Trump Voters Aren’t Who You Think They Are

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You are getting Conservative Right-Wing Americans all wrong.

If this clumsy coup has taught us anything, it is that the “Republican Party” that so many of us grew up with is dead. The Party of Trump has no interest in Democracy or a Government of the People. They have turned into a party that only represents and benefits the Ruling Class, the Billionaire Elite, and Corporate Interests, not Americans and especially not Trump Voters. Regardless of how much or how loudly they claim otherwise, they have nothing to offer the average Americans.

The Grand Ole Party relies on lies, fear, propaganda, and voter suppression to force themselves and their policies, beliefs, and ways upon us. Now that we see how desperate they are to stay in power and their intention to take away the majority of America’s representation, we must do everything we can to prevent them from succeeding. The Elite Ruling Class knows that they would no longer control us if we were to come together. They are afraid of our strength.

2020’s challenges offer the opportunity to reject the enticement to remain divided and instead remember our interconnectedness and unity. It should be easy for the portion of Americans who pride themselves on their work ethic and integrity above all else to thoroughly wash their hands of a political party operating from a place of entitlement, open dishonesty, and cheating every chance they get. When the entire Republican party has embodied everything that Rural Americans are so against, it seems impossible that these Americans could still support it, yet they do, and overwhelmingly so.

We must shift this paradigm and ensure that this nightmare is not repeated, and our Republic survives for our children’s grandchildren. In order for us to do that, it is imperative that we understand why so many people would passionately support such a destructive, corrupt, and dangerous leader and those that enabled him. We cannot just look to and blame the elements and tactics that took advantage of existing divides. We have to address these divides if we hope to succeed.

Propaganda, scare tactics, lies, and weaponized information are tragically effective at turning our divides from cracks into chasms. These efforts enhance perceptions that come from personal experiences, not theories. For weaponized information and propaganda to be effective, it must create a false narrative around a truth. If we focus solely on policing, censoring, and blaming these tactics, we will only widen the divides. Instead, we must unravel the misunderstandings that created the cracks and misperceptions that are being taken advantage of so successfully.

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Manipulated and Used

I can see the manipulation of my friends and family, who have always been Republican and consider themselves conservative. The threats of “Socialism,” “Communism,” and the potential loss of precious personal freedoms are added to the belief that they are up against pure evil. Corporate and Billionaire controlled Media and targeted weaponized information use lies and propaganda, with manipulated images and videos to convince them of these threats. The shared goal is to generalize each other and keep us divided.

Just as you are likely unable to stomach “the other’s” news source, they feel the same. To watch MSNBC or CNN gives them the same stomach-turning sensation that FOXNews and OWN have on you. This separation of information is intentional to create a situation where everyone is operating from a lopsided reality, not exposed to or believing anything that doesn’t support their narrative. Both sides are shown only the complimentary facts that support their ‘sides’ narrative. Unless you are watching both side’s sources, you are not getting the whole story.

Conservatives have been targeted by millionaire Opinion Show Anchors that are paid by Billionaires to disseminate Propaganda and lies that are then enhanced and distributed even further through computer algorithms, using targeted Weaponized Information, as part of Information War that aims to divide and destabilize democracy, demonizing the West all over the world and empower leaders like Trump, who will support their efforts. Americans who have been immersed in these efforts believe that it is up to them to stop those that they believe are responsible for their version of the evil, corrupt, and threatening reality from imposing their ways and beliefs upon them while taking away their autonomy, freedom, and way of life at all costs.

Trump Voters in my world genuinely believe that Biden is not only leading us to become a disastrous and dangerous Communist-Socialist country like Venezuela but that we are also turning evil, without values or morals. We are so conditioned to remain silent when it comes to Money, Politics, and Religion; those wanting to stay in power have been free to create a reality that serves them and their hold on power, nothing else. The manipulation that causes us to embrace every cause that claims “our side” as their own, regardless of how extreme it is, creates a way for our foreign adversaries to impose their hatred and fear of all things “Western” into the divide that it makes.

These Americans cannot see that the separation of church and state protects their freedom of worship above anything else, ensuring that no one will ever be able to inflict their Religion or lack of one onto them. They believe that if America does not become a nation of their Religion, under their control, not only is their right to worship threatened, but evil will prevail. They believe that a law about small Government, which they agree with entirely, giving people autonomy over their bodies and making a medical procedure safe, is a law empowering baby murderers. Without any correction and clarification from the “other” side, this dramatic shared belief system presents a reality that makes pausing Democracy seem not only acceptable but necessary.

