I want to just add one last thing which is, one of the things that I noticed during the 2024 cycle was that voters didn’t actually ***believe**** trump was going to do the things he said he was
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That might be because over and over his defenders when he said outrageous things would respond, “It’s just Trump being Trump.” Well they are about to learn they FAFO.
I’ve listened to a lot of debate shows where MAGA callers would call up, giving their reasons for supporting Trump.
That is something I would often hear when the host would push them about his rhetoric: “Well, he’s not really gonna do that. He says a lot of things, take it with a grain of salt.” 🫠
I love the look on their faces. Conversation I had over D&C being abortion. Woman tells me they need to change that me can't DJT sent it to the states. That's what happens when you pay no attention or don't do the work. Just vote without knowing anything
Yes I heard many times “well Project 2025 isn’t actually part of his platform, he said so” which tells me some of them knew deep down how bad Project 2025 would be.
Maddeningly, so many T voters said they were voting for him *because* they believed he was lying to him ("he's not going to do the things he says he wants to do") while ALSO saying they like him because "he just tells it like it is." Performative nonsense / TV dreams
I don't say this to mean "nothing matters." Let's fight for increasing the minimum wage, for the dignity of work, and for everybody's right to fight for their health as they see fit, without interference from insurance companies – and against the billionaires who don't care about these rights.
The self deception of probably most republican voters is staggering. I think it's right relatively few people want what he's actually selling. The message just didn't break through enough
All the way back in 2016, Salena Zito, who was then covering voters in the heartland, wrote of then-candidate Donald Trump, in a column for The Atlantic: “the press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.”
Getting Mexico to pay for the wall, and producing a health care plan was always bullshit. But Trump *did* try to fuck over immigrants, and the kids in cages showed he could follow through on hurting powerless people.
When Trump tries but fails to do the things he said he would do, he blames others instead of recognizing that laws, norms, and practical common sense blocked his ill-intended pathway.
What they didn't tell you is technically your 80 yo grandmother is a "criminal" for being undocumented for the past 30 years. They will use this against her and deport her.
I get wanting change and even some unconventional candidate, but how it ended up trump is not understandable. He always seems like he’s trying to sell you the Brooklyn bridge in such a transparent way
It’s not MAGA that’s the problem here: they’re the baseline stupid people. The problem is all the not-MAGAs who aren’t anti-MAGA who must be surprised to wake up each day and find the sun rising because they’re can’t seem to remember anything from the past and aren’t strong on the present either.
And I would add that other 30% who didn’t bother to vote and don’t have a clue what is going on now and won’t know what hits them when it hits. These guys, they’re a huge problem.
The non voting 30% will soon find out what being governed by their inferiors really means .. one wonders if they will participate in politics if the future actually holds real elections going forward.
I think there is a lot of overlap with that group & MLK jr's 'white moderate' who prefer to just let it all be & not stir anything up in their part of the pond & can't be arsed to even call a life guard for the people drowning in the other end (or report the people doing the drowning...)
To be fair, there’s a feeling of powerlessness amongst a lot of people. They’ve stopped calling the lifeguard because the lifeguard never shows up in time. I know I have to fight that impulse myself. It gets discouraging.
There was a real disconnect for Trump voters between trumps rhetoric and trumps actions. Also tangentially related: His voters didn’t blame him for excess Covid deaths but did blame democrats for what they deemed to be “excessive Covid restrictions.” How Trump was able to straddle this I never got
It's actually really simple...maggats voters are idiots and sticking it to the libs is more important than critical thinking....well any type of thinking really
once you accept the simple fact that millions of voters are incrediblly stupid, everything explains itself, no doubt he owns the stupid voter demographic
There’s books to come, but not all Trump voters fall into a silo. My parents voted Trump, don’t watch Fox, not MAGA. They’re well-off, retired Boomers, and unconsciously fear any change, let alone societal change.
He appeals to folks who can’t work a remote, don’t get my lesbian cousin thing.
They’re scared people living in a bubble. They worked hard, they have things where they put them, they live in a small town, they are unconsciously incredibly selfish, and things like climate change and gender fluidity and DEI programs are utterly foreign. Thus, scary.
They think he’s going to Keep It All The Way They Remembered. My parents don’t *hate* anyone. They are nice (not the same as kind), hardly angry, and want to hold onto Now. Costco folks. Hallmark channel folks. It’s scary for them, Out There.
