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Listening To Trump's America


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2017 Dec 7, 6:54pm   9,485 views  48 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (55)   💰tip   ignore  

I'm at a talk at the Menlo Park, CA public library put on by a former state senator, Joe Simitian, a Democrat.

He's calling it "Listening to Trump's America", which is unusually open-minded for this area, which simply does not listen at all once the name Trump is mentioned.

So I'll take a few notes during the talk. Wish I had that instant-comment thing going like I did during Trump's election last year.

Supposedly it "sold out" of the 700 free tickets, but it's about to start (7 minutes to go) and only about half full.

#politics

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1   steverbeaver   2017 Dec 7, 7:06pm  

It's OK to be White.
2   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:13pm  

OK, it finally started.

Only 12% of the voters in Menlo Park voted for Trump, as opposed to 46% nationally.
3   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:14pm  

On the one hand, he said he doesn't believe all Trump voters are misogynist and racist, which is a really dangerous thing to say around here.

But then he said he finds Trump "wholly unfit for office" so they might let him live.
4   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:17pm  

He visited 3 counties in the east which had strongly voted Democratic in previous elections, but overwhelmingly went for Trump this time, even a majority black/Hispanic county.
5   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:27pm  

He heard less than he expected about immigration, terrorism, and Obamacare.

What he did hear about was Hillary Clinton. Voters really did not like Hillary. One college-educated Democratic mayor said "I'd rather vote for Stalin than Hillary." All three of those counties were like that. They did not like emails, Benghazi, and the Clinton Foundation. They did agree that gender was an issue, but both men and women had that problem. Many said "She only stayed with Bill to advance her career."

He said Trump supporters were enthusiastic while Hillary supporters were merely resigned to having her as a candidate. There were few sightings of Hillary yard signs, but Trump signs were everywhere, and people would even make their own Trump signs if the campaign was out of them at the moment. Cambria county in Pennsylvania had a ratio of about 200 to 1 Trump signs to Hillary signs.
6   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:34pm  

He says there was a disconnect between the national Democratic Party, and the local Democrats, who routinely won elections in the same counties that went for Trump.

The national Democratic Party's perceived focus was on issues that did not reflect the concerns of local voters, issues like gay marriage or transgender stuff. People even came up to Simitian and said the Democratic Party was making too big a deal about these issues.
7   Goran_K   2017 Dec 7, 7:36pm  

Thank goodness for SJWs, losing elections for Democrats since 2010.
8   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:38pm  

In Macomb County, MI, Senator Kaine spoke in Spanish for a bit, and the response from one guy was "That is the language of the people who are trying to take our jobs."

Similarly, when Kaine talked about transgender issues, the response was "I don't care where someone goes to the bathroom, I'm just trying to put a roof over my head."
9   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:39pm  

Goran_K says
Thank goodness for SJWs, losing elections for Democrats since 2010.


Yes, SJW's are the Republicans' best friends, ironically, because they piss off pretty much everyone aside from themselves.
10   anonymous   2017 Dec 7, 7:46pm  

rando says
He heard less than he expected about immigration, terrorism, and Obamacare.

What he did hear about was Hillary Clinton. Voters really did not like Hillary. One college-educated Democratic mayor said "I'd rather vote for Stalin than Hillary." All three of those counties were like that. They did not like emails, Benghazi, and the Clinton Foundation. They did agree that gender was an issue, but both men and women had that problem. Many said "She only stayed with Bill to advance her career."

He said Trump supporters were enthusiastic while Hillary supporters were merely resigned to having her as a candidate. There were few sightings of Hillary yard signs, but Trump signs were everywhere, and people would even make their own Trump signs if the campaign was out of them at the moment. Cambria county in Pennsylvania had a ratio of about 200 to 1 Trump signs to Hillary signs.


Spot on. I like many on this board were ABC voters. At this point I don’t think much would be different right now had Hilldog won
11   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:50pm  

Simitian was not universally well received. He got this comment for a WV politician: "Silicon Valley did not give a fuck about West Virginia for the last 50 years, and I have no reason to believe that anyone there gives a fuck about us now."
12   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 7:51pm  

Another telling comment he got: "False hope is better than no hope at all."

And "People were so thirsty for clear leadership, they drank the sand."

