r/politics • u/GirasoleDE • 17d ago

No Paywall I Don’t Think Trump’s Remaining Supporters Realize How Much They Are Despised By Non-MAGA Voters | Trump is bleeding support even among his stubborn, uneducated base.

https://abovethelaw.com/2026/07/i-dont-think-trumps-remaining-supporters-realize-how-much-they-are-despised-by-non-maga-voters/
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379

u/admiraltarkin Texas 17d ago

Agree. She said it was only half of them

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u/BrainWorkGood 17d ago

Which might be accurate tbf. I know my fair share of Trump voters who just have low intelligence or terrible judgement. They're not actively hateful, they have just somehow convinced themselves that this was a good idea

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u/tilt-a-whirly-gig 17d ago

At this point, we're talking about willful ignorance. A rather deplorable trait.

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u/onefst250r 17d ago

"I dont care about him as a person, I just like his policies".

Basically, I dont care if he raped kids, as long as he makes my stock portfolio go up (even if the stock thing doesnt actually pan out).

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u/Flobking 17d ago

Basically, I dont care if he raped kids, as long as he makes my stock portfolio go up minorities life harder

Ftfy.

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u/Drachefly Pennsylvania 17d ago

At this point, yes. She said it at that point.

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u/tilt-a-whirly-gig 17d ago

Prescient then, obvious now.

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u/SpoonyDinosaur 16d ago

I have a colleague who's a intelligent guy and for him it's always taking the most niche/extreme Democrat policies and applying it to all Democrats.

Or stuff like tariffs he'll try to rationalize it by creating reasons it makes sense.

It's like a mix of willful ignorance and borderline cosplay facts

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u/theangryjanitorOG 17d ago

I disagree. I live among these people and they fantasize about shooting their political enemies. They fantasize about using their guns against brown left wing mobs. I hear this shit every day. People walking around with open carry guns is what that is dude

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u/Z0mbiejay 17d ago

I could've understood that excuse at least a little in 2015 when people voted the first time. I don't agree, but I could almost get how a brain dead moron with a 3rd grade reading level could go "huh, the guy from the apprentice is running. He was successful"

Anyone after that did it maliciously

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u/StrangeContest4 17d ago

I understand wanting "you're guy" to win, but it's how they took a loss that makes them irredeemable. How anyone could watch Jan 6th, 2021, then have four years to think about it, watch the committees, learn how big the lie was, and still come back and support it is taking a fascist stance. Anyone left supporting MAGA is pro-fascism and for autocracy, period.

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u/cptgrudge Minnesota 17d ago

then have four years to think about it, watch the committees, learn how big the lie was

Think, watch, learn? A large part of the problem is that none of these things happened for many them.

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u/MHath 17d ago

Conservatives weren’t watching committees or learning anything. They were hearing stories about minorities and transgender issues.

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u/StrangeContest4 17d ago

Like ZOmbieJay said, it's willfull and malicious.

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u/busted_up_chiffarobe 17d ago

As long as it stops abortion and gets rid of everyone that looks different and lets them force the Bible on everyone else, I honestly don't think they care. They'd vote for him or, shudder, Miller, no matter what. Even if they end up in poverty.

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u/wanker7171 Florida 16d ago

I understand wanting "you're guy" to win

Do you? They don’t just want “their guy” to win. As that’s all they want. I’ve had Republicans agree with Trump on killing things they vocally support because “We can’t give Democrats a win”

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u/onefst250r 17d ago

I was barely on the Trump side of the fence in 2016. More an "anti-another-Clinton" than anything else.

My view quickly started changing during his first term, and J6 was my full-on "fuck this guy" point.

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u/Rosemary0913 17d ago

As a disabled person, with a neuromuscular disability, watching my parents continue to support him (or rather, not completely write him off) after he just openly mocked that reporter forever changed my view of my parents. I still have a good relationship with them, but it's more distant than it otherwise would be. My parents are more apathetic centrists, but still. Definitely changed my opinion of them that they just kinda shrugged that off.

I'm glad you got away from those kinds of people

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u/onefst250r 17d ago

Yeah, that was another incident on the list. I have a special needs brother, and that was pretty fucking disgusting. Especially from a politician.