He preyed upon that, and when I told my parents about his plans for Social Security and/or Medicare, their reaction has been complete and utter denial. Because he was and is The Not Change Guy. He was going to Keep it The Same. He would ensure they could live with a remote that works. Without fear.
They voted Harris, both of them. Because chaos is also change, and they don’t like chaos, and he tires them. But they also don’t fear him because whatever he does won’t touch *them.*
No sense in explaining to them how much of a Good German each is. They won’t get it.
I think a huge part is the simple unwillingness to entertain the idea that *they* might be wrong-its always someone elses fault,they didnt know, nobody held their hand and walked them through it, and if you try to actually do that you're hit by a wall of kneejerk regurgitation of Fox talking points
With all the disinformation on news channels, throw in your garden variety religion shilling. It continues to confound me how folks that proclaim God and the Ten Commandments will follow the most un-Christ like man.
1. Trump knows how to message. Democrats don't message well. 2. The media doesn't push back or press Trump for details, but does the exact opposite to democrats.
This is because of the success of the vaccine and responsible COVID governance. DeSantis flouted responsibility and got away with it because the real adults were getting the vaccine out. Its success made the restrictions seem unnecessary. Also the “lower” death rate made it seem like someone else’s
problem for a lot of people. “I don’t need to worry so why should I have to quarantine” was something I heard. Also young men were forced to stay home from gyms and this seemed anti democratic to them. They could be selfish because the virus didn’t impact them like it did older people.
Lockdowns seems authoritarian to them so warnings of Trumpian fascism were lost on them. Also the success of the vaccine made it impossible to prove the counterfactual of how bad things would have been without it. Many more would be dead & a reopened economy would have been a dangerous place.
The economy couldn’t be locked down forever but without a vaccine there would have been a selective lockdown of a significant portion of the population. Economic rebound would not have happened as quickly. We will never know because we only live in one timeline.
Democrats needed to defend and brag about their successes after reopening including the vaccine rollout and lockdowns. Tell people they are alive because of their policies but moved on. It left the Musks and RFKs to poison peoples’ minds. Trump gave EUA for the vax but bear hugged RFK Jr.
The fate of America’s democracy was left up to people that don’t know their own history, don’t seem to know much about world history, don’t believe in science or vaccines.
Covid restrictions were seen as the work of Democratic governors and know-it-all public health officials. Covid deaths were ignored because so many of them happened to old people, POC, and poor people.
I still think about how close the thug himself came to dying of covid. Missed opportunity.
Disconnect - yes. But also willful ignorance. And - I’m doubtful his voters knew anything about “excess COVID deaths.” If they did, they didn’t care - they’re not dead so who cares? They’re not the most civic minded or empathetic.
Uh, not sure that's entirely true -- trump's gross incompetence during the pandemic in '20 led to economic disaster, and voters threw him out. He didn't really "straddle" anything. You give this POS way too much credit.
Simple - Trump voters just want to blame other people for anything wrong in the country and Trump is their man to do that. All Trump does is blame others for his failures and Trump voters love that.
Most Trump voters never listen to him. They get all Info thru a system of third parties disguised as Trojan horses, “nonpolitical” resources in sports, entertainment , hobbies, parenting, finances, religion, Muslim life, Latin life who sane-wash trump and sow lies, deceit &resentment against Dems
I think it came down to caring about others (following restrictions) is "inconvenient" and he made them feel OK about feeling angry about it. Plus, the media made covid a political story that allowed people to question vs believe experts. Generally, he just promoted hate and anger, his specialty.
Maybe since Trump lies *constantly* people have no solid reason to believe anything thing he says? Of course it doesn't explain why they'd ever vote for the mf
I second the “echo chamber” explanation. It just defies logic that failures during his administration simply seem to have been erased from our collective memory.
Because the Dems SUCK at messaging, and always let them run with what ever narrative they want. Same happened with Open Borders. What did you hear more" Dems are to blame", or Trump tanked the border bill ? 250+ Dems in congress, they need to get their heads out of their asses .
Or they thought Trump’s policy promises wouldn’t affect *them.* He would deport criminal immigrants, but not the ones in their communities who have been working and good citizens for years.
It seems like many people need a narrator for The Politics Movie. They need to be told stuff like "The robbers are stealing money from the bank to use for themselves. This is a crime, and the cops will come after them."
its cult behavior!!! They just love being so openly racist that they aren't even listening to the "policies" and plans (ahem, Project 2025). They are about to crash badly and we definitely need more thoughts and prayers for those whose faces are being eaten. 🤷♀️
I sent a couple of maga friends court documents of Dump & Epstein raping children. Response, not my president. Both on disability. He didn't take it away last time.
