Monday, January 30, 2017

Why are Trump Supporters so defensive?

I had a text conversation with a rapid Trump supporter last week. Someone whom I have known for 15 years. Here is some background from context.

She is a 54 year old, white female.No children or husband. She was brought up by upper middle class parents in Westchester, New York (just north of New York City) and lived in New York City for at least 5 years (which is where we met.)

She moved to North Carolina over 10 years ago. After a series of unsuccessful business ventures, she now is a long-haul trucker. I suppose I should note that she is an ex-girlfriend and we have seen each other a few times in the past 7 years.

We texted for a couple of days. She has always been political and extolled democracy but to my knowledge, she has never done anything relating to public service outside of voting. Which she gives me a ton of shit about. This is unfiltered or edited except for formatting:

ANDY
 Just out of curiosity, why do you care who is president?
NICOLA
 Very good question
ANDY
 I understand why Christians want it for anti abortion
ANDY
 Rich people for taxes
ANDY
 Welfare recipients want a liberal
ANDY
 They all get something but what do you get that you have such a raging hard on for trump
ANDY
 What is he going to do to make your life better
ANDY
 You are not a patriot otherwise, like me, you would have performed some sort of service for your country
ANDY
 By enlisting in the military
ANDY
 So I am really curious as to why you care so much about something that has very little impact on you and especially for someone who will screw your income level over first
ANDY
 You've never been oppressed
ANDY
 You were brought up in a upper middle class family
ANDY
 You don't have enough money to get any financial benefit
ANDY
 So the only reason I can't figure is cause it drives your mother nuts
ANDY
 For example, as a small business owner
ANDY
 I did not like Obamacare because it cost my company money
ANDY
 So you being such a trump lover is just doesn't make sense
ANDY
 So my question is what do you think he is going to do that will improve your life?
ANDY
 You don't have a family, you don't own anything so where does this disproportionate amount of devotion come from?
ANDY
 What am I missing?
 ANDY
 So, no answer.
NICOLA
 Sorry was in heavy traffic
ANDY
 Oh...didn't realize you were still on the road
NICOLA
Trump is not perfect, far from it
NICOLA
 Yes I almost ran someone over three minutes ago deliberately
NICOLA
 However his election is one of the best and most significant things that has happened in my life so far
ANDY
 But why?
ANDY
 I can say that 9-11 was one of the most significant events in my life because it changed how I viewed the world and I lost people
ANDY
 And it definitely changed the world
ANDY
 But trump getting elected doesn't really mean anything until he has been in office
ANDY
 So my question stands...how does trump getting elected change.effect you and.or the world
NICOLA:
Trust me I did not like him one bit when I lived in NY.  I have years of accumulated knowledge on what's really going on and it has finally come full circle can't even say how fulfilling and gratifying that is.  Sadly I see the myopia of the anti Trumpers and that very sad indeed, deeply dark for any culture and most significantly the United States
NICOLA
 It has completely validated everything I have ever felt about the truth, justice, hard work, friends,  relationships, values, character and so on..
ANDY
 Ok. Fair answer. I am glad that someone outside the standard politics is in office
ANDY
 But he hasn't done anything of substance and it's simply too soon to see if he will be good or bad for the country
NICOLA
 he is only been in a week what should he have done by now
ANDY
 Well, I'd like to see his tax retruns
ANDY
 He is a businessman and he is always going to due what is in his self interest
ANDY
 But being the president, I feel there needs to be transparency to ensure that what he does is not to simply benefit his bank account
ANDY
 It's a matter of civic accountability
ANDY
 I don't think it's unreasonable
ANDY
 From my seat in the stadium, I find it interesting that one of the first acts of someone in real estate is to build a structure that everyone seems to agree won't really solve the problem he is touting it solve
ANDY
 So...who is going to profit from building a wall that, without significant border patrol increases and thus increased spending,won't be anything more than a symbolic gesture
ANDY:
And is he building a wall on the Canadian border also?
ANDY
 Because if a country without borders isn't a country than building a wall on both our borders is the correct response
ANDY
 It's these incongruous actions that make me wary
NICOLA
 53 Mexicans and our are not coming to Canada
NICOLA
 From Canada
 NICOLA
     All you've given me so far is editorial give me something substantial
ANDY
 That's because it's how I feel.
ANDY
 It also bothers me that he is so hung up on the popular vote thing
ANDY
 He won. Be a gracious winner
ANDY
 It serves no purpose other than his ego
ANDY
 He is acting like Carman
ANDY
 Cartman
NICOLA
 That's how liberals vote with her feelings that's the problem.  Number one criticism of the liberal agenda.  Feelings are  hard to legislate effectively I can give you several examples if you like
NICOLA
 He was very gracious didn't hear his inaugural speech ?
ANDY
 I don't feel that him showing that he is not gaining financially is not unreasonable and it is pretty standard in holding public office
ANDY
 And this has nothing to do with liberalism. Don't hide behind propaganda labels
ANDY
 He is not being a gracious winner if he has made repeated statements and is now having his staff make the statements that there was significant voter fraud
ANDY
 And to say he is now going to create a commission to investigate that does not serve the public, it serves his ego
ANDY
 So now he has done 2 things that make me question him
ANDY
 You can't argue with the fact that he has a huge ego....no one puts their name on every single building unless they are trying to prove something

Motivated to Action

Hello...and Welcome to the Middle of the Film...


I have always tried stay out of the blogging world. My feelings have always been that my opinions are my own and that no one really cares about them so why bother. I still feel that way but need an outlet for my ire of what has happened to this country since President Trump has taken control of the highest office in the land.

A Little Background on Me

I am a white American citizen who was born here in Brooklyn, NY in 1964. I  lived in New York City for 30 years and move to Tennessee in 2012 and have served in the U.S. Navy.

I own a small consulting firm that deals with technology and software for multiple companies across the U.S. and Europe. I own a house, pay my taxes and do not have a wife or children. I am divorced. I do have dogs.

My View on the Politics in the United States

I am not political and haven't voted for a while. People may criticize me for not voting and my response is that a vote IS a precious thing and should not be thrown away on someone who has not earned it. I don't believe in anti-voting meaning voting against something. If I vote, it is because I have been moved to support something.

I also think the Electoral College makes my vote null and void and should be done away with. The lack of a one man one vote system causes me to take it far less seriously than it should be and i question why a person who votes in  Montana has any less valid views and concerns that a voter in New York.

I do not identify myself as a liberal or a conservative but rather a moderate with common sense. I believe that the government is seriously broken and that partisan politics are against the interest of most Americans.

I will also flat out say that everything that is written here is based on how I see things meaning my interpretation of events.

I do my best to educate myself through viewing multiple news sources on both sides, but since I don't think the news provides all the facts or may present the facts skewed for ratings or based on its owners', editors' or correspondents' opinions,  I always try to find public records or statistics that are not biased and simply numbers.

If someone reads this and can prove with actual facts that I am incorrect, I will happily apologize. I have nothing to prove, I am not trying to get anything from anyone and just wanted to make some statements that seems to be missed or that I do not agree with.




...