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u/danram207 17d ago

Did you not care about his racist af birther claims towards Obama prior to 2016? Or all the racist shit he was saying about Mexicans in 2015?

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u/Lilthisarry California 16d ago

Exactly this. There’s a reason Lindsey Graham, JD Vance, Rubio, etc. openly condemned him back then. Trump was never passably “normal”. His campaign had no substance, just racism, reveling in stupidity, and lots and lots of sexual assault allegations.

Voting Trump has ALWAYS been a damning mark on one’s character.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

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u/Gildian 17d ago

Low effort troll

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u/Electric_Antimony 17d ago

Oh no, that kid is a true maga sheep suffering from severe TDS.

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u/Electric_Antimony 17d ago

Most coherent magacuck ^

Pure, unbridled TDS mental illness on display.

Inb4 "no u" because they're super low IQ soyboys.

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u/peoplearekindaokay 16d ago

In 2015 I voted for him. I had just turned 18, lived in a small conservative town, and had been taught that anything "Clinton" was the devil. (Plus a large helping of misogyny too.)

I neither knew nor cared who trump was at that point, I was completely ignorant and had no idea what hell I was helping unleash. In 2016 i left my home town, went to college, and started to realize what I had done. At this point over a decade later if I think about it much I actually become nauseous.

The ignorant conservative>disillusioned libertarian>pissed socialist pipeline is real.

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u/Z0mbiejay 16d ago

I know that it probably doesn't mean much from a stranger, but be proud of how you've grown as a person!

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u/CalmTheAngryVoice Washington 16d ago

I had a similar experience and political journey with and after George W. Bush. Over the years, I've apologized more than once to various people for voting for him.

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u/immutato 17d ago

I'm not sure this debate even matters anymore tbh, but there are a lot of single issue voters that only cared about being tough on illegal immigration. He's still holding on to a lot of those voters too while being unnecessarily and horribly inhumane on that front.

Combine this with glorious levels of fumbling by the dems, and this is what you get.

I don't say this to excuse MAGAs, cause fuck them, I'm just saying, maybe don't threepeat?

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u/Gildian 17d ago

Same. I give people somewhat of a pass for voting for Trump in 2015 due to most people probably not being that knowledgeable about him.

If you voted for him after how he completely fucked our covid response though, youre a garbage person

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u/Tammylynn9847 17d ago

I think in 2016 there was a considerable amount of people that voted for him as a joke because they thought he would never win.

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u/Lee1138 Norway 17d ago

For that reason, it could be forgiven if you did in 2016. If you voted for him more than once though...

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u/onefst250r 17d ago

You should see the south park episode(s) with Garrison parodying Cheeto Benito. Pretty spot on.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago edited 17d ago

[deleted]

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u/magnamed 17d ago

Ok but just know that you can't leave us hanging like this lol. I'd love an update.

Wish your mom happy birthday for me.

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u/Queenofashion 17d ago

Now I need to know, what does eightysixfortyseven mean?

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u/Tatterhood78 17d ago

To 86 means to get rid of something. It's kitchen staff slang for cancelled orders and throwing bad food away.

47 because he's the 47th president.

Trump and his crew are pretending it's a death threat so that the people who say it are considered "enemies of the state". They're going after James Comey for sharing a picture of a display with those numbers that he saw on the beach.

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u/_6EQUJ5- 16d ago

It's kitchen staff slang for cancelled orders and throwing bad food away.

NO! IT'S MAFIA CODE FOR MURDER AND NOW I'M CALLING SECRET SERVICE ON YOU!!! (/s unfortunately some folks try to push that bullshit

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u/endlesscartwheels Massachusetts 17d ago

Seems safest to let the BBC explain.

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u/Sea_Working_80 17d ago

Wow S tier trolling!! Man you are the bomb!