Its no use. My life, my choice, removing all maga family & friends.
Cause people don't care about others. They just saw it as a blocker they deemed unnecessary. Unless you were impacted directly, they just shrugged off the deaths. 2020 told us a lot about people. They Blamed government when people probably caused the deaths thinking they knew better
Well, when gaslighting, gish gallop, lies, destraction and cable media, and traitor lawyers who kissed donalds ring... let's start there.
* Donald became their cult leader -wolf in sheep skin
It is proven to be more effective instead of facts.
If democrats want to reach those idiots they need to use the same.
Stop bringing a knife to a gun fight 🤷🏻♀️
because the voters that put over the top were not news consumers. they were video clip meme consumers. they saw clips of him being awesome and harris being annoying. they were infected by secondhand contact with the bubble. and those in the bubble saw the source material first hand.
They didn’t believe he was going to do what he said he was going to do, but believed all his denials about the things his opponents said he was going to do. With the media lapdogs playing along with all their “fact-checking”.
The restrictions were real and easy to identify. And as others have mentioned, they were often imposed by state and local officials , many of whom were Democrats. “Excess deaths” is more abstract. Even if you knew someone who died from Covid, how do you decide whether their death was “excess”?
There was a concerted effort by the media to normalize Trump, and the only way to do that was to make his batshit decisions seem less insane. Comparable to minor Democrat politicians flubs. This dereliction of duty, of calling balls and strikes, allowed the low information voters false equivalence.
Maybe pandemics and best practices should be taught early in school. Seems like there is a total lack of education and consequences of thinking it doesn’t exist.
Ridiculous how condescending and oblivious democrats are. It's impossible for them to take any accountability, to engage in any reflection or course correction. They will gauge reality wrong until their party is irreparably diminished and still convince themselves it's everyone else's fault
A 2024 study of people hospitalized for Covid treatment, three years after discharge, had 1 in 9 showing loss of mental function equivalent to a 30-point drop on the IQ scale (100 is average) ...
There was no measure of excess C19 deaths in '20. This measure became key when mask mandates were relaxed in '22. It was an argument against Biden's "let it rip" baseless proclamation which stood in sharp contrast to science research and data.
Biden failed to base public health policy on science.He based decisions on the opinions of ceos & donors. He and KH paid the price in this past election for enabling mass disability via deliberate silencing of key information to the public.When you promise to speak truth, and lie, you pay.
Trump lies effortlessly Effort is involved when you work with the truth to solve complex problems. Biden did not want to be inconvenienced with complex problems, so he took the Trump route. The left filled the gap in the right, left by the GOP moving far right.The right or right was not a choice.
Because they’re literally stupid and racist? 🤷♂️ which I’ve been saying since 2016 but people said I can’t paint a large swath of people like that…but I was correct in the end.
The media followed the right wing talking points.
Trump's stimulus payments saved them but Biden's stimulus caused inflation.
Trump stay at home orders saved lives but Biden's stay at home orders destroyed the economy.
Trump saved lives by inventing the vaccine but Biden's vaccine killed people.
SMH
Yesss, it's scary and hopefully not a bad oman with him in office..
Could be very bad as it's crossed to humans..
Also can impact food prices.. 🥚 Eggs, 🐔 chickens, 🥛 milk, possibly 🥩 meats
You cannot blame a lack of education for trump voters sticking with him, I have a GED & have average intelligence. There’s multiple reasons why these people are just so dumb & refuse to vote for democrats. 🐆
Good on you...🤗
But it seems less educated people are more gullible or can't do critical thinking to see how off kilter things are that he says or does
I have several siblings that are questionable in beliefs... I avoid any discussion of it
With musk buying votes and threatening people, of course, it looks like he won. He did not...I can't prove it, I just know it's true. Sadly, when the truth comes out, it will be too late. Putin's puppet will be installed.
Never underestimate the power of Trump to make their racism and misogyny ok and celebrated for a key part of their identity. He made this part of their world accepted and celebrated. They will forgive a lot for this.
I bet they don't realize cutbacks will affect their medical appointments, hospital staffing, & K-12 education. Or that nations will just reverse the tariffs on us.
