So I met an actual trumpster today working at the local hardware store.

[BSdetect]

I was dumbfounded by his adherence to pure bullshit.

At one point in our somewhat amicable exchange he claimed that income tax was a bad idea and the country could be funded by "tariffs".

He was a guy working at (I am guessing) would be about $14 an hour. I forgot to ask if he would like to be ripped off if he worked for drumph.

He just ignored points such as drumph's 10,000 plus documented lies.

I conclude that they cannot be moved from their cognitive dissonance positions.

I left him with the thought that millions of people are bankrupted by health care costs.

He was the first trumpster I have encountered here in Northern CA. I've met many many others who are enraged by drumph.

Still, it is rather scary.

[HopeAgain]

1. Hes not out of the ordinary...

Sounds like a run of the mill MAGAt to me. I know many like that.

[GP6971]

2. We have a Trump Humper

up the street. I've talked to him a couple of times and there is no remorse...full on Trump. And he still flies is Trump flag every day.

[prudence54]

3. I am surrounded by them

I live and work in North Central Oregon and it's unbelievable how ignorant people can be of how the world outside of their little fishbowl works.

I said something, excitedly.. at work the other day about the Portland Trailblazers winning and moving on to the Western Conference Finals, and one of my Trumpster coworkers pipes up with "Yeah I like it when everyone says they can't win and then they do.. people count them out, and polls and stuff. you know, like Trump!" I just stared at him for a long silence, turned and walked away. Total disconnect.

I just can't with these people.

Bless you for trying though.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

7. You have my sympathies... that and 5 bux buys you a cup of Starbucks!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[louis-t]

29. I have found that certain phrases, certain subjects

are a trigger mechanism that set them off. They are programmed by talk radio to react when certain subjects come up. Sort of a 'Tourette's for ignorant people'. I had a client who was unreachable during certain hours of the day. I finally figured out those were the hours he listened to Rush and Hannity. At least 5 hours a day, he was being programmed. Something set him off one day and he went on a rant about the FBI. "Every one of them should be fired! " I said "For what?" He went on about how the FBI was all a bunch of libruls and how they had the Boston Marathon bomber in their office before the bombing and let him go, and how they knew about a school shooter in advance and didn't do anything. I asked if he thought we should just put people in jail because we think they might do something. I also mentioned that the FBI is traditionally very conservative and agents are usually law and order types who love their job and are dedicated to law enforcement. He went nuts. Told me I was a "radical". His voice was shaking. He ended up calling my broker (a staunch Republican) and complaining about me. She came into my office and made a statement like "I hope he doesn't call the authorities and report you". I said "For what?"

[Boxerfan]

4. My former best friend

At least we had one last talk.

I spent about an hour-patiently winning every argument he made one at a time. And at the end his response was why not just give him a chance. I can't believe a person I respected could turn into such a malignant tool.

He used to respect my opinion. Would call & ask for it even.

After the talk I realized no amount of facts or common sense will change a magat. They are true victims of a long term brainwashing campaign.

[sharedvalues]

18. That's true: brainwashing

Our only hope to reach people like this isn’t to argue on logic.

It’s to tell them how and why Fox lies to them — to get them to vote for Rupert Murdoch’s tax cuts.

[lastlib]

20. If you could reason with tRump supporters, they wouldn't be tRump supporters...

Last edited Thu May 16, 2019, 11:07 PM - Edit history (1)

Their minds are like mortared-in bricks. They are impervious to logic. I've found that the most effective approach is to ask them questions, rather than beat them over the head with facts. Like "Why doesn't taking children away from their parents bother you?" "Why doesn't 10,000 lies bother you?" etc.

[TheBlackAdder]

33. Yes. Instead of stating facts that can be easily shut out. Have them justify their rationale.

[MarianJack]

5. IMHO,...

...Trump doesn't have supporters, he has worshipers. He has a very Moonie-ish cult. Sick!

RESIST!

[onetexan]

47. Yep, as George Will said, the GOP party has become trump cult

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

6. I gave up long ago engaging with those deplorable tRUMPeledforeskins!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[ChubbyStar]

11. WELL DONE!!!!

I am so stealing that

[demosincebirth]

8. I try not to talk to ignorant people.

[riverwalker]

9. I saw my first MAGA hat in Minnesota

In my semi rural post office. He was at the counter with a stack of postcards he was mailing to politicians. He was asking if it’s ok to mail them without a forwarding address, “because the government is assassinating Trump supporters”. Nuts.

