I Hope that if Cenk runs, he doesn’t count out the high volume of anti-establishment Trump supports who liked Bernie. That’s an untapped source of votes that establishment Dems discount and brush off. If Cenk launches an official campaign, I hope there is a team who can really focus on these people. We started talking about this in another thread but I thought this might bring in more ideas.
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In my friend group we have only had one. He is still stands and I am not sure we will ever move him to our side. I will say he is way more open to voting for progressives then he was before Trump. I think we should reach out to them in some cases, but in others I think we should allow them time to evolve.
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I think it really depends on the area. I think that’s why it will take an actual team of people to have different strategies in different areas of the country. I just don’t know if that will be considered “worth the effort”. I am in Pennsylvania, and many Trump supporters that I know personally are very progressive, but they also buy into the scare tactics so they don’t really know they are, they think progressive = scary socialist. Or they’ve been fed Reaganomics by the boomers around them. PA has a lot of adult children of hippies turned Trump supporters. Not to mention all the huge farming communities. It’s a very weird dynamic. I feel like it’s a nuanced issue because they are a very nuanced group of people whether the media likes to paint them that way or not. Trump supporters are put in a box but not really separated out as actual people. I know it would take work, but I feel like every vote counts and we’re also helping those people by waking them up.
I’m surrounded by Trump supporters and I’ve never met a single person who is anything like the people willing to speak on camera at a Trump rally.
It would take knocking on doors or whatever to get the message out and break through their bubble of misinformation and propaganda.
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I think this boils down to being friendly and persistent. Women seem to be naturally gifted at nurturing. I find that I have to work at it. I think nurturing relationships with those that don’t agree with you politically is the issue. I think you could persuade them if you knew them better. They would know a progressive, and when they say XYZ is evil they will have a hard time understanding you as evil. So they will question are you evil or are you not part of XYZ? That is your chance to explain how their understanding maybe not consider a angle you explained for them.
I feel like Michael going to Trump rallies and listening to them is a good start. What if we had a team of (more cool-minded progressives) who go to the rallies with only these goals… finding common ground, making positive connections, helping them to understand that we (progressives) aren’t necessarily all “Democrats” and maybe even opening with reasons why we also dislike Biden. Not to make it patronizing, but I’m a teacher so visuals are always helpful. Like if we have “common myths clear-ups” on poster board or something to have ready if one comes up. They can have qr codes with links to sources and, heck, we could even go prepared with visuals that explain things like the differences between credible and non-credible sources and how to spot them, or the difference between weather and climate (4th-grade standard). Again, not to make it patronizing, but almost fun and upbeat with a “we are on the same side” kind of vibe. IDK just spitballin’.
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It is, but his questions in my opinion are not good. Like when he was explaining, what a cult is and asking if they felt like they were in a cult, I was cringing so hard, because that was so insulting. Like who is going to say “yes by George I do believe I am in a cult”? As soon as that question came out of his mouth. I was like wow this person is definitely feeling insulted right now and that was really rude. We need to start asking them questions like…
What is it about Donald Trump that makes you trust him? And what policies of his do you like?
What do you believe happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021?
Do you believe that people who make X amount of dollars should pay X percent income tax?
Do you believe representatives in Congress and senators should be allowed to trade stocks, knowing that they have a lot of power over the corporations they are choosing to invest in or not invest in?
Do you believe [some good question about dark money in politics]?
Do you believe that people who make X amount of dollars plus per year should pay higher taxes to ensure Social Security benefits for everyone?
Do you believe that the Pentagon should be audited and account for every tax dollar that’s allocated to them each year?
If Donald Trump is found guilty in Georgia or DC, how would you feel about that? Do you think that the verdict is incorrect if he’s found guilty, no matter what comes out in the trial? Or do you feel like you have an open mind, and you’re willing to look at the evidence and make a decision for yourself as if you were on the jury?
Do you believe that partial-birth abortion is actually a real issue to be worried about? When they say yes to this, you gently and calmly, as if speaking to your sensitive cousin explain the facts about that subject.