I think we don’t get it because we don’t consume a steady stream of propaganda and opinion from Fox News, Joe Rogan, Paul Bettencourt, Glenn Beck and other bombastic broadcasters on iHeart Radio.
Because Trump voters care more about doing whatever they want (themselves and to other people) than about the quality and preservation of life. See: guns, abortion, immigration, etc
They’re right. There IS a huge disconnect between his rhetoric and actions. He just … talks. Says shit, sometimes strategically, sometimes mouth diarrhea. He doesn’t mean much of it. For educated urbane liberals, words are real. For others, they’re just words.
You underestimate him. He is strategic. He exploits the media’s existential need for content, educated liberals’ obsession with words and symbols, and his supporters’ thirst for “lower” people to hurt. He gets all of that. He uses it when he needs to. A nihilist but a cynical one, the worst kind.
I blame the media for this, they never laid out the case for why America did so much worse at managing COVID than other countries, and Trump escaped all accountability for those deaths.
Really world wonders are Americans that stupid that they believe a habitual lier. It’s proven over & over & he is a Putin lover who is an adversary/enemy to USA. Citizens didn’t protect woman. USA country to avoid like the plague. Shit show begins soon. Rich get richer!
Sad thing, excessive restrictions saved lives. In Canada nurses were restricted to working @ one facility only therefore not exposing 2nd workplaces to covid. Just no brains & now they voted in a dictator. B careful what u wish for!
This is because Trump is like an avatar in which we can project onto him whatever we want to believe. He lies about everything and doesn’t stand for anything so we can just pick and choose what we want to believe about him.
So many of them don’t believe ANY politician will do what they say they will — so many broken promises, and such disappointing government.. So why should Trump be any different? A lot of them hope he’s a major disruptive to get ANYTHING different/new to happen in DC.. We’ll see..
I can't unsee the "Mass Deportation Now" signs at his rallies. More of our fellow Americans are rooting for raids, camps, family separation, and crimes against humanity than we'd like. It's no comfort that some are just ignorant.
And that is the biggest problem we had and why we are where we are now. But his propaganda machine will soon get people to believe even more outrageous things.
Voters have given up on politicians
Trump just had a better show
But they thought his talk was just for show
they didn't think it would effect them in their lives
They still don't
A not-small number of Trump voters legit believed that the election was rigged in favor of dems, so they felt safe voting for Trump anyway despite any quiet misgivings. Joe Rogan’s shock was real, and telling.
No one in the media can interview Trump. Even in the depositions he has given, the lawyers haven’t been challenging enough. He lies so it is hard. But you have to try, and no one really does. They can’t seem to do it. The public and voters suffered as a result.
I shared impact of tariffs and deportations with 100s of Trumper TX neighbors. (Nextdoor let me amplify it to 1000s.)
They didn’t care. Their entire social structure is built upon the Trump cult. Stay in or be shunned.
One even said Trump would pay tariffs because he’s a billionaire. 🥲
A few days ago there was a post in which the poster repeated a conversation among male relatives: "When Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal are annexed, we're going to have so many more resources!"
My husband always counters with “I don’t think he’s really going to do that,” whenever I mention the asinine things he has said he will do. Gee, hubs, that’s nice that you have such insight into his intentions.
That's what I noticed in interviews - "I voted for Trump, but I hope his policies don't happen." Also, the fact ppl overall preferred the Harris policies, but her name was attached...it was truly the election of fools with no common sense.
Much more that they selectively believed the parts of the junk he said that they wanted to believe and not the parts they didn't. And that subset was different for different voters. Really saw this when I asked Trump voting friends what parts they believed....
Trump will not perform mass deportations as he told his supporters. He will certainly have some staged round-ups for the cameras but his billionaire supporters rely on illegals. It will also tank the economy and increase inflation which he won't accept on his watch. It's all just a dog & pony show
I agree. This plays into his uncanny ability to get his supporters to believe he is who they want him to be rather than who he continuously demonstrates he is.
No. 2. Hate & racism. They hate LGBTQ, blacks, immigrants, women. They’ve been told they’re being replaced & their culture destroyed. Also that their rights were being taken away.
Well, nobody could ever believe trump is going to do the things he says, because he lies as he breathes and speaks. Remember how Mexico would have to pay for the wall?
