Trump Voters Can't Be Won Over; They Have To Be Outvoted

[UCmeNdc]

I agree with Paul Waldman that Democratic efforts to win the respect of Trump voters are futile:

... the mistake is to ignore where the belief in Democratic disrespect actually comes from and to assume that Democrats have it in their power to banish it.

It doesn’t come from the policies advocated by the Democratic Party, and it doesn’t come from the things Democratic politicians say. Where does it come from? An entire industry that’s devoted to convincing white people that liberal elitists look down on them.

... The right has a gigantic media apparatus that is devoted to convincing people that liberals disrespect them, plus a political party whose leaders all understand that that idea is key to their political project and so join in the chorus at every opportunity.


Snip........

Right -- little of the so-called disrespect for Trump Country voters is coming from Democratic politicians. Most comes from people outside politics whose words are hung around the necks of Democratic officeholders and candidates. When a Dem politician does say something offensive to white heartlanders -- Barack Obama's "cling to guns and religion" remark, or Hillary Clinton talking about "deplorables" -- the statement is put on auto-repeat in the right-wing press. Consumers of right-wing media never hear words of sincere outreach from Democrats (Waldman quotes examples from Clinton and Obama). The words that give offense remain front and center.

But that's not the only reason Trump voters are unreachable for Democrats. Another reason is that Trump voters identify with the president so closely that you literally can't criticize him without making his supporters believe you're criticizing them.


https://crooksandliars.com/2018/05/trump-voters-cant-be-won-over-they-have-be

[ansible]

1. Problem is finding someone in the Democratic party who can get those votes

And honestly barring some massive economic collapse or scandal that finally smears Trump for good, I don't see 2020 going too well. Trump's voter base has a level of fanaticism that's almost impossible to match.

[Funtatlaguy]

3. Democrat Party is a hot button for some

You might want to edit that to the correct name.
Democratic Party.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. The thought almost begs the question

Would a hint of "Democrat Party redneck" caricature win some of these people over?

Just asking, and know the ludicrous nature of the question, but these folks are rigid minded and dumb as rocks. If you appear "cool" in their mind you're half way there

[Laura PourMeADrink]

32. I am thinking a non-political type. Someone

Who people think could reverse the acrimony. Have u heard Beto? He's gone to every county in Texas and listens to the rednecks and doesn't treat them like they are horrible and stupid. Will do everything to see him beat Cruz. He at least has a strategy

[wasupaloopa]

10. Trump's base is less than 1/3 of voters. Dems can out vote them in numbers if they turn out.

Also states are changing redistricting laws making them fairer taking away the ability of the right to set boundaries. Dems are flipping state and local seats in every election this year. Women are overwhelmingly running for office as Dems and winning.

There is a blue wave coming and before 2020 trump will be out of office. The coming Dem House will impeach trump if he hasn't resigned by then.

So the trump base can pound sand all they want, we don't need them.

[bearsfootball516]

31. The Dem House can impeach Trump, but it's highly likely he won't be convicted in the Senate.

Prepare to be running against Trump in 2020. If he resigns, great. If not, we are ready.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

35. If the 42 percent think we are piling on now..wait

Til we launch a failed impeachment attempt. As sad as that is...unless it is something completely black and white and indisputably bad..it would likely fail.

Also, it has to be current. I live in a red enclave....they always say they don't care one iota about anything he did before being president.

[bearsfootball516]

37. My mentality is, if we know we don't have the votes for conviction, don't bother with impeachment

The last thing we want to do is fire up the Trump base, and impeachment without conviction would do exactly that. It would enable them and would make Trump appear invincible.

I understand that's an unpopular opinion for a lot of people, and I'd love to see Trump impeached. I just think impeachment without conviction would be worse for the Democratic Party than not impeaching at all.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

38. I agree. Is there an alternative? Let's say Mueller refers proof of Obstruction

of Justice and some Pay for Play crime....Is there anything else we could do? Just let it ride and hope it soils him in 2020?