[rsdsharp]

24. Trump's government is assassinating Trump supporters?

Genius, just genius. Do they even listen to what they say, or does it spew out uncontrollably?

It just occurred to me that I have never seen a MAGA hat in person, and I live in Iowa which handily voted for him.

[louis-t]

30. No, no ,no. It's the "deep state" that's assassinating

dumpy's people, doncha know?

[TheBlackAdder]

34. Just say they already scanned his license plate and face, and now have his voice print-after mailing

.

Freak the fucker out.

.

[Jake Stern]

10. Had a very close friend who came out of a stint in the Army as a hardcore Trumper

She used to be sweet, compassionate and funny. A bit of a wild child but in a zany sort of way. Now she's paranoid and hateful. The Trumper garbage she posted makes me cringe. Couldn't take it anymore and walked away. This beautiful soul thoroughly fucked up by the military and multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Trumpian bile.

[renate]

14. that's so sad

So many lives and souls have been rotted by Fox News and all the forces that made Trump possible.

[mountain grammy]

12. My husband's brother called today to wish him happy birthday

and to tell him we're in the end times.. My husband laughed, but the brother in law is a true believer. Husband told him to stop watching fox news and listening to his preacher and that he loved him.

[uponit7771]

13. Health care is something they don't agree with red Don on ...

[djacq]

15. Better luck talking to a wall.

[Blue_true]

16. True.

The only difference is that a wall does not blink in the face of a fact and immediately start repeating the same old bullshit the fact demolished.

[rusty quoin]

17. Well, at least we know well here in America, is how it happened in Germany.

We understand it in our guts, like the post war German people. Maybe it’s not too late.

[More_Cowbell]

19. This is why I don't buy that "Fox viewers will change by watching Democrats in Town Halls"

And I don't believe that Fox is worried about that, either.

How can you counteract years of Fox indoctrination with an hour-long Town Hall?

[Midnight Writer]

21. It is guaranteed big ratings for FOX. Plus webhits on every platform because of "controversy".

[durablend]

39. And lots of potential gotcha moments

Even if they have to edit to make them up.

[czarjak]

22. But...

He’ll be a rich republican someday, just ask him. He’s going to work hard and play by the rules like Sean Hannity.

[BSdetect]

23. Interesting stories and comments. We can have some success with some of them.

I did manage to stop one sprouting garbage when I pointed out that her knee and hip operations were paid for largely because of the ACA.

She did change her views somewhat after that. She realized that she would have lost her job and become bankrupt without the ACA.

She was a hard core right wing radio listener who knew very little about anything other than the talking points from Limbaugh etc

Its a long hard grind to change them but we try where we can.

Meanwhile the entire system is in greater peril every day.

[RussBLib]

25. FOX has done a good job of brainwashing

and the targets don't seem to have that much brainpower in the first place, so it's not that hard for a vulture like Trump to swoop in and scoop up the detritus.

[lastlib]

46. For some it's just a brain-rinse......

They are so "low-information" that they just don't have the intellectual construct to see how idiotic the "tRump-aganda"* is. It takes very little to convince them that the "eevul libruls" are out to get them, and that only the "conservatives" (ie, the neo-Nazis and limbaughites) can save them.




(*a word I just made up to describe the putrid falsehoods peddled by the troglodyte wing of the GOP--which is all of it.)

[treestar]

26. He is only one guy

Some of them could be just apathetic and since things are ok for them, they think the Dotard is doing fine. How old was he?

[murielm99]

27. They are all around me.

Most of them are less bold these days, but we still encounter them.

My husband and I were in Rockford, waiting for him to see a doctor. We were reading the local paper together and laughing at 45's latest idiocies. We were not loud at all. Some fool of a woman came and sat next to us. She started reading over our shoulders and announcing loudly that he was doing an excellent job.

She was called in right away, or I might have tripped her while she was walking away. IF I could have gotten away with it, that is. I am done with nice.

[louis-t]

32. "Look at all he's done!!!!1"

Seems to be a common theme. If you ask them to name something, they can't. Even if you give them hints.

