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rich-apple · 3 months ago

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For The Mythical Maybe Trumpers Out There

October 14, 2024

There is an alleged mythical creature out there. We can call this mythical creature a "Maybe Trumper." So though I don't think this mythical creature exists, I'm writing this to them. "Never Trumpers" and "Trumpers" are welcome to read along, if only for shits and giggles.

Casting your November 2024 vote for Donald Trump is like letting out a silent fart in a crowded room. You may not mind it, but it's going to make it really bad for everyone else.

For those who are absolutely not voting for Trump, my bad news is that as crazy as it seems, Trumpers I somewhat know - actual people with functioning brains - are still going to vote for him. They are busy posting stupid misinformation memes on social media, or maybe simply making brief comments that indicate they are still in the Trump camp. Sure, lots of high ranking Republicans and generals are loudly proclaiming they won't vote for Trump, including many who worked for and with him. But people I know and am aware of? He hasn't lost any of them!

So… Vote! Uh, that is, if you're going to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

I would be curious to hear exactly what it is that Trumpers or Maybe Trumpers hear when he's on a stage at a podium. Broadcasting live on tv or the internet or if you're there in person, do you just turn your brain off and let him ramble on, saying stuff that makes no sense? Or so many things that are just outright lies? You'd vote for a guy like that?

Basically, if you remember back to when you were in school, you probably didn't like the spoiled rich kid in your class. That's who Trump is. Do you like bullies? That too is what Trump is? Braggarts? Again, Trump is.

He puts himself on a pedestal, repeats repeats repeats all these claims (genius, physical and mental fitness, that he alone can fix this or that), and it's like some dumb-ass tv commercial - brand name repeated over and over and that it is the best… And so it must permeate into many people's heads.

If you would even consider voting for Trump, then chances are you're a Republican. But have you noticed how many prominent Republicans are supporting Harris, some just to not be supporting Trump? Likewise many who were a part of his White House, including some who didn't turn away from him until the very day he turned away from the truth, as it was presented to him from within his own team, that he indeed did lose the 2020 election.

Do you think the 2020 election was stolen and the populace (and the electoral college) actually voted Trump in? Well the first and foremost reason Don The Con started that was because he is a narcissist and would never admit that he lost. He set up the 2016 election to do the same thing, saying it would be rigged, etc. The 2020 election, the same. 2024? He's doing it again. His starting the denial that he lost in 2020 turned into a huge, ongoing moneymaker and incited an insurrection attempt on January 6th, 2021. But just his narcissism alone would be enough to keep him promoting the stolen election lie.

Now that lie and all the new ones aimed to get him elected again are still first about his ego and narcissism, and keeping him from facing punishment for crimes of which he's already been convicted, and those still being adjudicated, is either second or third. The other second or third reason he's continuing the lie is to get back into office and turn it into an authoritarian position so he can be like Putin, Kim Jong Un and other political strongmen he so admires.

Are you a Christian? Well then what the hell? Your guy Jesus ministered to poor slaves of the Roman Empire. He was about helping the poor and unfortunate. Trump doesn't have a Christian bone in his entire obese body. He'll hug the flag. He'll hold up the Bible. But he doesn't love this country or believe anything in the Bible. He's a narcissist who is only out for himself. And he plays that by saying anything he needs to whether it's an absolute lie or not. Every word out of his mouth adds up to "Trump is great."

I would really like people who know me and are considering voting for Donald Trump (or are absolutely going to) to read this and follow what I'm saying. Agree with or not, but just understand what I'm trying to say.

You may be a kind of reconnected friend from Facebook who I haven't been close to for many years, and then you probably already know that I'm fairly liberal, or in the vernacular of those who would possibly vote for Trump, a "Libtard." (I think that slang is kind of funny because it boldly bucks current thoughts on decency around words we shouldn't use, such as "retard," and at the same time seems to want to say liberals are stupid.)

My main point here does address the very thing that term underscores, and that is the division in our country today into the two distinct camps. Of course there are varying shades of either, but it sure seems one is either completely on one side, or completely on the other. And each side has its particular news stations, internet sites, radio and tv commentators who supply super positive feedback for their side. Idealogical Biofeedback, if you will.

From the liberal side we get a stereotype of the Trump voter as a barely middle-class man who will loudly exclaim that he hates Obamacare but loves his ACA (Affordable Care Act) insurance coverage. Or similarly, a woman wearing a t-shirt that states "He can grab my pussy anytime."

From the "extreme right" view (I say "extreme right" to distinguish what is now considered conservative from what old-school fiscal conservatives used to be) liberals are being portrayed as super sensitive, easily offended and caring too much what other people think. Perhaps that is what is intended when the word "woke" is used, rather than its real meaning according to Merriam Webster: aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).

So of course either stereotype does not allow either side to see each other clearly. People are individuals, each with particular views on this or that, and too many times I've found on social networking pages people telling me what I think and how wrong I am. Not because I said that was what I think, but because the stereotype of a liberal thinks such.

