write his name in the entire email, only referred to 'winner of the electoral college'.

[Cha]

14. Good on you, HAB.. I don't have any

even associates like that or I would have to disengage myself forthwith.

I got rid of mine pre-emptively

There's also "Loser of the Popular Vote".

[ElkeH]

15. Cultural hatred

I would say it is cultural hatred, which would include race and policy.

Here in the Austin area there are many progressives but we are also exposed to the hardcore conservatives that occupy most of the rest of Texas. Back in 2008, many of them put up yard signs, not to support McCain but to denounce Obama, and those signs included hateful messages about stopping "Obamunism" and sending Obama "back to Kenya." Of course the racists weren't happy about having an Untermensch in charge of the country, but I do not think it was just about race. President Obama was also seen as a representative of "socialist" and "communist" Chicago. When he talked about people clinging to guns and religion, these conservatives thought he was confirming their fears.

I have talked to a few Trump supporters and the common theme is that they are looking for revenge. Progressives are the racists ones, trying to elevate African Americans above whites. Progressives are the ones discriminating based on religion, trying to elevate atheists and Muslims above Christians. Progressives are the ones discriminating based on sexual orientation, trying to elevate LGBQ people above heterosexual ones. That is what they really believe. Now it is time for payback. Trump was right when he said he could shoot someone on 5th Ave and not lose voters. They care far less about Trump than they do about making progressives feel fearful and uneasy.

In fact, the crazier Trump becomes and the worse people he appoints to his cabinet, the happier his supporters will be. They want to see the world burn, and they want to watch progressives and basic human decency burn along with it.

[HAB911]

16. TX and FL are very similar

Our panhandle and north is red, getting bluer as one goes south. My county went for Hillary(Tampa)

[ElkeH]

21. True

The border counties are very blue in Texas. The North is red, but the major metropolitan areas are solid blue. Trump only won with with 52% this time, compared to Romney's 57% in 2012, so I am hoping there is a blue trend and Texas will not be considered an automatic Republican win for too much longer.

[Jim Beard]

19. I agree with you. I live in a small town that voted 82% for Trump......

and there are several aggressive types. For my security I have finally decided to buy a pistol for protection from these psychopaths. I don't want to but I see no choice.

[Docreed2003]

28. Very true assessment...

I've seen it here in TN as well. They drape their hatred, bigotry, and anger in the flag and their evangelical religion, which has fostered anti-intellectual/anti-liberal agendas from the pulpit for decades. In their mind they are the righteous ones, they are the representatives of the founders and Jesus Christ all rolled into one. They are the true believers and they will not be moved by anything Trump does or says. I know one on FB who presents themselves as über Christian who essentially posted he didn't care about what Trump said about pussy grabbing because that didn't concern him, he would support Trump no matter what because he was going to fundamentally change America....I fear that last statement will be all too true.

[ElkeH]

35. I have a few right wing acquaintances on FB

Some of the things they post are unbelievable. When the Billy Bush audio was released, some of the women posted "Well, where else would I want a man to grab me?!" As a woman, maybe we could talk about some gentler, more loving forms of physical contact if we were talking about my boyfriend, but normalizing Trump's support of sexual assault should horrify any woman.

[guillaumeb]

31. Very well said.

From a Socialist in the Chicago area.

Chicago is also a very racist city, with many Trump supporters in the very white neighborhoods filled, co-incidentally, with very well paid white police and firefighters.

[MicaelS]

32. "The Left are the real racists"

Is a common meme from the RW.

[haele]

17. Probably neither racial or policy hatred. It's tribal. They chose a tribe to be comfortable in.

Whether it is a political party or a particular chosen religious affiliation that they have decided best fits "them" and their emotional needs, it's a simplistic but visceral team reaction. The opponent was the enemy, who was going to take all honor and respect from them if the opponent wins.
Because they choose to look at life in a tribal fashion, President Obama represented the opposing team to them, for whatever reason. They probably also hate those "damn, prissy, coastal elitists with their fancy-airy thinking and pretty posing..."