[bearsfootball516]

39. Basically, use the findings to destroy him and Republicans in 2020.

Blanket TV ads hammering away at how Trump is a proven criminal, and the Republicans who support him are no better.

There may be some legal recourse, but I'm not very savvy in that department.

My ideal dream is that Mueller's findings are so overwhelmingly damning that Republicans in the Senate have no choice but to convict or suffer the consequences in their next election.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

40. You are so right. It could totally put the squeeze on GOP ! They will be between

a rock and a hard place ! Disavow Trump or look like a schmuck who condones criminal behavior !!

[bearsfootball516]

29. Remember that Trump got a lot of swing votes in 2016 from voters who really didn't like him.

They didn't like either candidate, they just disliked Hillary more, so they held their nose and voted Trump. With the right candidate, they can be Democratic voters again.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

36. True. It's important to run someone who is

Not starting frim below zero with negatives

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I agree with this.

They aren't paying attention, they don't follow what's going on. It's like a clueless fan club.

[UCmeNdc]

4. The Democratic Party needs to ensure their "hardcore voters" are able to vote, and that vote is coun

(counted)


Too often the Democratic Party focuses on trying to get Republican leaning voters to switch their vote but forget to motivate their own hard core Democratic supporters. Then the Democratic Party never fights doggedly against voter suppression and rigged voter reregistration efforts by the GOP. The Democratic Party needs to get its voters to out vote by a massive majority the hard core Trump supporting voter block.

[Garrett78]

5. Yep.

I've been saying the same thing for far too long. Inspire the base, educate and motivate the young, raise hell about race-based voter suppression and gerrymandering. And ignore those who want Democrats to put aside "identity politics."

[moose65]

24. THIS!

Democratic candidates need to quit trying to win over Republican voters - they are beyond reach. What Democrats need to do is stick to their convictions and motivate their OWN base to come out and vote. In mid-terms, it is ALL about the base. Republicans, I hate to say, have that part right. They never, never, write off their base and try to pander to Democrats. Democratic candidates need to appeal to their base voters and to the massive pool of independent voters. Also, people like straight-shooters and people who are honest. Even though they're not trying, they might win over a few Republicans in that process!

[UCmeNdc]

25. Agree 100%

[Cicada]

6. Hispanics don't vote, young don't vote

If we had a Democrat like Rubio we would win
If Rubio is their nominee in 2024 we will lose

Young Hispanic, maybe young Hispanic woman

Young Hispanic woman from ohio

We need to flood the pipeline

[RhodeIslandOne]

26. You overrate Rubio

I honestly felt he’d be the Rethug nominee, but he is lazy and will not work for it.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

7. Or outlived.

As David Hogg tells his NRA critics, "We're going to live longer than you."

[vi5]

18. I'm almost 50 and I've been hearing that since I was a teenager....

"As soon as my grandparents generation dies out the baby boomers will be in charge and things will be great. We just have to out live the WWII generation!"

"O.K. so the baby boomers turned out to be more conservative than we thought and sold out a lot of their supposed values. Now we just have to get some Gen Xers in there and wait for the boomers to die out and then things are going to be great! Just you wait!!"

"O.K. So yeah, Gen Xers are proving to be conservatives like Ryan and Rubio and others.....but man, just you wait. We're going to outlive them. It's going to be awesome when these youg kids get in charge!!!"

Unfortunately the old adage too often proves true that a lot of people get more conservative as they get older. I've gone the opposite direction but I think I'm in a minority on that front.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. Living in a red state, my experience has been that conservatives vote based on emotion

and liberal are more likely to consider facts. This is why abortion and immigration are such hot button issues for Republicans. They play on fear and ignorance.

[Duppers]

11. The Faux audience are so thoroughly brainwashed.

That 40% of Americans are psychotic - they are unable to discern fact from fiction.

[KG]

12. there are more votes to be had for the dems on the left than the right.

seems they don't believe, or even like the sound of that notion. hence they find themselves out of power.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Core lost cause. But lots of wobbly edges, low info types, some wanting to "shake things up"

Well, they got their wish. Things are well shook up, badly shaken up. The fringes, edges, margins can be turned around. They can be chipped away at.