I know people who think quite the opposite of me in terms of Donald Trump, and no, they are not stupid and unthinking. I think they are wrong and they think I am wrong, but if you are one such friend, I'm hoping you can fill in some missing pieces for me.

First, I'll honestly tell you that I think there is some real propaganda that has gone on for many years now that led you to a world-view (maybe nation-view is more appropriate) where a "celebrity" like Trump can come along, check all the boxes for that nation-view, and seem like the perfect candidate. And when I say "check all the boxes" I don't mean to imply that you agree with all those boxes - everyone is unique - but still you see that nation-view as close enough to yours to consider voting for Trump.

Example: You may be someone who is very open and in favor of diversity and not at all prejudiced against other races or nationalities. But to support Trump don't you have to ignore it when he shows and says how he won't reject the support of a David Duke (KKK guy) or risk insulting white supremacists at the Charlottesville rally by concluding (after the violence tore the event apart) that there were good people on both sides?

So white supremacist racism might be a box Trump checks for some, but that's not a box you need to, or want to, have checked. More than likely, you don't see Trump as having a check in that racism box. But is it not true that people who would want that box checked would see it as checked, and those are votes he will most likely get? If you ignore that box, you're voting with them.

It's possible you take Trump at his word that he's not racist at all, or as he puts it, the most un-racist person who ever lived. (Or something like that. PS: His history and things that he says do check that (yes, racist) box for him.)

I cannot imagine people I know who might vote for Trump to blindly believe everything he says. If you like him you probably listen to him, and if you listen to him much at all you know that he says lots and lots of things, and in that much of what he says - especially at rallies - is said to get cheering reactions from the crowd. So yes, some things he says contradict other things he says (sometimes in nearly the same sentence) or things he has done. (PS: I'm sure those cheering crowds are his biggest reward from all of this.)

I get that if you don't listen to him speak for lengths of time and only hear sound-bites used by right-wing supportive media, the spoon-feeding of Trump can miss his less-than-logical statements. Or sometimes non-sensical. (What is it with his using the Hannibal Lector references? Is that a right-wing dog whistle of some kind? Code for something to Proud Boys or QAnon faithfuls?) Those various "news" presenters are editing along and often must say, "Oops, no not that one. Cognitive decline totally showing."

I do realize there's probably nothing I can write that will change anybody's mind. I think in 2016 Trump got a lot of people to vote for him because he was running against government, and many people who barely paid attention to politics got very interested.

My dislike of Trump goes back to the '70s, mainly because one of our housemates was from the east coast and paid lots of attention to the news and we were all such California surf-happy tree-huggers that this real estate developer in New York who played the celebrity card as "The Donald" who would be such a catch for women and kind of strutted like some kind of mogul was simply disgusting. Celebrity for celebrity's sake? Like Paris Hilton or something?

But when the unthinkable happened and he won the presidency in 2016, though I very much voted against him, I had an inkling of hope that he'd stop and say "Whoa" and realize how much he'd need to gather smart people (policy analyst professors?) because he now had a job very much not in his wheelhouse. To my mind, however, he just immediately did the opposite and jumped in with choices for the transition team that included those very much from deep in the "swamp" he so promised to drain. So I lost that tiny dribble of hope right away. And further and further along, he simply became the open door for the most extreme right wing policies.

Now remember, the main intended audience for what I'm writing here are people who have followed along as "conservative" beliefs and policies became more and more extreme. For instance, guns. I doubt any old conservatives where so fired-up (pun intended) about gun rights to the point of insisting the 2nd amendment meant that weapons of war such as assault rifles (i.e. AK47) could and should be owned by the citizenry.

Ironies? Commies. Pinkos. The people really buying into the extreme right wing rhetoric somehow equate liberals with communism. And yet Trump admires Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Xi Jinping. True, what he admires are autocracies and not really "communism."

My philosophy degree has to show a bit here. Though the U.S.S.R. had a "Communist Party," it was not really communism as a political system. Authoritarian, Autocracy… A severely split class society where people were either in the party and well off, or not in the party and standing in lines… But I digress.

Huge ironies can be found when it comes to Christianity. I do love the old bumper sticker that says "The Christian Right is Neither." There is a Christian Nationalist movement now that wants to tear down the constitutional barrier between religion and government. Perhaps the goal is to make our "Freedom of Religion" to be "Freedom to be whatever Christian Religion you want to be."

I was raised Lutheran and understand the tenants of Christianity as I learned them, and embrace the overall teachings about how to be a good person and be good to others. But around the time of Reagan when the right wing first started sidling up to the Christian Religion faction in general to gain their votes, the hypocrisy kind of turned "Christian" into a label it never was. "Reagan's Right" attacked welfare and helping those who either started at the bottom and could never climb up, or those who lost at the game of Musical Chairs that Capitalism kind of sets up.

