Our chief exports are meth, heroin and horses. In that order.
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They're on Obamacare, they voted for Trump, and they're already disappointed - but...
- Thread starter E-Cat
- Start date
Our chief exports are meth, heroin and horses. In that order.
I find it interesting, it really shows how polarized politics have become in America for many, it's like a sports team, you'll never root for anybody but you favorite team and hope they will win it all this year and when they don't you do it all over again the next year.
How bad can a person's life get before they start to regret their decisions? How bad until they realize the Republican party is a party for the rich that target and fool people that are poor by convincing them if they work hard and support policies that shit on minorities, they too will become wealthy.
Is there a line? Will they ever realize they were dooped? Do they ever think that maybe Obama wasn't so bad seeing as how they have that insurance he pushed through?
You hope for the sake of this country that at least some, of course not all or even many, but just some realize their mistake because if that starts happening the party is finished.
E-Cat
Member
Bernie did a town hall in, I think, West Virginia and received a standing ovation. These people are not inherently opposed to medicare for all, free college and a living wage. In fact, they cheered him and shook his hand for fighting for them more than their own 'coal country' Senators. Bernie actually votes more with their interests than their own representatives.
What these people lack is the option of a leftist, populist champion. And what tends to happen in such a situation is something called "hypernormalisation". That is, most people are not imaginative enough to come up with an alternative reality, so they just accept what they've got as the only option. I suppose if a neighboring district is doing better, then that could be pointed to -- but if you live in the middle of Red (Republican) America, there are no nearby good examples to point to. It's a sad state of affairs.
hammysaurusrex
Member
I'm also in the group that finds these articles increasingly useless. Journalist goes to Buttfuck, Nowhereville and finds a bunch of poorly educated probable opioid addicts who will happily vote against their self interest because a series chain letter told them something about black people and Muslims. It's depressing that 1/3 of our country will follow an ethno-nationalist off a cliff, but it's a reality that needs to be accepted.
The more interesting group of people to examine are the independent voters who felt both Clinton and Trump were problematic candidates and ended up going with Trump because of some variety of reasons. These people showed demonstrably poor judgement, but there's at least some hope that they reasoned themselves into a Trump vote and can thus be reasoned back out of it. In contrast, the emotional Trump voter can't be reasoned out of a position they did not reason themselves into.
The more interesting group of people to examine are the independent voters who felt both Clinton and Trump were problematic candidates and ended up going with Trump because of some variety of reasons. These people showed demonstrably poor judgement, but there's at least some hope that they reasoned themselves into a Trump vote and can thus be reasoned back out of it. In contrast, the emotional Trump voter can't be reasoned out of a position they did not reason themselves into.
Psh, he do better than that, he can negotiate that cancer into that filthy brown person "cuz thur takin muh jobz" that they won't do either, but it's the principal of the thing.
Needs more Jesus.
Mango Positive
Member
It's like trying to convince an Alabama football fan to root for Auburn. They have sportsteamized their political beliefs. It doesn't matter who's on the team or how good they are. It's their team.
family_guy
Member
"Please protect our borders while we die from insufficient access to healthcare."
The number one thing Republicans have been most successful at is convincing/conditioning/brainwashing (whatever term you want to use) their constituents that Liberals are the worst thing on the planet.
If it comes out of a liberals mouth, if it was a liberal's idea, if a liberal agreed with it...it's automatically the worst idea.
These folks would rather die than vote for or agree with a liberal. (Not all republicans, mind you, but pretty much the hardcore ones like the ones in the article).
If it comes out of a liberals mouth, if it was a liberal's idea, if a liberal agreed with it...it's automatically the worst idea.
These folks would rather die than vote for or agree with a liberal. (Not all republicans, mind you, but pretty much the hardcore ones like the ones in the article).
The Jazz Cabbage Master
Member
fuckin a lmao
If the sports team analogy is correct...
Yankees fans (picking a random rivalry) will never root for the Red Sox, even when their team is trash and the opponent is better, but they will become less passionate about their fandom and spend less on merch and attendance at home games will drop and TV ratings will sag until the team turns it around.
Yankees fans (picking a random rivalry) will never root for the Red Sox, even when their team is trash and the opponent is better, but they will become less passionate about their fandom and spend less on merch and attendance at home games will drop and TV ratings will sag until the team turns it around.
Mango Positive
Member
Unfortunately, that analogy only works for professional sports. College football is different somehow.
Trojita
Rapid Response Threadmaker
This is the same dumb fucking woman that they are always interviewing.
Here's an article from Vox in december when they interviewed her.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/12/13/13848794/kentucky-obamacare-trump
More to the point, the major problem here isn't really them being dumb, it's the fact that despite their dissatisfaction they're still voting for their rep, which is the bipartisan problem—approval ratings for Congress are terrible yet everyone feels like their personal representatives are doing fine. It's a total disconnect that's made it impossible to purge the crud from office.
But laughing at idiots is better clickbait.