Have handouts of websites they can go to with news stories they should see from sources they may trust.
Ask gentle questions to find out if they’re a QAnon supporter and therefore you just move on, or if they seem like a normal human being, that you can have a gentle conversation with.
Just be kind and ask them questions about themselves. Act like you genuinely want to know them as people, because you should only do it if you actually do want to know them.
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Also, I hope this isn’t rude but I just have to say that “fun and upbeat” and QR codes are not how you’re gonna get to Trump voters. That’s a great way to get young people to the polls though! For a GOTV Campaign.
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Yeah, I think I meant in a more kind way rather than insulting or combative. And I definitely agree that the questions need to be asked in a way to find common ground, not to make fun of anyone or make anyone angry. Not rude at all, it was a terrible way to describe it. lol
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In my opinion, there is a demographic that almost all Democrats have completely written off (except Fetterman). I think of them as the “Hank Hills”, PA is full of Hank Hills, maybe that’s why Fetterman won. Hank Hills are white men (usually dads), barely making ends meet, Christmas is always tight, vacations are either nonexistent or cost next to nothing, their relaxation time is drinking cheap beer with their buddies. They get most of their news from those buddies or people that they work with. They have zero time to verify any story. Trump has tapped into their discontent (and lack of time to research anything) and he’s channeled it into rage. He will never understand those men, nor respect them, but he knows how to act like he does. And many of them, take in all their information through a filter (either real or not) that whispers to them “the democrat party all think I’m a racist but they don’t know the first thing about me”. And at least the second part is true, most establishment democrats have no idea what life is like for so many Americans. Yes, America is crawling with racists but many Trump voters are not racist, they are just so grossly misinformed!! I feel like, if spoken to the right way, many of these guys are totally winnable, they just need to be related to. Dems use buzz phrases like “paycheck to paycheck” and “can’t afford a $500 emergency”. They are clueless. They never say that every day is a struggle and you have zero money for fun or even restaurants. Hell, fast food is becoming a luxury to many. They have no idea how progressive they are, they need shown, gently and with compassion. You absolutely cannot walk up to them and start talking about job reports and parts of the economy going up or down. They don’t care about any of that. All they know is they’ve worked for probably the same company they’ve worked for since shortly after high school. They are not touched AT ALL by those job numbers and other stats. They just know that they can’t afford shit and they are exhausted.
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Talk about money issues. In March 2017, Bernie Sanders did a town hall in West Virginia that went 75% for Trump and got a round of applause. Focus on issues that directly effect people’s wallets. Explain how issues like Medicare for All, Green New Deal, expand Social Security, living wage cancel student loan debt, and free higher education would benefit them. These are issues in every district.
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I think leading with some facts that might surprise a Trump supporter regarding progressive opinions.
This is true I will also add that part of this that progressive don’t get about men is a simple fact. Poor men are treated very bad by society. We are throughout sitcoms and popular media we are to be silent. The only thing we do see is some men are treated really really well. That teaches us that we can buckle down and sacrifice you can get some respect. The simple truth is you never get respect you can see our how family courts treat men. Mind you this isn’t legislative philosophy it is judicial intent. Which can only be change by opinion. I have 8 friends that I grew up with none of us are in a meaningful relationship.
As the power imbalances between the sexes grew so did swatting between them. I know men are terrible but so are women. I have had two friends that faced long term prison stints due to the lies of women or the inability to admit infidelities’.
Some of my close friends would have stories you wouldn’t believe. For instance if you have a messy breakup with a women whos families is in law enforcement? You maybe in trouble.
We objectify men as well, just much more as a slave class then as a sex object.
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I’m in KY and can tell you that IF you talk about the policies/issues and leave out who is for/against something that 90% of the time the Trump Voters will agree with US. It is when you tell them which politician has that policy ( like maybe Bernie being for Paid Family Leave) that they say No WAY and call you a “Socialist Commie”.