"Every time Hillary waved another credential, she just proved that she was not one of them."
13   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 8:05pm  

Now he's done talking, and there are comments and questions:

"Do you believe these people will realize they've been conned?"
Simitian: "I did not see or hear much in the way of buyer's remorse. To the contrary, every time there was behavior you might think is outrageous, it was perceived as a kick in the pants to the establishment. 'We knew the establishment would do everything it could to get in his way.'"

"Trump used the slogan MAGA. I think there's a possibility that had an effect on the people you visited because they had no jobs for a long time. Hillary said 'America's already great, we're just going to make it greater.' That did not resonate with voters."
Simitian: "MAGA means different things to different people, but clearly meant to people in the places he visited that Trump would bring back economic opportunity."

"You acknowledged that Trump's approach affected women and the attitude to women in power. What is your view about the direction women have to move to get men to vote for them?"
Simitian: "People were really willing to overlook almost anything, because they were hearing what they wanted to hear about jobs, an economic lifeline." Someone told Simitian "We're not voting for Sunday School teacher" by which they meant that they didn't care about the moral perfection of the president, just someone who might bring back their jobs.
14   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 8:11pm  

Simitian: "Trump was the none of the above choice."

In all the places Simitian visited, he picked counties that voted for Obama, and then Trump. He deliberately sought out people who had voted for Obama, and then Trump.

Lots of people told him "Hey, we voted against Hillary once before already. Have you forgotten that?"
15   Goran_K   2017 Dec 7, 8:20pm  

I fall into the category of people almost convinced by Trump. I am so disgusted by the left, the people who comprise and defend their SJW agenda, that I would literally vote for anyone that promises to attack and destroy it. I didn't vote for him in 2016, but seeing what he has done so far:

- Stock market hitting record highs
- Participation rate up YOY
- Tax reform which helps the majority of earners and especially small business owners (like myself)
- Putting Gorsuch onto the Supreme Court
- Hundreds of billions of dollars of deals negotiated for investment DOMESTICALLY (keeping jobs here)
- Tough on illegal immigration
- Enforcing our borders
- Tough on our enemeis
- Protecting 2A gun rights for citizens
- About to pass 50 state CCW

I may vote for him in 2020, first time I've will have ever voted GOP.
16   Patrick   2017 Dec 7, 8:22pm  

"If Trump generated so much excitement, how did the polls get it so wrong?"
Simitian: "Lots of people voted for the first time, and they were undercounted. Others got excited about Trump after not voting for a long time. Same-day voter registration also helped Trump. Lots of people who never had an interest in politics got excited about Donald Trump. Then there's the Bradley Effect: black mayor of LA who ran for governor of CA and was predicted to win, but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters."

"What does the Democratic Party have to do to address the concerns of voters?"
Simitian: "The Democratic debate is the wrong debate. Democrats nationally talk about moving to the center or the left, but that's not what people care about. Clearly not, if voteres can switch from Obama to Trump. They are saying that Democrats are not listening to me."
17   WildMind   2017 Dec 7, 8:44pm  

I still say had Bernie been on the ticket Hilary would have won. People wouldn’t have switched from voting Obama to voting Trump If Bernie were on the ticket... even as VP.
18   anonymous   2017 Dec 7, 8:58pm  

Yeah, Hillary got us Trump. No question about that. She put her personal interest ahead of the whole country.
19   bob2356   2017 Dec 8, 5:59am  

Goran_K says
Thank goodness for SJWs, losing elections for Democrats since 2010.


Try again. Citizens United decision not SJW overturned the political landscape. .
20   bob2356   2017 Dec 8, 5:59am  

anon_80a5e says
Yeah, Hillary got us Trump. No question about that. She put her personal interest ahead of the whole country.


Someone who gets it.
21   komputodo   2017 Dec 8, 6:19am  

Patrick says
"If Trump generated so much excitement, how did the polls get it so wrong?
"Simitian: "Lots of people voted for the first time, and they were undercounted. Others got excited about Trump after not voting for a long time. Same-day voter registration also helped Trump. Lots of people who never had an interest in politics got excited about Donald Trump. Then there's the Bradley Effect: black mayor of LA who ran for governor of CA and was predicted to win, but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters."


