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I think that what people are trying to explain is that that kind of shaming, accusatory, intentional, mischaracterization of the 'right' is what caused us to no

I think that what people are trying to explain is that that kind of shaming, accusatory, intentional, mischaracterization of the 'right' is what caused us to now have Trump as our president. You are alienating them. The kind of people that I know that actually voted for Trump could not care less about the color/religion of a person so long as they had a basic desire to assimilate. In other words; come to America to become an American not to make America like place you left. Now we have an obligation to understand these Trump voters as generously as possible; or we can berate, belittle, and battle-harden them and get another Trump (or worse) in 8 years.

pjc50 10y ago
> understand these Trump voters as generously as possible Is this likely to be reciprocated?
- Goladus 10y ago
  Is this likely to be reciprocated? Not in all cases. But you still have to pick your battles. When faced with opposition you can negotiate or go to war. If you start a war, you'd better be ready to win, or else you stand to lose everything. And you had better be ready for the moderates to side against you.
- soylentcola 10y ago
  Not sure how to say this in a way that doesn't sound smug or self-righteous but...that's the price you pay for empathy and at least attempting to take the high road. There will always be people who don't have the ability, capacity, wherewithal, or life experiences needed to see the bigger picture or recognize the need to put themselves in the shoes of others. That leaves you with two options: fight "dirty" right back or deal with the reality and accept that you face an uphill battle.
- TheGirondin 10y ago
  Considering that urban liberals have control over almost all American mass culture/media outlets, yes, we are well aware of how you think what your ideas are.
mkaziz 10y ago
I think the question is what it means to be American. To me, it means living and let living, and to accept others no matter who or what they are. To others, it means to be white and Christian.
- shawndumas 10y ago
  That's exactly the current, default, ungenerous, belittling view held by democrats. How did that work out? If you cannot understand them you cannot help them see why Trump is a bad idea. It seems to me that you've dismissed them, having never thought to put yourself in their shoes; the shoes of the factory worker. Michael Moore has friends that he likes, that he thinks are good people--not ignorant racists--that voted for Trump and instead of closing his mind to them he's tried to understand >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY-CiPVo_NQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY-CiPVo_NQ Maybe you should too...
  - mkaziz 10y ago
    I mean, as a (legal) immigrant it's hard to believe that that's not the case, when I've been shouted at in the streets and told to go home to my country. Or when my (American born and bred) wife has been heckled for daring to show up wearing a hijab at an Indiana primary by white folks wearing Trump gear. I'm sure there are a lot of good people who voted Trump, but a whole lot of wicked people who threaten me and mine's existence in this country did too.
    - shawndumas 10y ago
      Nothing I said should leave you believing that some of Trump's supporters aren't xenophobic assholes. But to now extrapolate from that to imagining that 47% of Americans voted for Trump because they are xenophobic assholes is not going to be a winning strategy.
      - mkaziz 10y ago
        Right, and I didn't say you said that, nor did I say that all 47% of those Americans are xenophobes. I just said that there are enough who are to make living here uncomfortable for us, even though in all other respects we love this country and would love to spend our lives here.

pjc50 10y ago

> understand these Trump voters as generously as possible Is this likely to be reciprocated?

Goladus 10y ago
Is this likely to be reciprocated? Not in all cases. But you still have to pick your battles. When faced with opposition you can negotiate or go to war. If you start a war, you'd better be ready to win, or else you stand to lose everything. And you had better be ready for the moderates to side against you.
soylentcola 10y ago
Not sure how to say this in a way that doesn't sound smug or self-righteous but...that's the price you pay for empathy and at least attempting to take the high road. There will always be people who don't have the ability, capacity, wherewithal, or life experiences needed to see the bigger picture or recognize the need to put themselves in the shoes of others. That leaves you with two options: fight "dirty" right back or deal with the reality and accept that you face an uphill battle.
TheGirondin 10y ago
Considering that urban liberals have control over almost all American mass culture/media outlets, yes, we are well aware of how you think what your ideas are.

mkaziz 10y ago

I think the question is what it means to be American. To me, it means living and let living, and to accept others no matter who or what they are. To others, it means to be white and Christian.

shawndumas 10y ago
That's exactly the current, default, ungenerous, belittling view held by democrats. How did that work out? If you cannot understand them you cannot help them see why Trump is a bad idea. It seems to me that you've dismissed them, having never thought to put yourself in their shoes; the shoes of the factory worker. Michael Moore has friends that he likes, that he thinks are good people--not ignorant racists--that voted for Trump and instead of closing his mind to them he's tried to understand >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY-CiPVo_NQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY-CiPVo_NQ Maybe you should too...
- mkaziz 10y ago
  I mean, as a (legal) immigrant it's hard to believe that that's not the case, when I've been shouted at in the streets and told to go home to my country. Or when my (American born and bred) wife has been heckled for daring to show up wearing a hijab at an Indiana primary by white folks wearing Trump gear. I'm sure there are a lot of good people who voted Trump, but a whole lot of wicked people who threaten me and mine's existence in this country did too.
  - shawndumas 10y ago
    Nothing I said should leave you believing that some of Trump's supporters aren't xenophobic assholes. But to now extrapolate from that to imagining that 47% of Americans voted for Trump because they are xenophobic assholes is not going to be a winning strategy.
    - mkaziz 10y ago
      Right, and I didn't say you said that, nor did I say that all 47% of those Americans are xenophobes. I just said that there are enough who are to make living here uncomfortable for us, even though in all other respects we love this country and would love to spend our lives here.