Loss of Freedoms

It is entirely understandable that these Trump Voters believe the propaganda, foreign weaponized information, and lies so wholly. Not because they are racist, stupid, or uneducated, but because they feel like everything that the propaganda and lies are warning them about has already started to happen all around them.

These Americans are already experiencing Good vs. Evil play out in their lives. The lack of freedom from beliefs, practices, and ways that openly threaten their values and lifestyles is also why they have no problem with the idea of inflicting Trump’s (which they associate as their own) beliefs, practices, and ways upon the “other” side. If all of FDR’s Four Freedoms had been honored, we would not be here now. We provide the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Worship, but we have f

These Americans are already experiencing Good vs. Evil play out in their lives. The use of fear to threaten the lack of freedom from beliefs, practices, and ways that openly threaten their values and lifestyles is also why they have no problem with the idea of inflicting Trump’s (which they associate as their own) beliefs, practices, and ways upon the “other” side. If all of FDR’s Four Freedoms had been honored, we would not be here now. We provide the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Worship, but we have failed miserably to provide Freedom From Want and Freedom From Fear.

Many rural Trump Voters feel like they have had no say about what happens to them and their communities when industries are destroyed to “save of the environment,” at the cost of their well-being and often very identities. As they see it, cows might cause Methane, and oil might be causing Earth to heat up, but 20 corporations are causing most of the environmental problems. Rural Americans have seen nothing done to replace jobs lost in trade wars or when factories close. We are demonizing industries that are often a significant part of American and family heritage because we recognize how unsustainable or detrimental they are now, not considering how damaging the demonization is.

This harsh reality is forcing these Americans to turn to the Government for assistance, unable to support their families with hard work, for the first time, while their communities and infrastructure are crumbling around them. All while being told how lucky, privileged, stupid, misogynistic, and racist they are. A lot of these hardships began in earnest when, much like with the Pandemic Relief, in 2008 the Bankers, Corporations, and Billionaire Elites were bailed out and walked away richer, while Americans suffered and then were told they were racist when they complained.

McCarthyism Propaganda is being used to tell these out of work and villainized men that the ultimate goal of Biden and the progressives who are promising access to things like free healthcare, higher education, and a living wage, all of the things Hugo Chavez promised Venezuela, will cause their reliance on the Government in the form of Socialism leading to Communism. FoxNews and “Friends” neglects to mention that we could never become a Communist-Socialist country without an Autocrat/Dictator like Trump came so close to being.

They are only shown that the Government is attempting to control them by taking away their power and self-confidence, then offering them the world, as these sources claim, seems incredibly accurate and gives them something to blame for their perceived failures. No one explains that these suggestions are just expansions on social programs we already have paid for by re-introducing taxes that have worked well in the past. Of course, no comparisons are made to Democratic/Socialist Countries like Norway. Propaganda and weaponized information is telling these out of work and villainized men that the ultimate goal of the “Deep State” is to cause their reliance on the Government in the form of Socialism leading to Communism. Controlling them by taking away their power and self-confidence, as these sources claim, seems incredibly accurate, and gives them something to blame for their perceived failures. Anyone or anything that claims to offer a way out of that fate is very appealing and enticing.

It feels like Rural American’s opinions, lifestyles, diets, livelihoods, and recreation are under attack because their values, beef, oil, and ATVs supposedly do so much harm to the environment and each other. Yet, the rich elite, politicians, city people, and corporations haven’t had to change or give up and apologize for anything. The blatant misrepresentation of “the other” by sources of information on both sides shows the intention to keep us divided. Our sources show us that the “other” side is ultimately to blame for our problems and leads the country deeper into crisis, convincing us to distrust and despise them, even if they are family members, friends, and neighbors.

The Green New Deal is being framed as yet another way to deliver us to communism’s doorstep, they are not shown that New Deals are as American as apple pie. If they were aware that FDR’s New Deal built the infrastructure and societal foundations that desperately need rescuing now, the Elite Ruling Class would lose so much. Putting our planet and each other above the Ruling Class and the industries that poison us and line their pockets while keeping the war machine churning. They are working hard to make rural Americans fear what they would lose, not daring to show them all they stand to gain.

