Since I watch Fox News so that you don’t have to, one of the major themes that almost every right wing pundit and TV host promotes is that Donald Trump got over 70 more million votes and the Democrats (which means Joe Biden) should be reaching out to them and sucking up, for reasons unknown.
They constantly repeat that Trump got over 70 million votes but never mention that Joe Biden is about to reach 80 million votes. He’s beating Trump by almost 6 million votes, which is astounding.
Elections have consequences, as Republicans were all too excited to remind Democrats over and over again when Trump was elected in 2016 even though he lost the popular vote by almost three million. Now, they want the minority to rule.
The will of the people be damned.
Have you ever talked to a Trump cultist? There is no reaching out, there is no compromising or coming together for the good of the country. Trump voter's whole focus is on owning the libs and attacking any Democrat as a communist shill trying to destroy our freedoms and our democracy. Here's a recent example:
A caller who is near tears, distraught over election results, tells Rush Limbaugh that he's willing to die for Trump pic.twitter.com/huVu0qfcgt
— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) November 20, 2020
They don't care about policies or bipartisanship since they worship at the feet of Donald Trump. Any illegal action and criminal behavior Trump has engaged in means nothing to them. He's the president and he's allowed.
You can’t reach out to a cult member. You have to deprogram them which can't happen with this many cult members. I have people close to me that actually took their kids to Trump rallies during the pandemic.
Wajahat Ali wrote an excellent op-ed that should be read in its entirety in the New York Times: Reach Out to Trump Supporters,’ They Said. I Tried.
The majority of people of color rejected his cruelty and vulgarity. But along with others who voted for Joe Biden, we are now being lectured by a chorus of voices including Pete Buttigieg and Ian Bremmer, to “reach out” to Trump voters and “empathize” with their pain.
This is the same advice that was given after Mr. Trump’s 2016 victory, and for nearly four years, I attempted to take it. Believe me, it’s not worth it.
I agree, it’s not worth it. If you get into a debate or discussion with a Trump cultist they usually recite whatever Trump says as sacrosanct or any conspiracy theory thrown out by Fox News and QAnon. If you give them the actual evidence that proves them wrong they laugh and claim you're promoting fake news or some other Democratic politician did it first.
Don’t waste your time reaching out to Trump voters like I did. Instead, invest your time organizing your community, registering new voters and supporting candidates who reflect progressive values that uplift everyone, not just those who wear MAGA hats, in local and state elections. Work also to protect Americans against lies and conspiracy theories churned out by the right wing media and political ecosystem. One step would be to continue pressuring social media giants like Twitter and Facebook to deplatform hatemongers, such as Steve Bannon, and censor disinformation. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.
In 2016, with the aid of Russian bots, Facebook became a cesspool of racism, misogyny, and wacky conspiracy theories that included memes like Hillary is worse than Trump so vote for Trump. That poisoned many first-time voters who became apathetic in the end.
I don’t need Trump supporters to be humiliated to feel great again. I want them to have health insurance, decent paying jobs and security for their family. I do not want them to suffer, but I also refuse to spend any more time trying to understand and help the architects of my oppression.
Digby writes, "It is very simple. There is no point in arguing with anti-democrats and apologists for racists about the value of democracy and tolerance. Doing so wastes an immense amount of time that could be better spent strengthening democratic institutions and extending justice and opportunity. And we don’t have a moment to waste."
In 2021, the House needs to investigate and prosecute every instance of illegality they find from the Trump camp. That includes his cadre of conspirators like Rudy Giuliani.
All whistleblowers should be heard.
Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for the supposed good of the country, but Republicans never learned a lesson or considered the wrongs Nixon committed. Instead, we had an Iraq-gate, and Iran-Contra immediately following his pardon.
It was Bill Barr, named the cover-up general by William Safire then Attorney General, who told George H. W. Bush to pardon everybody involved which then derailed the entire Iran-Contra investigation.
Turns out, Barr was right in the middle of it.“There were some people arguing just for [a pardon for] Weinberger, and I said, ‘No, in for a penny, in for a pound,’” Barr told the interviewer. “I went over and told the President I thought he should not only pardon Caspar Weinberger, but while he was at it, he should pardon about five others.”Which is exactly what Bush did, on Christmas Eve when most Americans were with family instead of watching the news. The holiday notwithstanding, the result was explosive.
America knew that both Reagan and Bush were up to their necks in Iran-Contra, and Democrats had been talking about impeachment or worse. The independent counsel had already obtained one conviction, three guilty pleas, and two other individuals were lined up for prosecution. And Walsh was closing in fast on Bush himself.
So, when Bush shut the investigation down by pardoning not only Weinberger, but also Abrams and the others involved in the crimes, destroying Walsh’s ability to prosecute anybody, the New York Times ran the headline all the way across four of the six columns on the front page, screaming in all-caps: BUSH PARDONS 6 IN IRAN AFFAIR, ABORTING A WEINBERGER TRIAL; PROSECUTOR ASSAILS ‘COVER-UP.’ Bill Barr had struck.
They lust for power, not democracy, and as we’ve seen with the Trump administration they will do anything at all to keep it.
Their criminality needs to be exposed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Being nice to Trump supporters will only lead to more chaos and more heartache for the country. If any of them want to rejoin society, they need to reach out to Biden supporters and walk away from Trump.