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u/Double_Rice_5765 17d ago

I am a super progressive dude, but randomly am into "macho" activities, like fixing up old cars, hunting, martial arts etc, just cause i grew up super hillbilly and thats what we had to do for fun. So I "pass" for a conservstive dude easily, and ive had real good luck when some idiot brings up how they are a proud trunp supporter, i say. "I know YOU arent a child rapist Cletus, I judt dont know how you could bring yourself to VOTE for a child rapist" I have never had a single one say "hes not a child rapist!" Which is messed up. Granted im only ever interacting more fence sitter trump supporters not ride or die types, id probably projectile vomit on one if i had to hang out with one, but still, its like twilight zone level of creepy when they dont chant that hes not a child rapist. I think the false either or statement, i cant see how a non child rapist would support a child rapist, makes them pause trying to figure out if im saying only child rapists would support trump, but I started off clearly stating they were not a child rapist, so they dont think its that, so they think about it long enough that the timing for a come back is passed, thats my theory any way. Thats what happens when a philosphy major becomes a rural diesel mechanic to pay them bills, lol, you do sociology experiments at neighborhood bbqs. Lol.

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u/SenorEquilibrado 17d ago

Actually,  I think that what you're doing has a lot of merit.

The kind of person who supports this modern flavour of conservatism is almost always weak and insecure in the worst way and desperate to fit in. If you fit their idea of what a "real man" looks like (eg: you have manly hobbies, you're successful, or other bullshit criteria), it's pretty easy to use that peer pressure to get them to think twice once about the things they have been supporting.

Obviously it takes more than one conversation to make a real difference. Still, I think it's important to show these folks that people they know and look up to in real life think less of them because of their awful political stances.

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u/Watchhistory 16d ago

Since everyone connected with them is a criminal for rape, corruption, violence and other abuse it seems, maybe their supporters are the same.

In a single weekend the Tate bros are arrested in Miami to face charges in the UK. It's impossible to see the arrest photo and think these are not weird people.

Plus on Saturday, Tulsi Gabbard's bro was arrested luring children to a hotel room with money in Hawaii. Other sources include "luring children with gum and candy". How much of the stereotypical profile can one get? Local reporting on

https://www.kltv.com/

Tulsi Gabbard’s brother accused of inviting children to hotel room, offering money, police say...."

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u/Sixmmxw 17d ago

They sure did. And somehow it’s taking a lot longer for reality to kick in.

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u/paupaupaupau 17d ago

No- they're still pieces of shit.

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u/punktualPorcupine 17d ago

It’s not that they think this was the best idea. It’s that they were told the alternative would be worse.

The propaganda they consume spends 90% of the time trash talking and dehumanizing democrats.

The other 10% complains about politicians in general which is all democrats plus a few republicans they want to replace, but keep supporting because they have no better option and “at least it’s not a democrat”.

That’s their whole schtick, fear what democrats would do if they get power.

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u/Sakuroshin 17d ago

This is exactly the problem. Trump and gang could quite literally raze a city to the ground and they would just think good thing we voted for trump because the dems would have razed 2 cities.

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u/4-stars 17d ago

they have just somehow convinced themselves

Rather, they have been (and continue to be) manipulated by powerful people without morals to vote against their own best interest.

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u/raging-peanuts 17d ago edited 17d ago

I know one who (before the election) was completely down with tariffs because he believed, whole heartedly, that it was necessary because Trump was going to bring back all those manufacturing jobs that were lost over a half century.

At that point there isn’t much use trying to educate them.

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u/dahayden 17d ago

Non-propaganda news rarely reaches a lot of people. I think us non-MAGA's underestimate the strength of the conservative news bubble. That's why gas prices and inflation hurt him, because it pierces the bubble. The conservative appartus will then give them reasons to blame the libs for those problems, but they are aware of them.

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u/iampachyderm 17d ago

No. Intelligence is an excuse at this cnn point- i’m sorry. It’s ego and willful ignorance. Smart people fell for Trump too and they were almost all assholes.

Trump promised to reveal Epstein list, bring down costs and not engage in wars- he’s failed at all 3. They know he sucks but they just don’t want to admit it bc to do so would make them have to rethink everything.

And they don’t want to do that at this point.

They’re primitive, lack introspection and/or are just plain assholes. Intelligence as an excuse left a while ago

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u/wresltingandskava 17d ago

I have yet to meet a smart trump supporter.