Both sides see each other through the lenses that those wanting to keep us divided have created. America’s division and the fabric of our Democracy unraveling are delighting not only our foreign adversaries but also the Ruling Elite. It weakens us and allows them to position themselves to maintain control and, most importantly, persuade us to keep policies in place that only benefit them and hurt the rest of us in the end.

Completely Misunderstood

Trump voters feel that they are the furthest thing from racist, misogynistic, hypocritical, and stupid people who want to be all-powerful, as they are being painted by those who find their support for Donald Trump so perplexing. These voters look around at their families and communities, where they interact with genuinely good people who take care of each other no matter what. Many rural areas are not very diverse, so they see people who treat everyone the same, regardless of skin color or culture. When they need a job done, they find the person who is the best one at it. Race, sex, education, and background don’t matter to them; whereas, they see the “other” side making everything about race.

These places are full of tough, strong, and respected women who work just as long and every bit as hard as everyone else and wouldn’t have it any other way. If there is something that needs to be done, they do it. If a woman is the best one for a job, she’ll get it. When a Hispanic Coalition calls for the Governor of New Mexico to get a Cabinet Position, not because of her 40 years of experience and job well done, but because of her race and sex, only one side singling out, judging, and hiring people for their race and sex to rural Trump voters. Women appear to be getting jobs simply because they are women, not because they are the best. Women who vote for Trump do not see this as equality, they see it as preferential treatment, and they do not want that. When these women see their sons and husbands passed over for a job that a minority or woman gets, it can feel very unfair and wrong.

This is self-aggrandizing behavior that makes Rural Americans hypercritical of the women and minorities hired for these positions. A “look what good white people we are” label appears to be the only benefit of these declarations for hiring. It certainly isn’t helping the women or minorities hired or the country as a whole. White men are genuinely struggling because there are no good jobs, who are told that they need to apologize for their privilege and white male-ness, creating Proud Boys.

Women who voted for Trump express their confidence and independence by not letting any man’s offhanded remarks or behavior get to them or affect their lives. When they see the “other side” demonizing and canceling men for unintentional and unknown wrongs they did to someone decades ago, that does not represent who they are. When the propaganda machine features stories of fathers, husbands, or sons targeted by women, who they see as overly ambitious, using the climate to complain and get ahead, it goes against everything they want to represent to the men in their lives.

Rural Americans see their kids treat elders with respect while learning responsibility and work ethic. In contrast, they see the “other” side’s children calling all the shots, making demands and lodging complaints, while parents apologize and grovel to them. They experience most places not allowing children anymore because so many kids are allowed to run amock. These Trump voters have had what they see as children’s whims about their identity forced upon them and their children, often in ways they feel are incredibly detrimental to everyone’s long-term health and well-being.

In public school classrooms, their children are at the mercy of bulldozer parents, who remove any obstacle, inconvenience, and discomfort for their children. They see children’s sense of entitlement reinforced and nurtured, which leads to the inflated self-importance and lack of resilience that is so prevalent in the young adults they are trying to employ and mentor.

These are not values and behaviors Rural Trump voters want America to embrace, making America, the country of resilience, hard work, and a can-do attitude, into an overly apologetic and entitled Nation, waiting for hand-outs.

All of the pristine land and air that rural Americans are surrounded by makes their environmental impact seem minuscule compared to other countries, corporations, and big cities. Yet, they are the ones expected to sacrifice and apologize for their presence and effects of it.

Why Trump

Donald Trump is a man who claims to have achieved all of the things these American’s strive for, yet he sees them when no one else does. He claims to want to give them their livelihoods and dignity back while actively removing and preventing those that they believe the other side gave them to. He promises to honor and protect the values they have watched disappear, even as he destroys them with his actions.

The feeling people of color had with Obama, and women have with Kamala, uneducated, mostly white people have with Trump. Finally, they are not shamed for them just being themselves, told they are “lucky” or privileged when so many of them grew up as far from luck and privilege as possible to get kicked in the teeth and shamed everywhere they turn since. Because he is so far from well-spoken or politically correct, they don’t just see Trump as one of them; they have associated themselves with him.

That is how they overlook Trump’s lying, entitlement, thin skin, predatory ways, and all of his cheating. When he has successfully delegitimized any information that is not complementary, it is easy for them to project their level of integrity and honesty onto him. They are genuinely unable to comprehend how dishonest, self-serving, sadistic,underhanded, and cruel he is. All of his criticism only reflects their treatment in this society by “liberals” and Democrats. Like him, they have been incredibly misunderstood and accused of being things they aren’t.