Look at it this way - the fleas (racism, sectarianism, intolerance, willful ignorance, acceptance of criminal and unethical behavior so long as they're winning) - on the Dog they lay down with are something they feel they need to own.
Rather than giving the dog a flea-bath, they'll blindly accept the accompanying bites and diseases because, damn it, that's the dog they choose and they'll stick with it until it bites them so hard they are forced to abandon it or get killed.

Haele

[Squinch]

26. No. They accept those "fleas" because at heart they themselves are racists and sexists.

[KT2000]

20. did any of them explain

what President Obama did to this country? That is what I don't get - what he actually did that must be destroyed, in their minds. The take all guns, etc. and all the other propaganda never happened. Race is all I can come up with.

[HAB911]

22. One in very general terms said

Obama had "torn apart the government and reformed it into something it was never meant to be", whatever the hell that means. ACA? LGBTQ rights? Combo maybe. IMO, race played a big factor, while going unstated.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

23. Nada. It was just one long stream or RW BS that they lapped up eagerly because they want bad things

to be true about the Black Democrat in the White House. To hear my RW relatives babble on you'd think there were tanks in the streets of their neighborhood with Obama's picture on them. All their freedoms have been taken away!

There is, of course, no evidence of anything like this, but they are living in a dystopian nightmare created by the RW propaganda machine to divert their attention from the dystopian reality the Republicans are trying to legislate at every turn.

[KT2000]

24. +1

There is not a lot of logic to their ranting, especially when we look at who is replacing him. This is why when people say we must come together - it is impossible.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

25. I can never come together with anyone who could look at all Trump is

and hand him the keys to the White House. Especially those who were ranting about Obama for the last 8 years.

We do need to hire some very smart people who can figure out how to win again without catering to the ignorant bigots out there. I think we can reach those who are not entirely ensconced in RW world, and I hope there will be enough of them. But most Trump supporters, I just don't think will ever face objective facts.

[ElkeH]

33. They live in a hate-fueled fantasy

President Obama and the Democratic party are trying to destroy America, I have heard from more than one Trump supporter. But the way they all explain it, their real fear is that President Obama and the Democratic party are trying to destroy the power structure of the dominant group: white, Anglo-Saxon, Christian, heterosexual males. To them, Hillary Clinton would have been a third term of that attempted destruction, whereas Trump is somehow going to reverse everything. He will make America great again by supporting and strengthening that dominant power structure.

Some of their concerns are very far removed from reality. One acquaintance on Facebook keeps posting about how everything has changed for the worse since school prayer was outlawed. I pointed out to her that students were free to pray all they wanted, and the ruling applied only to public schools and not private ones. Having a teacher in public school lead a prayer or having a public school force students to pray was the issue. She just didn't understand. "This is a Christian country! What is wrong with praying."

To others Obamacare - well, the Affordable Care Act, though some do not realize they are one and the same thing - is just one step away from a full blown centrally planned economy. Yet they cannot explain how this is so much worse than being required to have car insurance if you want to drive on public roads. They will just argue that Obamacare is another way for the federal government to erode states' rights and personal rights. Nevermind that previous Republican administrations eroded many rights in the name of fighting drugs and terrorism.

[Mike Nelson]

27. Thank you for reporting...

...this. I think this is the heart of the matter. It's hard to find this truth because people lie about this stuff... they see a Black first family and gays getting married. Make America Great Again means before Obama. This doesn't show up in polls.

[MichMan]

30. If you wrote them that you were cutting off communication, why did you take their phone calls? n/t

[HAB911]

36. the two who called were not part of the three

I already knew voted for cheeto. In fact two other calls were in support of my position, the rest responded to my email. I'm glad I did answer and get the insight into their warped view of reality. Kind of funny none of the five Dump supporters responded by email, still pondering that fact.

My phone provider allows me to put ten numbers on a block call list which now contains the five supporters. This all for MY sanity, LOL.

[LaydeeBug]

34. It's racial...and all liberals are that race. Really