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I have a thread going that is similar to the idea of reaching Trump voters. You might like to check out running progressive republican.
I have an idea, but I don’t know if it could be done.
Any road, here it goes.
Peel and stick labels.
Heading – What the fox didn’t tell you.
Who said, the quote, for example, – “I hate him passionately”
Scan the square thing, takes scanner to the quote in the Dominion discovery docs.
Either a link to the doc or have the quote already looking at the doc.
Lots of stuff in: discovery, then and now speeches to show lies, charges, and indictments.
Operation hope. (or whatever slogan Cenk wants). Maybe ‘the truth will set you free’.
Just thinking.
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I am not sure I understood the whole thing, but all of those lines got me thinking in something we can do with this. So I appreciate.
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It is heartbreaking to watch the TYT interviews of t—p supporters at his rallies because they are basically in a state of induced rage and can’t say why. No doubt society let them down by allowing them to be uneducated, underemployed, underpaid, under informed, etc. Part if it is future shock too which I guess we all are getting a taste of these days. To make it worse they are donating millions of dollars to the Save America PAC, and some are getting themselves into legal trouble. They are like a school of fish, a clan, a band of brothers and they have adopted their leader. They are conditioned and are addicted to the artificially created feud. The abortion fiasco really illustrates how most of them in actuality want the same common sense policies the ‘libs’ want. How to bring them around? I wish I knew. Americans have one thing in common – we are stubborn MFs. I think it is going to be up to who they choose as their next leader (time gets us all). That new leader will hopefully have some character (e.g., a McCain type) and will treat them right and give them better, constructive direction.
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I feel like many Trump supporters assume everyone else is OBSESSED with Biden and/or Democrats. I think it could help to start the conversations with something like, "Hey, Biden and the Dems did [enter nefarious deed here] and Trump and the Republicans did [enter equally shameful deed here]. Then discuss issues that the majority of Americans want and maybe come to common ground.
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I. This would foster a misconception of equivalency – nothing shameful the Democrats have ever done can compare to:
A. the RICO charges in Fulton County (note: Sidney Powell pled guilty today).
B. the conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering and conspiracy against the rights of citizens in DC.
C. the felony violations of our national security laws, and conspiracy to obstruct justice in FL.
II. being in disbelief of reality makes it futile.
III. anything you might persuade them of will be erased and overwritten by that evening’s consumption of their only news feed.
There may not be an answer. TV technology is pernicious.
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I don’t think it could hurt to point out wrongdoings on both sides to try and start a conversation. It’s not about which side has done more wrongdoing, or that Trumpers have been tricked by him. Many Dems have been fooled by Biden, Obama, Clinton… We have ALL been tricked by our government. And in Trump districts, it may come off a bit less “in your face” if you start with how the Dems have also taken money to screw over the people. Helping people understand that it’s not R vs D, it’s EVERYONE vs corporations seems like a better way to win hearts and minds in Trump districts than debating them on which party is worse.
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I agree it is not about R vs. D. Sorry I wasn’t clear in my point. This is about the American way of life (Constitution) vs. Dictatorship. t—p supporters are information-starved and don’t know this. And they can’t distiguish fact from fiction. So, if you are able to get a supporter to engage with you on substance – with whatever tactic works – try sharing the following:
t—p listed the following policy positions among others on his campaign website as of August 8, 2023:
" t—p is absolutely committed to dismantling and destroying the left-wing censorship regime."
" t—p is committed to dismantling the deep state and restoring government by the People."
" t—p will conduct a top-to-bottom overhaul of the federal bureaucracies to clean out the rot and corruption of Washington D.C."
“He will also get Biden’s radical left ideology out of our military and rehire every patriot who was unjustly fired.”
" t—p will continue to nominate highly qualified prosecutors, judges, and justices who believe in enforcing the law, not their own political agenda."
“[President] Joe Biden is the destroyer of America’s jobs.”
Article for the ones who want to learn more.
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