"but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters." That was his FINAL reason? That is the MAIN reason.
22   HappyGilmore   2017 Dec 8, 6:24am  

komputodo says
"but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters." That was his FINAL reason? That is the MAIN reason.


Funny, I think that's the one thing he's wrong about.

Earlier he talks about how the signs in yards was 200-1 in favor of Trump. That doesn't seem like a shy or embarrassed electorate to me.
23   anonymous   2017 Dec 8, 6:59am  

The only salvation for America is to continue to vote for Democrats or Republicans.
24   Patrick   2017 Dec 8, 7:18am  

HappyGilmore says
komputodo says
"but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters." That was his FINAL reason? That is the MAIN reason.


Funny, I think that's the one thing he's wrong about.

Earlier he talks about how the signs in yards was 200-1 in favor of Trump. That doesn't seem like a shy or embarrassed electorate to me.


That 200:1 ratio was just in Cambria county in Pennsylvania.

Overall in the US, there were lots of people who liked Trump's message but were wary about trusting any stranger with their real opinion. I myself was explicitly denied a job because of my political opinions expressed on this site: /post/1309245?offset=0#comment-1436332
25   HappyGilmore   2017 Dec 8, 7:46am  

rando says
Overall in the US, there were lots of people who liked Trump's message but were wary about trusting any stranger with their real opinion. I myself was explicitly denied a job because of my political opinions expressed on this site: /post/1309245?offset=0#comment-1436332


Perhaps-but you're reading a lot into the email. Nowhere does he say it had anything to do with Trump.
26   FNWGMOBDVZXDNW   2017 Dec 8, 7:50am  

The polls were pretty fucking close. People expect too much from them, because the electoral college depends on a few hundred thousand votes in 5 states. That is only 0.1% of the population.

Most of what the guy said was right. Hillary talked about Trump too much instead of people's financial security. Trump told people what they wanted to hear and they believed him. People love hearing that someone will fix their problems with pixie dust instead of hard work. That's why there are so many scams involving weight loss and health sucking money out of people's wallets, and there are so few people buying healthy food and jogging. It's also why so many people will go for the 'tax cuts will pay for themselves' lie. They will give a boost, but not enough to pay for themselves.

West Virginia might still be in Trump's pocket by the 2018 elections, but what will they think after 4 years go by and the local economy is still in the dump?
27   FNWGMOBDVZXDNW   2017 Dec 8, 7:53am  

rando says
"I don't care where someone goes to the bathroom, I'm just trying to put a roof over my head."
Lots of people do care where someone goes to the bathroom. That's why the Republicans come up with the legislation. There are SJWs on both sides of the isle, and a whole shitload of them voted for Trump. He did better among the evangelical SJWs than most Republicans do. I think I read that being an evangelical was the best predictor of voting for Trump.
28   MAGA   2017 Dec 8, 9:13am  

During my Texas Government class yesterday afternoon, we had a discussion "is Texas a Democracy or a Oligarchy?" I said democracy. The kids (other students) mostly said oligarchy.

Liberal college campuses.
29   MisdemeanorRebel   2017 Dec 8, 9:19am  

rando says
"Every time Hillary waved another credential, she just proved that she was not one of them."


Yeah, they brought out all these Country Club GOPers to attack Trump, and people said "Here are the losers and assholes who didn't do shit for us, also from the Swamp. Surprise! They're for Corrupt Clinton. Now I know I have to vote Trump."

Totally backfired.
30   anonymous   2017 Dec 8, 9:19am  

komputodo says
Patrick says
"If Trump generated so much excitement, how did the polls get it so wrong?
"Simitian: "Lots of people voted for the first time, and they were undercounted. Others got excited about Trump after not voting for a long time. Same-day voter registration also helped Trump. Lots of people who never had an interest in politics got excited about Donald Trump. Then there's the Bradley Effect: black mayor of LA who ran for governor of CA and was predicted to win, but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters."


"but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters." That was his FINAL reason? That is the MAIN reason.

In my office, Trump haters openly deride Trump supporters when talking about politics in the pantry, calling them stupid, ignorant, racists, rednecks, etc. Who would dare say they would vote for Trump. It didn't stop after the election. Now, who would dare admit they think Trump is doing a decent job.
31   MisdemeanorRebel   2017 Dec 8, 9:22am  

bob2356 says
Try again. Citizens United decision not SJW overturned the political landscape. .


