Charles Blow: "This Is Why I have no patience for liberal talk of reaching out to Trump voters."

[kpete]

Trump is rushing headlong into Muslim bans and mass deportations, wall building and Obamacare dismantling. Indeed, it feels like the campaign promises Trump is keeping have to do with cruelty and those he’s flip-flopping on have to do with character.

For instance, it is now abundantly clear that Trump had no intention whatsoever of draining the swamp in Washington. He is simply restocking it to his liking.

This is why I have no patience for liberal talk of reaching out to Trump voters. There is no more a compromise point with those who accept, promote and defend bigotry, misogyny and xenophobia than there is a designation of “almost pregnant.”

Trump is a cancer on this country and resistance is the remedy. The Trump phenomenon is devoid of compassion, and we must be closed to compromise.



the rest:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/opinion/the-death-of-compassion.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=0&mtrref=www.dailykos.com&gwh=761383194D3603F7898FF0C1AC0C4601&gwt=pay&assetType=opinion

[JHan]

1. How do you compromise with crazy anyway?

[Xipe Totec]

17. The same way you compromise with cancer; not at all. nt

[JHan]

20. lol. ++++

[bronxiteforever]

24. ++++++!

[Maru Kitteh]

66. Just FYI, I plan to steal that and use it frequently. So

I'm sorry.

And thank you.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

67. Moar +++++!

I also plan to quote this line.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. I would have thought that the Republican reaction to Obama when he tried to work with them

should be enough for anyone to realize that those on the right are only interested in consolidating their power. They don't care what's best for America and the people they are supposed to represent. They only care about how they can benefit from their position.

[narnian60]

4. +100

[lagomorph777]

14. Why is it so damned hard to get "Dems" in Congress to get this?

Are they with us, or are they against everything good in America? Do they want to take back Congress, or disappear in 2018?

[Fantastic Anarchist]

36. It looks like they want to disappear.

They have learned nothing at all.

[yardwork]

61. The Democrats in Congress have no power. We elected Republicans.

The Republicans now control both houses of Congress. They control the committees and all the processes.

[lagomorph777]

72. And therefore Dems should vote with Pukes? Not buying it.

And "we" didn't elect the Pukes. Millions more voted against them than for them; the Gerrymander elected them.

[Wounded Bear]

21. But the RWers won't acknowledge that...

in their minds, Obama shut out the Repubs and never asked for their support. The truth flies it the face of their 'Emperor Obama' meme.

Which is how he got a Republican healthcare plan through, devised by the Heritage Foundation, enacted in Massachusetts by a Repub governor, and passed with only a few liberal trimmings.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

38. This is what blows my mind!

Obama took some conservative positions, even alienating some of his own base, yet they still fucking cried their asses off.

[Wounded Bear]

40. ..and blocked him...

even on things that they had sponsored prior to his taking office.

[Cosmocat]

62. See, Garland, Merrick

[lunasun]

3. They must evolve on thier own. Not likely. Their hearts are gone and thier minds are damaged

[KittyWampus]

35. Evolution is a group process.

[RedSpartan]

5. INTOLERANT LIBERALS!!!

No. Tolerance does not mean tolerating intolerance.

I can and will tolerate different, legitimate, viewpoints and opinions, like what economic policies are best, or whether and to what extent to use our military, or how best to protect our environment.

But I cannot and will not tolerate racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, or anything else that someone calls their opinion, but really just makes them an asshole.

[HughBeaumont]

6. Never try and reason with people who have abandoned it.

It's not in my best interests to explain to the tone police why helping others, making sure we never commit the sins of our past and expanding the social safety net aren't bad things.

[world wide wally]

7. You can't argue with a sick mind

Try describing the color orange to a person blind from birth.

[MrScorpio]

8. I totally agree

No time to be dealing with that shit.

[LAS14]

9. Don't reach out to Trump voters, but do reach out in Trump land!

Who knows where there's a critical mass just waiting to blossom????

Give just $5/month to this organization (along with more major donations to your chosen focused movements). Surely a flood of money will cause good things to happen in some places! Check out the stories about ItStarts.today in these publications. The angle is that they only accept money that can be divided equally 468 ways (they cut back donations that can't be divided to the point where they can be) and distribute them to all 468 Dem candidates.

https://contribute.itstarts.today/2018

More info here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028684538

[Wounded Bear]

22. This

I suspect there are a lot of blue voters out there in Trump land just waiting for some candidates to vote for.

The DNC and DCCC need to set up and support infrastructure in red districts. From what I hear, the DCCC is getting flooded with applications of people wanting to run for office. That's a good thing.