[beachbum bob]

14. 100% true, no reaoning with these people so we simply have to out vote them evey where

and every time

We will crush them and send them packing

[DFW]

15. I reluctantly agree

If someone says up is down, black is white and water is dry, and refuses to entertain any argument that might indicate the contrary is true, then we have to make sure such people are in such a minority that even their voting fraud can't help them win elections.

If we want to continue to hold elections, that is.

[extvbroadcaster]

16. I agree with the article

I don't see much point. When I see these focus groups it is like a cult. Trump can do no wrong, and everybody is against him. It's all a deep state plot. Everybody is lying, about Russia, the women accusing him of assault, the liberal press, and the democrats in congress. No, I agree they have to be outvoted. Sad to say, but the election of Obama paved the way. These voters ate up Trumps birther rap and thought "the apprentice" was real. How can you reason with people like that?

[gordianot]

17. Trump is a reflection of his supporters, he plays to his crowd.

As long as he gets cheered for what he says and makes money while doing it; this evil will continue and spread.

[vi5]

19. Exactly. Which is why we need to give people a reason to vote FOR us...

But then again I'm sure if we just keep yelling at non-voters, calling them idiots, telling them "It's in our platform!! Check the website!!" that will inspire a lot of non-voters too.

[randr]

20. What a brilliant concept

voting counts
Is this the opposite of an oxymoron?

[GetRidOfThem]

21. Die Stunde Null

This translates to "the zero hour", which refers to the waking up of Germany of the disaster the third reich was in the aftermath rubble of WWII. I am afraid we are going to have to have our own Stunde Null before the US will have any real political introspection. The Germans went through a crookedly stimulated hubris of self-adoration, the leaders knew what they were doing a followed their agendas cynically.

Does this sound familiar?

[Gothmog]

22. Trump supporters are idiots and racists

It is a waste of resources to attempt to convert this idiots.

[TheRealNorth]

23. If they haven't figured it out by now....

they never will. Beside, most of these people are the same idiots who stuck with GW Bush throughout. I only care about the maybe 3-4 million or so people that switched over/were fooled by Trump. We can't confuse those people with the rest of the Republicans.

And honestly, if they voted for him because of racism, then they can go screw themselves too - then it comes down to motivating our voters and fighting against the Republican propaganda and efforts that attempt to convince likely Dem voters not to vote (i.e. they all corrupt, the same)

[RhodeIslandOne]

27. The only people who will convert are already long off the train

The ones remaining are dangerous zealots

[IADEMO2004]

28. By a wider margin.

[redstatebluegirl]

30. There are more of us, they are just LOUD and that makes it look like they have more support.

We just need to GOV, when we vote we win. If of course we don't allow people to divide our party to the point we are diluted.

[dalton99a]

33. Anyone who is still supporting the criminal regime should be viewed as an enabler and accomplice.

[kentuck]

34. Unfortunately, true.

They have to be beaten at the polls.

Even then, they will find some excuse to blame others.

[tazkcmo]

41. I agree

And have been saying this since 2016. There are more opportunities to gain votes in the non-voting pool of eligible voters in this country and the effort needed would be less per voter therefore making it more efficient to Target non-voters rather than registered Republicans, Trump supporter or not.

At this point it has become personal for me. Not only do I want to soundly trounce the GOPee in the midterms, I want to carry it on to the presidential elections in 2020 and again soundly beat the GOPee and do all of this without a single GOPee registered voter.

[loyalsister]

42. What if

Suppose conversations based in mutual respect leads voters to reevaluate what they think republicans should be? While they may not ever vote for a Democrat, they may withhold their votes from republicans who don't meet a standard higher than what they elected in 2016.
I have seen it in action and it just might produce results. I'm not worried trying to change minds of republicans on policy, but I have noticed that there are some who have already changed their minds about what they want from candidates.