I posit it’s tied into religion, in that the Bible says things, but god doesn’t REALLY want that. Good reflects their own ideas of right and wrong and hope things should be, as does Trump. Trump wants and will do what they want. It’s wishful thinking. It’s magical thinking
You have no idea how many times I was told by maga supporters that 45 doesn’t know anything about Project 2025 and doesn’t have anything to do with it. Wonder if they feel the same now
So much weird stuff happened in the 2024 Presidential campaign. Looking back Biden glitching out at a debate he wanted 2-3 months before debates usually happen is only a Top 3 event. Like, what the hell was that? The other guy getting convicted of felonies and getting shot? Are my Top 2.
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That is something I would often hear when the host would push them about his rhetoric: “Well, he’s not really gonna do that. He says a lot of things, take it with a grain of salt.” 🫠
God face-palms...
🫠
"believe them when they say it"
I guess that assumes you have been exposed to some culture and inspiring people
The fact that voters are so easily fleeced is one of many problems. Particularly in farming and hospitality. The disconnect is astounding.
He appeals to folks who can’t work a remote, don’t get my lesbian cousin thing.
And they don’t get my frustration with them.
No sense in explaining to them how much of a Good German each is. They won’t get it.
Anyway, Hallmark’s on.
As a boomer myself, I believe that this is at the heart of most rightwing issues.
Climate change? It won't affect us.
Immigrants? Not like us. Deport them.
Loan forgiveness? How do I benefit?
Cancer treatment for those who can't afford it? Nope, I won't pay.
Food 🍲 stamps for kids/families.. No
I think there's a long list
https://bsky.app/profile/tradesman2trader.bsky.social/post/3legob6r7ik2r
What could possibly go wrong?
I still think about how close the thug himself came to dying of covid. Missed opportunity.
It's very disrespectful to all who lost hundreds of Thousands of family and friends
It's all about protecting the leader. The leader must not be criticised. They are flawless. Praise them.
If something goes well, it's because of them. If not, it's someone else's fault.
To be fair: Understanding movies is hard!
Facts never matter because they choose, no; are proud of their ignorance and hate.
They would rather willingly submit to indoctrination than verify or question the lies and propaganda from the Right.
Its no use. My life, my choice, removing all maga family & friends.
defied intelligence and DIED.
* Donald became their cult leader -wolf in sheep skin
Dumb fucks ain't persuaded by facts.
They don't understand them.
Propaganda is typically one and done or, at least, too short term to cause brainwashing.
If democrats want to reach those idiots they need to use the same.
Stop bringing a knife to a gun fight 🤷🏻♀️
Politicians need to be ruthless and play dirty pool, which is exactly what the Republican politicians are doing.
It's not hard if you remove empathy.
Nothing else matters.
Facts truth reality self interest are all secondary to the leader and his vision
You're not supposed to get it
Click or tap below article thread ⬇️ 6 min
"
Trump's stimulus payments saved them but Biden's stimulus caused inflation.
Trump stay at home orders saved lives but Biden's stay at home orders destroyed the economy.
Trump saved lives by inventing the vaccine but Biden's vaccine killed people.
SMH
Could be very bad as it's crossed to humans..
Also can impact food prices.. 🥚 Eggs, 🐔 chickens, 🥛 milk, possibly 🥩 meats
But why on earth would you vote for someone you know lies every time he opens his mouth?
You don’t blame the loudmouth idiot for stuff because, well he’s a moron and you wouldn’t expect him to not screw the pooch (or, I guess porn stars)
But it seems less educated people are more gullible or can't do critical thinking to see how off kilter things are that he says or does
I have several siblings that are questionable in beliefs... I avoid any discussion of it
They will simply rewrite the past to match whatever Trump is saying today.
Already people are forgetting that Trump is going to end the war in Ukraine in one day.
We were very fortunate!
I participated in a research study for same
🤷♂️ IDK
Trump just had a better show
But they thought his talk was just for show
they didn't think it would effect them in their lives
They still don't
They didn’t care. Their entire social structure is built upon the Trump cult. Stay in or be shunned.
One even said Trump would pay tariffs because he’s a billionaire. 🥲
You have to vote for people who are safe and don't do crazy things
Now we will see. As Trump loses his faculties, this time he has some very determined and focused people in charge. Musk, Miller, Homan.
/s
https://bsky.app/profile/bluetx3.bsky.social/post/3legcjdcjdc2r
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/07/politics/trump-immigrant-detention-plans/index.html
2. He hates the same people they do.
Anything else was a bonus for them.
Interesting.