Response to Trump Supporters

Jeanne I can hear the suppressed rage in your response, and I definitely feel the same way. But this won't work. I spend too much time with Trump voters 
(its nauseating) and no amount of facts will ever sway them. They are emotionally invested in their ideology. Sometimes when I think about the harm they are causing the world and themselves I want to shake them out of their stupor. But that also doesn't work. And so all of us who know better are left tearing our hair out and grieving for the future because there is nothing we can do to convince people who don't want to be convinced (I have tried in person to make rational arguments against all this as well, nothing works). When you cite the news outlets to read or mention your own credentials it sounds elitist and pompous to Trump voters. They are used to feeling less intelligent and elegant than the liberal elites, they despise being talked down to as though they are stupid (I personally do question the intelligence of these people but that's beside the point). Their response to people like you who are educated and enlightened is contemptuous, they view you (and me and most enlightened types) as people who want to dictate their manners to them and who don't really understand them. This is fundamentally a class issue, and not exclusively class in the sense of income. It's a class issue in the sense of culture, this is a class of people who are used to being in the proverbial working class, some are poor, some are wealthy, but all sneer at elites and their book learning. Maybe I sound like I'm citing stereotypes and I'm sure there are exceptions to what I've mentioned, but not many. This is an anti intellectual cult like movement and they won't abandon dear leader just because they're lives get worse or the facts are against them. 

I've been reading some books on my kindle on class in America, I think it's a useful exercise to try to understand the cultural roots of where these people are coming from. And I absolutely do not mean to denigrate them, just to understand them and hopefully to help them (although I'm not optimistic about that).

I've been reading the following books:

White Working Class - by Joan. C. Williams

White Trash - the 400 year untold history of America - by Nancy Isenberg

American Character - By Colin Woodard

I checked and from inauguration (Jan 20) to the end of the first year the DJIA results were as follows:

Obama - Jan 20, 2009 to Dec 31, 2009 - DJIA went from 7,949 for 10,429 or a gain of 31%

Trump - Jan 20, 2017 to Dec 31, 2017 - DJIA went from 19,827 to 24,719 or a gain of 24.6%

Also, Jeanne, I feel your frustration but I have to agree with Natalie. Fact don't matter to any Trump supporter I know.

Jeanne, while I agree with you 100% on the facts you presented, your delivery made me cringe. I could feel the other person's anger and sense of shame rise, blocking his ability to receive your truth with any open part of his mind or heart. 

You have the right to respond the way you did. I feel your intensity and your outrage, and I agree -- why do people like this individual keep watching and quoting FOX's fake "facts"? Why do they let themselves get duped? Can they be so blind and easily deceived? It's maddening. Not to mention how much of your time and energy it takes to explain the reality of the situation to people who insist on backing a president who exudes such arrogance and cares ONLY about his personal self-interests.

Maybe, down the road, this individual who confronted you with these questions will look back and say, "Ah, I see now. I get it." But it probably won't be anytime soon (if ever). Until his home gets swept away in a flood, or his accounts suffer in a financial crash, or he finds himself deep in debt after a medical emergency, he will not see that our world is in desperate need of real solutions, and that Trump has none to offer.

I am not American but I have a lovely friend who lives in the mid west.  She has some kind of Trump madness.  He could do evil things and her support would never waver.  I just don’t understand it when she is such a lovely person....

Grace, Natalie,  you are right. I'm giving it a rest.  I guess I was venting. It's been a difficult month mostly due to overwork because my developers have failed and the website has kept me up with breakages every night till early morning hours.. I found a new developer yesterday and hope he will fix things so I can rest and take walks and get back to doing what I do so well. If you don't mind, I think I will delete my response.  It is so filled with anger. I don't want to see it!  Months ago I made a point of not responding to Trumpers.  It was so frustrating. Then I did, and got all crazy. Thanks for your input.  I love you guys. I so appreciate the wisdom you have all brought to this community.  

Jeanne, it is good you have us to vent to. We can hold you in the light just as you do the rest of us!! 

Love you, Jeanne!! Thank you for all you do <3

I liked your response. I don’t feel so alone with my rage. My sister and I haven’t spoken in a year. She voted strictly on what she hears on fox and for whomever says they are against abortion. So it’s ok that a maniac runs our country? Ok he is connected to Putin and not even really the legitimate president? Ok that judges are being appointed without qualifications and will be there for decades? Ok that millions are cut off health care? Ok that our environment is getting worse daily? Etc etc.

Anita

Anita, thanks for posting. You make me feel better about my slip. . :-)

Still I didn't like my response because it only made the guy mad (he wrote back and I ended out apologizing to him).

It also felt bad writing it and much worse after I finally took the time to read what I'd written. I got increasingly angry while I was writing to him.  I went through all this years ago and swore I'd stop engaging. I have a close relative who is an avid Trumper.  I love her and she loves me.  We tried talking about it in the beginning but was poisonous for us.  So we stay off the subject.  We have a wonderful relationship.

 I just wasn't thinking. Was tired from so many web problems this past month.   So I let myself get run down and, pow, I allowed that part of me to engage and it was liking being pulled into a sink hole. Fortunately this community pulled me out!  Love you all!  What a group!  That includes you too, Anita, for sharing your feelings so none of us feels so alone. You lightened up the whole thing. I hope you feel better too. If not, keep posting. We will help you. This is an amazing group.

Hi Jeanne,

i appreciated what you wrote as I agree wholeheartedly but also see where it wasn’t productive. I just wanted to offer my support. Everyone here is inspiring and gives me hope for the future.  I can’t say how many times I wrote similar responses and ultimately walked away to cool off before hitting the send button. In the end I deleted most of my posts and responses. As Natalie pointed out there is no convincing someone who refuses to see reality. Thank you for creating this ever expanding community. Cheers.