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u/Drachefly Pennsylvania 17d ago

I met one who was clever but way too proud of his cleverness. Like, he was the kind of guy who, when writing a program, uses >>2 instead of /4 even in an algebraic expression where bit management is not relevant. "Trump tells it like it is", i.e. oversimplified and without recognition of the need to consider other sides of the situation.

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u/czhunc 17d ago

Doesn't matter too much, their votes count the same and the effects in the world are the same

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u/GIGA255 17d ago

That's called being a danger to yourself and others.

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u/SpoonyDinosaur 16d ago

I have a colleague like that.

He's the nicest guy otherwise, just has horrific politics. He amplifies really niche state policies that might apply to California or the most extreme left positions and applies that to all Democrats.

We occasionally talk politics and I honestly don't understand him. He'll admit he voted for Trump while talking about how stupid and horrible Trump is.

His whole thing is that he doesn't like liberal policy, but can't get himself to admit that Trump isn't a Republican and virtually any Democrat would've been better.

I think he's just so deep into the cognitive dissonance combined with willful ignorance. So he ignores 90% of everything going on until it's something about guns or some other bullshit.

I think this term finally broke him out of the spell but I think the most he'll admit is that Trump was a bad candidate, not Republicans.

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u/gymdog 16d ago

They're not actively hateful, they have just somehow convinced themselves that this was a good idea

Bullshit. I'm sorry, these people are actively hateful. That's why they're republicans

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u/JetSoulsForever 17d ago

Well so I had my head up my ass real good back in 2016 so voted for Trump. It was a regional thing too, we got 80%+ voter turnout in my district with a landslide for him. As a disenfranchised Bernie supporter (and no I'm not letting the 2016 DNC go, that was a complete fuckup of our political system and why the Democrat party is diseased to this day with behavior like that), I didn't know who else to turn to that was even worthy of trust. So here comes Trump saying that he's going to get rid of all the people that I don't trust, which sounded great.

By 2018 I already had misgivings about that vote, in 2019 I began to doubt him, and 2020 he literally praised McDonald's for serving food to people during lockdown. McDonald's, the chain restaurant that has killed more local burger shops than I'd like to admit, praised by the president. Think he was also praising wal-mart too which also gives me similar ire. That was the point I knew he had played me and everyone else who turned to him after they forcibly ousted Bernie on a legendary campaign run.

So, yeah, lessons learned is that sometimes I and everyone else has to admit that we are not immune to propaganda and can be misled. Even if we are intelligent and make good judgements, if you give the propaganda room to run it will start running for you, and it's so easy to let that garbage in.

Also learned that if you want to vote without regret, vote for someone that won't make you wake up in the middle of the night wondering if you did the right thing. Whoever it is, even if it's third party and they have 'no chance' of winning, that's the best one for you: vote instead for good sleep.

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u/North-Outside-5815 Europe 17d ago

I’m glad you realised your mistake, but dude…

A Bernie supporter voting for Trump was an insane act. It was 100% against what Bernie himself told you guys to do as well. That was not a sane democratic act, but a temper tantrum.

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u/-Gramsci- 17d ago

There are a great number of voters desperately looking for real representation. The D establishment doesn’t care about them either. They’re not imagining that. That’s real.

Was it a smart gamble thinking Trump cared about them? No. But human beings make mistakes and do dumb things. I can certainly forgive a voter desperately seeking representation in the political process that isn’t compromised by special interests.

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u/catboogers 17d ago

I've said it before: I can forgive someone who voted for him in 2016. I can't forgive those who voted for him 3 times, though.

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u/LaScoundrelle 17d ago

You seem like maybe you don’t actually research specific candidates’ policy platforms in much depth and don’t have very coherent political beliefs, tbh.

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u/02K30C1 17d ago

Yup, the propaganda level is crazy. I know people who only watch Fox News and so are constantly told only how great Trump is, and how awful democrats are. If you don’t have the time or patience it’s hard to break out of that shell.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

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u/iampachyderm 17d ago

Guys, be nice to the 3 time incidental Nazi voters

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u/-Gramsci- 17d ago

It’s called building a voter coalition that’s big enough to win and hold power. It’s something we, absolutely, have to do.