Problem with that is that she outraised him, mostly from powerful, wealthy entities, by a huge amount.
32   anonymous   2017 Dec 8, 9:24am  

In my office, Trump haters openly deride Trump supporters when talking about politics in the pantry, calling them stupid, ignorant, racists, rednecks, etc. Who would dare say they would vote for Trump. It didn't stop after the election. Now, who would dare admit they think Trump is doing a decent job.

—————-

Why are Trump supporters so afraid of criticism?

And if many of them are stupid, ignorant racists and rednecks, what is so bad about speaking to this truth? I mean Trump has said before the his core base are mindless morons.

“I love the uneducated!”

“I could shoot a baby on 5th Avenue and these halfwits will still vote for me. Very dumb and easy to manipulate!”
33   RC2006   2017 Dec 8, 10:22am  

errc says

Why are Trump supporters so afraid of criticism?


Because the left keys cars, trys to get people fired, attacks, and does a whole host of shady shit because they simply can't just argue or talk about it.
34   mell   2017 Dec 8, 10:40am  

errc says
And if many of them are stupid, ignorant racists and rednecks, what is so bad about speaking to this truth?


Because nobody can make that call on who is really uneducated and who isn't. Leftist education these days is truth by proclamation going against science worse than you'd expect from a religious right-winger. I'd say that knowing how to run a farm requires far more intellect and brain power these days than a degree in liberal arts or gender studies.

errc says
I mean Trump has said before the his core base are mindless morons.

“I love the uneducated!”

“I could shoot a baby on 5th Avenue and these halfwits will still vote for me. Very dumb and easy to manipulate!”


A lot of these quotes have never been said or said in an entirely different context. On both sides.

The problem is that the left is far more violent and vengeful towards their political opponents and uses fascist tactics, ironically something that was once - way back then - mostly attributed to the right, when the left was actually fighting for free speech instead of oppressing it.
35   FuckTheMainstreamMedia   2017 Dec 8, 10:44am  

anon_0d627 says
komputodo says
Patrick says
"If Trump generated so much excitement, how did the polls get it so wrong?
"Simitian: "Lots of people voted for the first time, and they were undercounted. Others got excited about Trump after not voting for a long time. Same-day voter registration also helped Trump. Lots of people who never had an interest in politics got excited about Donald Trump. Then there's the Bradley Effect: black mayor of LA who ran for governor of CA and was predicted to win, but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters."


"but lost because people don't always tell the truth to pollsters." That was his FINAL reason? That is the MAIN reason.

In my office, Trump haters openly deride Trump supporters when talking about politics in the pantry, calling them stupid, ignorant, racists, rednecks, etc. Who w...


It’s not just your office. Several leftists on this site continually called the Trump supporters that post here unintelligent and lacking critical thinking skills, despite posting histories that indicate otherwise.
36   FuckTheMainstreamMedia   2017 Dec 8, 11:02am  

Fucking White Male says
It’s not just your office. Several leftists on this site continually called the Trump supporters that post here unintelligent and lacking critical thinking skills, despite posting histories that indicate otherwise


In case anyone has any doubts there’s DNC hacks posting here:

Rule #5
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_for_Radicals
37   Goran_K   2017 Dec 8, 11:05am  

Yeah, I rarely post under my full name (hence Goran K), because I make money with all sort of those on the political spectrum. I'd hate to lose a 6 month/$150,000 contract because some SJW at some company disagrees with my opinion.
38   RWSGFY   2017 Dec 8, 1:21pm  

anon_0d627 says
In my office, Trump haters openly deride Trump supporters when talking about politics in the pantry, calling them stupid, ignorant, racists, rednecks, etc. Who would dare say they would vote for Trump. It didn't stop after the election. Now, who would dare admit they think Trump is doing a decent job.


Hostile work environment. A letter to HR is in order.
40   komputodo   2017 Dec 8, 1:38pm  

RC2006 says
errc says

Why are Trump supporters so afraid of criticism?


Why bother declaring that you support Trump. You'll only end up arguing with an idiot and they will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.'

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