When accusations appear to come with no consequences, it is easy for them to see that everyone has “has it out” for Trump and makes them more endeared to him with every accusation and insult. The very things Biden voters are saying about Trump voters is what makes them vote for “someone like Trump.” So stop. You are not superior; you are just different, and you are making things exponentially worse.

Now that Biden voters are in power, it is up to them to stop this cycle, one interaction at a time. People will vote for someone they don’t like before they vote for someone who doesn’t like them, even if they vote against “policies” that are better for them. Hillary’s “deplorables” are sick and tired of being treated as deplorable. They refuse to be part of creating a country that hates them and will hate their children; can you blame them?

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We Are A Team

As fellow Americans, we are in a union; we must share this home, contribute to its success, bear the weight of its burdens, rejoice in its accomplishments, and pull it out of its failures together. Whether or not we like our partner right now, we are attached, and we face some serious common enemies, challenges, and hardships. There will come a time in all unions when they must pull together, to move forward. With our fellow Americans, we can go together or separate and turn ourselves over to the powerful. Those are our options.

Democracy is fragile, and for ours to succeed, we must start to have discourse and exchange ideas to create a shared reality. Otherwise, Donald Trump is only the beginning. The Americans I am surrounded by, on both sides, despise the “other” inflicting their ways upon them and their children, yet they are quick to do the same as soon as the power shifts.

What Can We Do?

I see where both sides are coming from and how they are being manipulated to be so separate. I know it isn’t easy to come together, just as surely as I know it is possible and necessary. It is my hope, as we attempt to understand each other, we can put ourselves in one another’s shoes with compassion and care. It isn’t so hard to imagine where we are each coming from if we try. 

We must look to our fellow Americans, those that we agree with least, and recognize that we are in this together and how manipulated we all have been to represent things that don’t align with us. We fall into the trap of defending the indefensible because something is done in “our name” and is not “as bad” as the “other side.” We are shown only the “other side’s” fringes, the far-right militias, and the far-left anarchists, over and over. This emotional manipulation is how the fringes become mainstream, even though they don’t represent America as a whole; it is up to us to stop it from continuing.

It is time to reject anything being done in the name of “our side” that we do not support. We are only empowering fringe groups and extremists when words are violence that is not tolerable, but looting, burning, and destroying property is not and is acceptable. Just as the insistence that Right-Wing Extremists are non-existent while glorifying their actions while helping those wanting to keep us divided. Everyone must start holding their representatives to the highest standards, demanding their excellence instead of defending their failures. We must insist that our Representatives are actually representing all Americans, including those it’s not popular to consider and those not on Twitter.

This is an opportunity to look up from our screens and SEE each other again, ask questions, state our needs, make requests… just as individuals, couples, families, and associates must in order to succeed. We have to stop playing into the hands of those that have successfully convinced so many Americans to hand over our power to them. We must start seeing and treating each other as the partners and teammates that we are. We are not each other’s enemies.

The Time Is Now

It is up to us to used everything we can to ensure we NEVER come so incredibly close to having an Autocrat/Dictator elevated into power, ever again. These challenges we are faced with are all about unity, starting with a virus that requires a coordinated effort and calls for us to come together to live in congruency with each other and our shared home as never before. As we enter this new paradigm, we must step into our new role with grace, discarding these old toxic ways entirely. 

It is so important that those with Representatives stepping into power remember the whole that they are Representing and the tricks the Elite Ruling Class and our Foreign Adversaries use to keep us apart, sow chaos and ensure we are beholden to The One instead of coming together as One as we are called to do right now. By coming together to assist the old toxic Patriarchal System in it’s death transition, we must allow it and the Billionaire Elite that have made it so toxic to enter their new supporting role with dignity and sustainability or they will use our differences to rise again.

I promise you we are have WAY more in common than we do different, we share so many dreams and aspirations as much as we share hardships and challenges, we all just have different experiences, education and ideas about the best approaches. Our diversity is what truly makes us strong and great, neither side is the right one and if this country were to become controlled by either side entirely, it would be it’s demise. We have to stop thinking OUR side is what America is about and what we need to make it. If there is anyone trying to mislead us in that direction, they do not have our best interests at heart, not truly. We are stronger, better, smarter, and meant to be together.