[Woodwizard]

28. I know a few

They are not changing their minds period. I don't waste my time, the voting public greatly outnumbers them, just got to get them to the polls.

I have as much of a chance changing a 45 supporters mind as they would getting me to believe he is a great president.

[LanternWaste]

31. Given the choice between Trumper half-wits and scrambled eggs...

Given the choice between Trumper half-wits and scrambled eggs, seems the scrambled eggs have a better grasp on science, math, history and aren't as easily triggered.

Then again, I live in TX where the only thing more patriotic than drinking beer on the fourth is flying a confederate flag from the back of a primer gray truck. I'm surrounded by these dull-witted simpleton who can't think beyond the depth of a t-short slogan.

[MineralMan]

35. That's interesting. I don't think, in all the times I've been to a hardware store,

I've ever had a political discussion with an employee there. Mostly, I ask about something I need for a particular project, if I am having trouble finding it myself. For example, when the cable on my garage door broke and it wouldn't open or close, I went to my local ACE hardware store. I described the problem, and an employee guided me back to the area where garage door parts were and suggested what I should buy. Then, he gave me some very useful tips on how to install them and how to avoid a safety hazard from the spring that offsets the weight of the door. I thanked him, paid for my stuff and left. Politics never entered the conversation.

That's typical of conversations I've had with hardware store employees. I realize that they're on the job and can't spend their time chatting about world affairs and the like. Besides, I went there to get something to do something with, and was eager to get the work done and get my garage door working again.

Maybe your hardware store guy wasn't busy, and his employer didn't mind him sharing his political views with customers. Odd situation, if that's the case. As my father told me when I worked with him at his auto repair shop, "Stay off the subject of politics and religion with customers. It wastes time and you're likely to annoy half of the customers."

He was right. That's standard business practice, I think.

[BSdetect]

40. I could not find what I wanted and expressed regret that I would have to try Home Depot

and I mentioned because the owner is a trump supporter.

The employee said "So am I"

I thought I misheard him but said "you like trump"?

And so it went .....

[Kaleva]

36. I don't discuss politics or religion with strangers or even with family members

[lunatica]

37. If hard headed entrenched stubbornness was a measure of high

intelligence, Trump’s party would be the smartest people on earth!

[leftyladyfrommo]

38. I had one trying to defend higher prices due to

tariffs. I am on a lot if wreath making sites and a whole lot of their supplies come from China. Practically everything from Joann's and Michael's and Hobby Lobby is made in China.

She said we just need to give it time. We have China right where we want them. Once things are made in the US things will be great.

Did you know the average factory worker in China makes $3.60 an hour? I looked it up. The average factory worker in Missouri makes about $11. Then you have to add in the cost of the millions of dollars building new factories here would cost. And the years it would take to build those factories. We wouldn't be able to afford a pair of shoes.

She is going waiting quite a while. People don't realize just what buying American really means.

[The Genealogist]

41. Why bother with them? All you'll get is an elevated blood pressure and a headache

One conversation isn't going to undo decades of right wing brainwashing, anyway.

[briv1016]

42. I work at a hardware store. About a 1/3rd of my co-workers are vocal supporters.

About another 1/3rd almost certainly voted for him. And I live in NY.

[lambchopp59]

43. Northern cali seems to have a blue to red scale depending how far north

I'm in the "north bay" for work, probably until retirement. Mendo/Lake. I don't see many MAGA hats here, but when I find one I avoid any conversation because it quickly turns acerbic, on their part, even trying to mention inconvenient little things like...
um... facts.
Once they've earned their tenure in reality denial Fox TeeVee idiocy, there's no de-programming possible, apparently.

[kimbutgar]

44. My husband works at a major airline in SF in a good paying union job

He is surrounded by major fat Donnie fans who thinks he is the greatest president In their lifetimes. They have Limbaugh, Hannity And Savage on the radio all the time. These guys drive 1-2 hours daily into the city from the outer suburbs. They have been indoctrinated steadily since 9-11 against Democrats. The longer the commute the bigger the cult members. They are here in The SF Bay Area. About more than half of them work in my husband’s shop.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

45. this sounds bad or like I'm being elitist

and I don't mean it that way, the truth is, some of our fellow citizens just are not very bright..........