A Civil Talk with a Trumper
In which I learn that propaganda works
After I made it clear in a blog post that I support Kamala Harris for president, my neighbor texted me saying we are on opposite sides of the political spectrum and did I want to talk about it? She is part of an organization called Braver Angels whose mission is to bring Americans together to “bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.”
Well, yeah. I’d love to understand why anyone is planning to vote for a criminal misogynist racist incompetent ignorant vindictive idiot. I truly do want to understand.
We met at a local café where I asked her to lay out her thoughts.
We have much in common. We are about the same age (75). She has campaigned for social justice, and protested the Vietnam war. She was a student at SF State during the 1968 student and faculty strike. She voted against Hillary in 2016 because she was pro-war and Trump said he would end wars. Then she voted again for Trump in 2020.
She tells me she is a Quaker
Me: Do you go to quaker meetings? Are there Quakers who consider themselves Christian nationalists?
Yes, she has gone to meetings in many places. There are Quakers who want to walk a more middle line.
Where do you get your news?
Mostly from citizen journalists. People who report from the street. She mentions Tucker Carlson and other right-wing commentators.
She likes Vivek Ramaswamy. She says he went to Springfield Ohio to bring people together.
Why do you think he went there? What is he running for — a cabinet position?
He wanted to find out what is really going on.
He’s supporting Trump. How can he pretend to be nonpartisan?
He says they brought in too many immigrants.
The Haitians are legal immigrants.
No. they have “temporary protected status.” That’s different. They don’t all have jobs. Some of them hang out on the street.
Do you agree with trump’s plan to deport all immigrants?
There needs to be more oversight. We need to stop the rapists and felons. Send them back.
Trump is a convicted rapist. Should we send him back?
Social security. Trump wants to stop taxing it.
Yeah that’s what he says but the republicans have been saying for years they want to abolish it.
What about Kamala’s economic plans? (A republican talking point.)
You are treating trump like a regular candidate instead of a crazy guy who can’t string a sentence together and who promotes violence.
What do I think about RFK?
I liked him when he was an environmental lawyer. Now I think he’s lost his mind.
He only wanted people to have a choice about vaccination.
What about the republicans who would take away women’s vote? Who want to return to slavery?
She hasn’t heard much about them but knows about Mark Robinson in NC.
What about project 2025?
Trump is not involved with that.
You know that JD Vance, his VP candidate, wrote the introduction and the others involved were almost all on Trump’s staff?
She didn’t know that. It’s the Heritage Foundation she says.
We talked respectfully about many other issues. After an hour I have to go. I’m getting a little sick. We agree that we hate war. I shake her hand. She hugs me. She says see we do have something in common.
She tells me I should listen to Vivek. I tell her she should read and listen to different media. I send her a youtube clip from Trae Crowder the Liberal Redneck. Love that guy.
I still feel profoundly disturbed. We did not bridge the partisan divide nor strengthen the republic. For years the rest of us have been asking why any sane person could still support a con man like trump. My theory is that it’s the fault of the right wing media’s lies. And one thing this meeting has done is confirm my theory. Now I understand.
Propaganda works!