[LAS14]

25. That's super!

[Fantastic Anarchist]

39. But they still did away with the 50-state strategy.

We need to get back to that.

[Wounded Bear]

49. Sounds like all of the DNC candidates are for a version of that...

We definitely need to expand our base into red districts. There are a couple in my own state that might be flippable.

[kentuck]

10. Sort of like conservatives demanding "fair and balanced" coverage...

for insane ideas. Fifty/fifty. That's only fair, they say.

Liberals have no responsibility to compromise with crazy.

[mcar]

11. K&R

[Orsino]

12. He's imagining them as a bloc, incapable of individual thought.

I suspect there are plenty of contrarians among them who will eventually turn against Trump, or liwer their enthusiasm, once they can see him as just another face on an unresponsive Establishment.

That may never make them allies, not all of them, but losing one's health insurance, say, tends to focus the mind. When the promised jobs fail to materialize, some will be paying attention.

We don't have to turn them into Democrats, but there will be opportunities to peel them away from Trumpism.

[ginnyinWI]

13. absolutely.

A Democratic party with a strong moral message beats any version of "Republican-light" any day! Get out the progressive vote! And then do something Obama admits he didn't do enough of, which is broadcast the improvements done under a Democratic administration so that everyone is clear about the difference a Dem President can make.

There will be a lot of elephant dung to clean up!

[mountain grammy]

16. +1000

[KittyWampus]

15. "Reaching out" does not mean "compromise". It's a false equivalency.

It is entirely possible for Democrats to stick to our core values and policy positions but find ways to package them to different "markets".

In much the same way an auto manufacturer uses different commercials for men and women.

[eniwetok]

32. What are Democratic "Core Values"

In our dysfunctional two party system the parties are often stealing issues from each other... sometimes creating new collations with that large reserve of non-voters. Reagan brought right wing Christians into the GOP coalition and he embraced fiscal irresponsibility as a new GOP norm. Bill Clinton shafted labor with free trade and went with some other right wing positions on more cops and welfare reform... and pushed fiscal responsibility to get out of the Starve The Beast trap. Obama Dems gave up on fiscal responsibility. Then new constituent groups also pull a party in new directions.

So in this context what are "core" Dem values? The FDR and LBJ Dem values? Clinton values?

[KittyWampus]

43. Did you vote for Hillary? She's a solid Democrat and her Democratic Platform was public.

[eniwetok]

48. You bet I voted for HRC....

But I was a Bernie Guy... and never thought HRC was a real FDR Dem regardless of what the platform said. I agree with Thomas Frank that too many of the Dems have become the party of the professional class... that top 10% minus the uber rich. I want the Dems to go back to being the party of the bottom 70-80%... to stress economic issues more than identity politics...

[renate]

44. EXACTLY!!

Sorry to shout but I think you've made such an important point.

We always wonder what's the matter with Kansas--why do Republican voters so reliably vote against their own best interests? It's not always because they're dim and watch Fox, because to be honest they're not all dim... Republican values are marketed better. We assume our truths are self-evident but apparently they're not.

[IronLionZion]

71. Democrats traditionally did well in the upper midwest

and there's nothing wrong with trying to win back traditionally Dem voters by listening to them and why they didn't vote for us last time.

Too many DUers are doing the false equivalency of "reaching out = compromise". We can reach out with liberal policies and win elections. If they voted for Obama, they are probably not the "deplorables" many DUers are thinking of.

There are lots of normal people everywhere who are not driven by bigotry and fear.

[LaydeeBug]

18. They need to be TOLD. It's what they *LIKE*, and I am not kidding. nt

[KittyWampus]

23. You actually hit the nail on the head.

[eniwetok]

19. OF COURSE Libs have to reach out...

I don't think there's much point reaching out to those on the rabid right... but many people went for Trump simply for the economic message which SHOULD have been a Democratic strongpoint...

The longer these people are allowed to be on the right... the more chance they'll start absorbing a right wing frame that we have to cater to the uber rich so they'll be the job creators... when they need to strengthen organized labor and limit free trade so labor has leverage again in the market.

[Hekate]

26. Hats off to Charles Blow

[Fantastic Anarchist]

27. He's absolutely fucking correct!

I'm sick of hearing that we need to compromise. That's what we've been doing for the past 8 years, and now we got spoiled fucking brat in return.

Fuck Donald Trump.

[iluvtennis]

28. [phone]nt

[eniwetok]

33. But Trump's anti free trade position WAS a Democratic position

What's wrong with going back to being anti free trade. What Trump will NOT do is protect and promote organized labor. And in the end I don't think he's really against free trade.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

37. Oh, rest assured that he is anti-labor.

No matter what position he takes.