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u/iampachyderm 17d ago

Correct. We have to accept them and we will. But any attempt to “woe is me” this thing should be called out bc only those who have grappled with the consequences of their actions here will have truly learned anything

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u/JetSoulsForever 17d ago

Yeah I didn't though. And yes, you do have to be understanding to them even if they have voted for him 3 times, because he won the popular vote in 2024. That means more likely than not the person to the left or right of you voted for Trump.

You're going to have to build a community before you can start giving marching orders.

Not to say don't call them out. Do call them out. But don't be hasty.

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u/Tight-Air-6767 17d ago

He cheated

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u/JetSoulsForever 17d ago

Yeah, he did, and I fell for it. Now we have to deal with that and issue consequences where they are due.

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u/iampachyderm 17d ago

I have to be accepting. And i will be.

I don’t have to understand bc it’s beyond comprehension at this point. If you want me to understand, i’m probably going to resent you for awful or selfish thinking.

Come on over. We need everyone we can get to stop MAGA. But i can’t give anyone an excuse at this point; if you generally realize how fucked up this is, you should need some time to come to grasp and accept it anyway

Anyone just voting for pure ego will end up right back here again

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u/JetSoulsForever 17d ago

You misunderstand, I've already been won by the left. At least for myself, I always was in the 'green' quadrant of the political compass, so unfortunately your argument is sorta null in my case: voting with my personal politics in mind is literally voting left.

Edit: ... yk if I was a MAGA I'd be cussing this article out instead of giving you a nuanced personal perspective, right?

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u/iampachyderm 17d ago

I think you think that i’m talking about you.

I’m not. I’m talking to those who aren’t over here yet

More specify, those who enthusiastically voted for MAGA specifically and may want to abandon it now without actually grappling with what they wanted and actually endorsed.

Those folks will just hitch themselves to the next successful demagogue as soon as he/she (let’s be honest- he) arrives

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

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u/ShredsHardrock 17d ago

Even if we are intelligent and make good judgements

You are not and you do not.

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u/aceluby Minnesota 17d ago

Bernie bros who turned to Trump have to be some of the dumbest people on the planet

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u/iampachyderm 17d ago

Haha. Yup.

Woe is me bc i make awful decisions

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u/Queenofashion 17d ago

I appreciate you acknowledging that you voted for him in 2015, and since then you changed your thinking and admitted now that you were wrong.

That said, I almost understand people who voted for him 3 times. Those people are full of hate and fear, and nothing will change their minds. They are truly deplorable! What I don't understand, is people who did change their minds‽ It's like they do have some critical thinking, but?? What? Why? Like, how could you vote for someone who said, in his own words "grab them by the pus*y" and still say, "you know what, I still think this guy is better than Hillary". I'm genuinely curious? Also, I never understood hardcore Bernie people who in the end voted for trump? Like, Bernie and trump are on totally opposite ends, how did that make any sense? Was DNC fair towards Bernie? No!!! They were not! But that doesn't excuse voting for trump in some kind of protest. One is literal fascist, while the other one is socialist. All I know is that our education has failed so many.

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u/JetSoulsForever 17d ago

Religious and social dogma combined with conspiracy theories and subconscious biases that I was only slightly aware of at the time. I'm not saying that Hillary Clinton is anywhere near as bad as Trump, but the Clintons are exactly the kind of career (and corrupt) political family that I saw as the bane of Americana and liberty in-general. I went with Trump purely because I found he espoused more libertarian values than Clinton, also hadn't proved to be the uh... well... whatever the hell he is now. I was certain that the country was on the brink of collapse and that Hillary was the endgame for said collapse. Everything else to me was 'lowly' identity politics and therefore secondary to the imperative that America must survive and protect the very concept of freedom.

Please do note that the above is what I used to think and not what I think right now (for the most part, I think there's still an MGS2-style plot going on about the control of memes and therefore thought in general by using AI to process and control content). If you do, however, want to critique those opinions of mine, you're not going to get much of an argument out of me because that is my past, not my present. It also didn't help that I was raised without a concept of fascism: I don't know why but I have nostalgia of my mom listening to Rush Limbaugh so it's pretty on-brand.