Conservatism at that point was much more about fiscal conservatism, and helping the less fortunate in society was an expenditure. So while Reagan pointed at the man dropped off downtown wearing worn clothes by his wife in a fancy car, and then picked up later for them to count their booty, the huge majority of the down-and-out were turned against. And if you can't see that what I described isn't the exact opposite of what Jesus taught, then you (imho) are missing the basic premise of your own stated "religion."

Irony that is likely not exactly "irony" is how those who follow, like, and support Trump, are very likely the people I would think would hate him. People who hated the spoiled rich kid in school. People who respect someone making it on their own. People who are proud of real work. And yet there he is, the silver spooner who received $413 million from his dad over time that got him started and continually helped him along when he didn't immediately find success.

You Trumpers somehow are hypnotized by his gift of gab (always packaged in very angry and insulting tones, or pitifully rude attempts at satire) that you no doubt believe him in a debate when he boldly says he did not get that much money, but the research and gathered evidence is out there, even showing that much of it was from from his father via dubious companies set up to avoid inheritance tax, etc.

It is okay, right, that I call Trump supporters "Trumpers?" And I'm happy to label myself a "Never Trumper." Just for convenience's sake.

So if you are super rich, then it would make sense for you to vote for Trump. He'll lower your taxes. Yes, to the detriment of the more average income earners and lower income workers in terms of depriving all the country's social needs. (Yes, we are a Social Democracy, and if we aren't, then why/how do we have all the public services and infrastructure we depend on. Fire departments, law enforcement, justice infrastructure and physical infrastructure of our nation? This many people living together has to be a society.)

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So yes, I am fairly liberal. But conservatives ("Conservatives Classic" and "Conservatives Trump Era") please don't ignore this. Especially if you know me from somewhere (distant past, social media), I hope you have read this. And to add just a spot of humor, I do think all these words can save our country.

Though I've of course failed at being succinct, here are a few targeted attempts to get through to particular groups. Like a fun little game, see if you relate to any!

Memo to working or retired, not-so-wealthy Conservatives planning on voting for Trump: You're being conned. There are so many of us who "the right" paint all the same, mostly as socialists or super sensitive wimps, but in reality there are many sensible honest people who, like me, really really scratch our heads and wonder how anybody can like Trump. He sure seems like a babbling fool who lies with just about every sentence he utters. And the anger and being a mean bully? How do you not see that?

Memo to Super Rich Conservatives planning on voting for Trump: I get it. It's money and you'll get to keep more of yours and policies will likely help you make even more. If you can vote for Trump and not feel an inkling of guilt, well then either you buy into everything else about Trump - mostly stated by him about himself - or you don't really care about the vast majority of Americans who are not super rich. Or the environment. (Extra note to Conservative Classics who don't buy into all the angry and cray-cray aspects of the rhetoric, policies and beliefs: yes you've lost your party. The GOP has abandoned all you thought they stood for, and they are embracing Trump because fear, anger and cray-cray works on most of their voters.)

Memo to "Christians" planning on voting for Trump: I put "Christians" in quotes because of the many flavors of religions purporting to be based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, it's almost a special subcategory - likely pulling together recruits from many denominations. What used to be "The Christian Right," mostly coming about in the Reagan era, now seems to be "Christian Nationalism." For "The Christian Right" there was a great bumper sticker. "The Christian Right Is Neither." Anyway, while we need a new bumper sticker, I can tell any "Christians" that by voting for Trump you are voting for someone who doesn't at all follow any of the teachings of Jesus Christ. So you are being conned, too. And if you belong to a church or group where anyone says that our country should abandon its separation of church and state principles, then you're hearing from those who are against a founding principle of our nation. So maybe a bumper sticker saying "Christian Nationalism Is Neither" would work too.

Memo to those who are angry about government (and yes, our government is inherently crooked - based on legalized bribery, otherwise known as lobbying) and to whom Trump's attitude of disdain for our government and constant expression of anger and hate appeals: Don't go there. Don't say "Yes he's an asshole, but who do you want as president? A nice person or an asshole who will kick other country's butts?" Don't see mean as good, or bullying for anything other than what it is. And please please please don't see any true humor in Trump's snideness or version of insult comedy. How he dismissively insults someone or something he knows the crowd also sees as a bad person or thing with his conceited, flippant style, couched in his overall attitude of egotistical narcissism, just really turns my stomach. You want real sarcasm? Read Mark Twain. You want real insult humor? Watch old Don Rickles bits. Good sarcasm or insult humor comes from love and admiration, not from hate and bitterness.

Memo to everybody: Trump is too fucking old. He is way too thin-skinned. His brain is kaput (cognitively speaking, but also poorly wired), and if he becomes president, Vance will probably take his place soon, and that guy is an ass-licking tool with barely 2 years in congress. Also, if you are someone who can help vote out the total conspiracy theorists who are just an embarrassment to our country, please do. (Paul Gosar, Lauren Boebert, Asshole Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tommy Tuber-vile, Matt Gaetz… and yes, Mitch McConnell too.)

Thank You

#kamala harris #antitrump

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