This afternoon I spent 52 minutes and 17 seconds on the phone

[AndyS]

with a hard core Trumper.

Let me set this up: She is a really nice woman, a shoes off her feet if ya' need 'em kinda person. Deeply religious and tries to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. I know her because she rents a room in my friend's house--my friend and I are yellow dog Democrats. So she hears a speaker phone conversation between Sue and I about the latest developments in the Trump saga. Later in the evening I get a text and she wants to talk. I think she's about three glasses past her limit of White Zinfandel.

She starts her rant with "You guys hate Trump so much that without him you'd have nothing to live for . . ." then segued to Brittney Griner and how Biden was stupid to make that deal.

Me: Okay, let's say you're President. You've got two American citizens in a Russian jail. You have a chance to free one of them and Putin says it's Griner or nobody. What do you do?

Her: You hold out for the Marine who's been in jail for 5 years.

Me: But Putin says that's not an option, it's Griner or nobody. Do you leave an American citizen in a Russian jail?

Her: Word salad about Griner doesn't love America, won't stand for the National anthem and yada yada.

Me: Do you leave an American citizen in a Russian jail?

Her: Well I guess not but the Marine who defended his country has been there for five years!

Me: How long has Biden been in office?

Her: Two years and he's done nothing!

Me: Trump was in office for three years of the five, what did he do?

Pregnant pause . . .

Me: Look, what distresses me is that you and I live in two different realities. Do you believe there was a riot at the Capitol on Jan 6?

Her: It didn't have anything to do with Trump, the FBI and Nancy Pelosi staged that whole thing!

Me: Do you know that the leader of the Oath Keepers has been sentenced to jail for Sedition, trying to overthrow the government?

Her: That's not true, the Oath Keepers are Christians who are family centered. My brother in law is one!

Me: Uh, the Oath Keepers are not a church organization, they are a paramilitary militia made up of former military and police that organized the break-in at the capitol.

Her: Oh, maybe it's a different group . . . I haven't seen that and who tried him, some Democrat?

Me: No, it was a Federal court with a Federal Judge and a jury of his peers; 12 people chosen by both the prosecutor and the defense who heard all the evidence and defense and sentenced him to 20 years.

That's how it went for 52 minutes until we moved on to giving to the homeless and ended the evening.

I tell the story to illustrate that these people aren't evil they're just profoundly ignorant. Not stupid, ignorant and willfully so! Her world contains only Fox News (has a serious crush on Tucker) and Facebook. I can't tell you how many times she said "I'm not a racist but . . ." Several times her voice cracked with emotion because she deeply believes. It's a matter of faith far beyond any logic or factual argument. Still we parted friends and she doesn't think Democrats eat babies or slave trade them.

That's something I guess.

[Dan]

1. Bless you.

I don't have the energy for that.

[Shellback Squid]

2. we don't eat them on Friday's

as she rationalizes her own ignorant beliefs, she's a lost cause

[KS Toronado]

11. Correct, Friday's is meatless or fish only day.

[Abolishinist]

12. There are, however, lapsed Catholics who just might

order up a side of short ribs on any given Friday.

[KS Toronado]

15. Never has a side of short ribs touched my lips on Friday

I'll always order the full slab of baby back ribs. Restaurant close to work had those every Friday,
missed very few Fridays there. Grew up Catholic btw.

[Ocelot II]

3. You have far more patience than I do.

[House of Roberts]

4. I couldn't stand to be on the phone for 52 minutes

with someone that I like. I had to call and authorize an insurance payment today and it almost made me get the shakes.

[rubbersole]

5. I have a brother and an old friend that are both trumpers.

The thing they have in common is willful ignorance and a steady stream of misinformation. And they are fine with it. And an excuse/explanation for inconvenient facts. I don't try and change any opinions, but it's hard to walk away from them and not feel better about my life. So thanks!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

17. they want to believe the nonsense is true

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. 52 minutes wasted.

[yonder]

7. You did well.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. You have the patience of a saint!

She is so far in that there's no chance she'll EVER emerge.

Good on ya for trying!

[summer_in_TX]

9. What probably counts the most with her is that

you treated her respectfully and had a civil conversation. A model for us all.

You refuted the lie they are told that liberals despise them which is one of the ways the RW media keeps them in their corral, never to venture to hear anything that might possibly get through to them.

You may never know the impact over time of your discussion with her, but you were able to end on genuine common ground. That's a whole lot in these partisan times.

[Tetrachloride]

24. +1

[mahina]

10. Best thread all day, week, month.

Thank you.

[William Seger]

13. If the difference between ignorance and stupidity is that ignorance is curable

... then willful ignorance is indistinguishable from stupidity.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. You may have made a crack in the wall. Respect, for your patience.

[AverageOldGuy]

16. 99.5% of these people are hopeless cases

Some comments are to the effect that by carefully listening and politely correcting them, we can educate them.

Never happen.

One hour spent patiently working on these people will not overcome days, weeks, months, years of Fox, OAN, Breitbart, Trump, Epoch Times, Real Clear Politics, Pajamas Media . . . . .

I don't waste my time on them.

Example: Because I'm a member of my county Electoral Board, I am a target for these clowns. I listen for a minute about Biden has dementia, Michelle Obama is a man, the 2020 election was stolen by ballots shipped in from China, then, I simply hang up.

At age 78 I don't have enough time left to spend it arguing with a jackass.

[NJCher]

22. 4th paragraph from the bottom

These people are so lacking in development. Poor slobs just wandering around in the wilderness with no direction, connection, coherence. I’m glad the op took time to talk to them. I am not that kind or generous with my time.

Somebody needs to expend some effort with them. Just not me, I don’t have the patience. I can and will do other things, though, to strengthen democracy.

[Meowmee]

18. No one who voted for that monster

Is a really nice anything. I wish people would stop trying to make excuses for them. They would gladly vote for him again, and they are continuing to vote to take all of your rights and life as you know it away for good.

[BBbats]

19. BE CAREFUL!

Sometimes when you destroy people's beliefs it pushes them into bad reactions.
Either they don't believe you or it makes them unstable. i've seen people become violent in these situations even though they know damn well you are right. This is when they join hate groups,Proud Boys,militias.etc.
Anything to reinforce their beliefs..

[KY_EnviroGuy]

20. Congratulations on your nerves of steel and "we parted friends" is great.

That's what we need by the ton to mend massive divisions in America......

[Skittles]

21. "deeply religious" and a hardcore Trumper

more like DEEPLY DELUDED

[Donkees]

23. "blasphemy reaction"

"blasphemy reaction": when atheists disagreed with a Christian belief, or when Christians affirmed one, their pleasure centers lit up—proof that the combatants in the faith-versus-reason wars really do enjoy the fight, equally.)

Belief in God, disbelief in God, and belief in simple empirically verifiable facts all lit up the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that governs your sense of self. We are, in some sense, what we believe.

The Brain Processes Facts and Beliefs the Same Way

https://www.newsweek.com/brain-processes-facts-and-beliefs-same-way-79125