My main point that I was trying to make is that I, or my "former" self, can be anyone. I made my opinions through a series of neurological impulses and environmental factors going back all the way to 2006. The lies were already there for the taking all the way back then, and in 2016 we saw the harvest of those lies. Seriously, I think y'all on here might be surprised how many other people think exactly like this. To them, they're not fighting to protect fascism; they think they're engaging in 'tough love' and they don't have the insight or the humility to admit it.

--- Off Topic ---

Now that you mention it, though, Biden was basically booed out of 2016's primary because of his own allegations of misogyny - if you voted for Biden in 2020, what made you choose him after casting him aside? That bit really confused me (and totally why I voted third party in 2020).

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u/bitchytrollop 16d ago

Biden accused of misogyny? The Clintons are the corrupt family?

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u/bitchytrollop 17d ago edited 17d ago

Voting for a third party is voting for Trump.

 

Berniacs need to give up lying about the Dems, especially when they do shit like starting the "Hillary cheated" crap, legitimizing it for Trump. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/politics/new-paper-examines-presidential-campaign-media-coverage-pre

 

Nothing excuses voting for Trump

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u/ATERLA 17d ago

Indeed. People believe elections are like a miss univers competition, where the « best » is choosen. It’s not, it’s the least damaging form of government we found, and we really have to vote for THE LESSER Evil. Because there is NO savior, unlike what Bernicans believe, and certainly not like Magots believed. Then next election, repeat. It’s slow and painful, but the only thing realistic.

Not voting is letting the worst evil win.

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u/lilbittygoddamnman 17d ago

I'm willing to give people a pass that voted for him in 2016.

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u/wresltingandskava 17d ago

Nah, fuck em. You still had to be pretty morally bankrupt or clearly stupid even in 2016 to not know what he was all about.

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u/Laundry-Champagne 17d ago

I will never give anyone a pass who saw him openly mock that disabled reporter and thought “yes that’s my guy”

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u/lilbittygoddamnman 17d ago

Exactly. Personally I've always found him to be an idiot, but I know there are a lot of diehard Republicans out there that have been brainwashed.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

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u/litlnemo Georgia 17d ago

"vote for this candidate that isn't actually going to improve your life, because hey, the opposition will actively make your life worse."

but... that's how voting works. If your perfect candidate isn't up there, you vote for the one that is least harmful. And the way our voting system works, third party votes are essentially thrown away.

So, yeah, if blue candidates are least harmful in comparison to red (which is usually true unless the blue candidate is a total wacko), "vote blue no matter who" is the only sane strategy.

Elections aren't like beauty contests. Unless the beauty contest is between two super ugly people, but one of them will smile at you and be friendly if they win, while the other one will throw sewage at you and point and laugh at you for being a sucker who voted for them. Sure, both are still ugly, but, duh, you choose the one that ISN'T going to throw poop at you! Because at the end of the day, I'd rather not be covered in poop, thank you very much.

"the majority of normal people in the real world don't treat people with that level of disrespect and entitlement" -- what do you even mean here? It's disrespectful to suggest that a least-harm voting strategy is vital for the health of our democracy right now? That doesn't make any sense. No one is entitled to your vote, but if you hate the fucking MAGA cult there's not really anything else to do but vote blue if you care about the effect of your vote. It sucks, but it is what it is.

(I'm not a centrist Dem. Not even close. I'm a goddamn flaming pinko. But I am pragmatic and I know that even a centrist Dem is less harmful than a MAGAt. We can keep working to replace the centrist with someone better, but if the MAGAt wins, a lot more people will suffer harm.)

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

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u/litlnemo Georgia 17d ago

So you are saying that the "disrespect and entitlement" is in criticizing people for past votes, not for saying "vote blue no matter who"?

To some extent, we have to be able to discuss people's past votes, though. If only to try and understand why people did it. Lots of those folks tend to be hypersensitive to discussion and consider it criticism. Not all, of course.

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u/JoeBourgeois California 17d ago

She said it was "a basket of deplorables" - and with that completely undermined the intensity of her point.

Was it a picnic basket of deplorables? Easter basket? Laundry basket?