Jesus fucking christ, if it means sweet fuck all to you, why even bother turning up to vote?
Omegasquash
Member
He has a good chance of it, but swing states were what won him the election. If Dems can get a few of those back, they'll take it.
I agree, and it's only going to make them dig in their heels further.
Saint Gregory
Member
There are Democrats/centrists living in all of these red areas, they're just overwhelmed by the numbers of people around them willing to self immolate if it means taking a few brown people with them. This is nothing new in fact, those areas have been that way for generations and usually what you see is them voting for more liberal candidates when their desires to help themselves tip over the desire to cause harm to others. The biggest problem lately has been the schism caused by so many young, educated people leaving those areas for the cities. It caused both the urban and rural areas to become more extreme and polar than ever before and now our politicians reflect that. It's going to take a lot of time and pain to reset this divide if it is even possible to reset at this point.
E-Cat
Member
That is arguably 'dumb'.
"They're only killing people not like me!"
E-Cat
Member
But he has a lot of money, so he must be smart. Checkmate, liberals!
Saint Gregory
Member
The problem is where they get their information from. I have work friends that support Trump and it's impossible to override Fox's long term conditioning telling them that Trump is a business genius. No data that I can show them is more convincing than what Fox and Friends says.
EdibleKnife
Member
There's no 'arguably' necessary. If they're disatisfied that they've been burned by a stove and want to do it again, that goes beyond bipartisanship or tribalism. You're choosing to vote for people who want to lie to you and kill you.
They're still stupid.
Just because they're continuing to vote for both a president and congressperson who doesn't care if they die, doesn't mean they're not stupid.
I seriously don't see how this such a problem. I thought the simple cause and effect of "hey it hurts when I smash my hand with a rock, I shouldn't do it again" was the basis for why humans got to be the greatest of apex predators. No amount of Fox News should make you that fucking dumb.
These people are either racists willing to put up with trash to keep the "other" out, or just stupid. And I have time for neither.
This is the same dumb fucking woman that they are always interviewing.
Here's an article from Vox in december when they interviewed her.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/12/13/13848794/kentucky-obamacare-trump
Ha, I was wondering if it was the same woman.
Yeah, I suppose I forgot that Fox most likely didn't point out Trump's lies on a regular basis.
Netherscourge
Banned
Republicans​ are master manipulators.
They use white Nationalism, racism, bigotry and sexism -all with a smirk- to make "Grass Roots" Americans think liberals and Democrats are trying destroy their comfort zones, which is to live in their white cluster communities, and to force "outsiders" to encroach upon them.
That's what it's all about.
Protecting white comfort zones, regardless of the benefits of a more diverse society.
They use white Nationalism, racism, bigotry and sexism -all with a smirk- to make "Grass Roots" Americans think liberals and Democrats are trying destroy their comfort zones, which is to live in their white cluster communities, and to force "outsiders" to encroach upon them.
That's what it's all about.
Protecting white comfort zones, regardless of the benefits of a more diverse society.
Unfortunately, that's the sorry state of partisanship in this country. It doesn't matter how disappointed you are in your guy, as long as voting for the other side is even more unpalatable.
If Clinton had won and had already disappointed you, would you consider voting Republican next time around? Honest question.
If Clinton had won and had already disappointed you, would you consider voting Republican next time around? Honest question.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
Swear I have to watch this show lol
No, because Clinton wouldn't have tried to kill millions of Americans by taking away their healthcare.
if there was disappointment at clinton's lack of healthcare legislation being passed it would be because of the republicans in the first place. so no.
Well, that's fair enough, but it's not really embracing the hypothetical. Had Hillary screwed something up policy-wise that had equally disastrous consequences for healthcare or any area of your choosing (without accepting this as a necessarily likely outcome) would you vote for a Republican next time out?
Omegasquash
Member
But she did try to kill all those emails and Mr. Ben Ghazi.
in your hypothetical republican politicians would have to not be pieces of shit and that's a bridge you can't sell.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
and then they say millennials are ruining everything ..
Netherscourge
Banned
If Hillary had won, Republicans would be doing the exact same thing that's happening to Trump - non-stop investigations into emails, the Lynch & Bill Clinton tarmac meeting, CNN getting debate questions and whatsherface tipping off Hillary, Lynch telling Comey to adjust his vocabulary, etc... It would be the exact parallel of what's happening now, only worse if Republicans still won the Congress. They would probably not even confirm whoever she picked for SCOTUS.
She would definitely have been a 1-term President and the GoP would have no problem in 2020.
Now, who the hell knows. The GoP is good at directing voter traffic. 2020's election will probably be even more insane than this 2016 one. And you know Russia will be hacking shit like crazy.
Exactly, you would probably reframe your disappointment as a Republican shortcoming. I'm not trying to single you out or attack you (or even say that you're incorrect -- I'm also a partisan) but that is sort of the way it goes on both sides.
Fox Mulder
Member
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