[Lil Missy]

29. AMEN!

A couple lines come to mind:

You CANNOT have a rational conversation with an irrational person.

Don't cast your pearls before swine.

It is not my job to convince anyone of anything. (Incidentally - that's just the game they want - they have "talking points" for that.)

[lunatica]

30. Charles Blow has become my Hero!

They should give him his own show.

[NoMoreRepugs]

31. There is no compromising with Deplorables - get over it - can't happen...

adopt their mentality - has to be their way - period.... there cant be compromise. Until that becomes the accepted norm we are going to flounder. Don't bring cake and cookies to a street-fight - you probably wont be happy with the outcome.

[Orrex]

34. ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON!!!!!!!

Telling Liberals to "reach out to" or "understand" or "empathize with" hardcore unrepentant Trump voters is exactly the same as saying "Do your best to help them fuck up the country forever."

They do not want our empathy or our understanding or our outreach. They want our subjugation and (for some of us) our outright destruction. Failure to recognize this is suicidal.


This is why I have no patience for moralizing preachers who scold us for calling Trump voters "stupid."

[cilla4progress]

41. I posted an SOS thread here last night

Neighbor stopped by to borrow something last night and brought her extreme alt-right brother with her to engage me in the most chilling conversation I've ever had with his type.

What I learned was there is no talking to these people. They will deny truth, spew lies, and try to reprogram you. It is an intellectual assault.

There was no awareness of you are in MY home, borrowing MY whatever, you have not been invited here for conversation, you best just hear my views, give them legitimacy as MY truth and be on your way.

There is no balance or opening. I'm very concerned for our country. These people need to go back under the rock they slithere out from.

Here's the thread if you are interested.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028695356

[lunasun]

64. i hope you are feeling better today after dealing with that in your own home

[etherealtruth]

42. K&R

[Paladin]

45. Amen, amen, amen.

We don't need to sacrifice our principles in a wasted effort to attract a few ignorant trump supporters---we can re-establish our dominance without them. To hell with them.

[liquid diamond]

46. Amen

Some progressives need to stop with the "Not all trump voters are racist" bullshit. His voters knew he was a racist but voted for him anyway! Fuck them. I don't want such asshole in my party.

[Cha]

47. Thank you Charles Blow.. that's what many

of us have been saying, too.

Thanks, kpete

[Wounded Bear]

50. It's like teaching higher math to a mule...

you won't succeed, and it annoys the mule.

[Eliot Rosewater]

51. Charles nails it and BTW the Boehner stuff about GOP not dismantling ACA, bullshit

they are gonna tear it apart and the more people who die the better for the GOP.

Just watch. This filthy disgusting pigfuck is doing this to get back at Obama.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

52. K&R

[dalton99a]

53. You don't compromise with evil.

[FiveGoodMen]

55. Couldn't agree more!

[rainy]

54. I've come to believe that the

draining of the swamp meant to get rid of liberal laws and positions over vital organizations such as education, EPA, Dod-Frank etc. to him the government and the press are the swamp

[Progressive dog]

56. There can be no compromise with

a psychopath who's word is less than worthless. Reaching out to his voters would be like reaching your hand into a meat grinder.

[BadgerMom]

57. Have they ever reached out to us?

Even met halfway? No. They're monsters.

[Solly Mack]

58. K&R

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

59. Excellent article. I had just read it and came here to post a link,

but my search showed you'd done it already. Thanks!

[Bill USA]

60. "liberal talk of reaching out to" Trumpeteers???? WHO thinks that is not idiocy???

[calimary]

63. BLOWS 'em outta the water. AGAIN.

Charles M. Blow is one of the main reasons why I decided to get a digital subscription to the New York Times. Glad I did! Now I won't miss a word!

Every time I think I've fallen in love with him, I read his next piece and fall deeper in love with him. He ROCKS!!!

[hibbing]

65. He's got a strong Twitter game n/t

[Beacool]

68. Bannon is in the power behind the throne, there's no compromising with evil.

Trump is a know nothing narcissistic clown, but Bannon is smart and vile. He and his acolyte, Miller, are Trump's closest advisers outside of Ivanka and Kushner.

Urging anyone to compromise with them is akin to having urged the Resistance to compromise with the Nazi invaders.

[oasis]

69. Right on. K and R

[gopiscrap]

70. Yes fuck ALL trump voters

may they choke on their own vomit and become vegetables for the rest of their miserable lives!!