Friendships with Trump Suppporters

[Anonymous]

I find it extremely difficult to remain friends with people who support Trump. I'm a social conservative (or moderate liberal depending on the day). I have maintained a healthy set of friends on both sides of the political isle. I even have tea party and OWS friends. Politics has never, in my 40 years of life, ever been a negative factor in my relationships. This time, with Trump, its different.

How does one reconcile voting for someone who wants to ban people in the Muslims faith? Or register them? Aren't these views the exact opposite of our foundational principles of our country? Where would Trump stop in limiting our freedoms? What kind of person would vote for someone who would openly and enthusiastically promote such a policy?

I read somewhere that this reconciliation is similar to friends who are on opposite sides of the prolife/choice debate. How could a prolifer be friends with someone who believes abortion isn't murder? How could a pro choicer be friends with someone who doesn't value a woman's right to make decisions about her own body? I'm a pro-lifer, but my thoughts on the issue are more on the policy. Not the person. I've met people who have had abortions, and empathize with them and their decision to do so. Whether not I agree or disagree, there are valid points on both sides of the debate. This is not the case with many of Trumps views. There is no "middle ground" in banning or registering Muslims, for example.

This has probably been rehashed on here many times and I'm not going to go into Trump bashing mode, b/c its not constructive. I just want to know how others who have friends who support Trump, but who do not agree with Trump's views, reconcile this internally.

[Anonymous]

I will be voting for Trump, so I guess you would consider me a Trump supporter.

I do not agree with everything he has said. Yes, he has said things that make me cringe or gasp and some of his ideas are out in left field. But, I have yet to find a candidate that I agree with on everything. The difference is that most of the other candidates are not as provocative.

But, I cannot vote for Hillary. I disagree with almost everything she stands for and I truly believe this country will be in worse shape in 4 years if she wins.

So, I have come to terms with the idea of voting Trump. I have friends and family who will not vote for him because of what he has said, and I have friends and family who are eager to vote for him - they, also, do not agree with everything he has said.

I also believe that the media has blown up a lot of what he has said and made it into something it isn’t.

I don’t have any problem being friends with Trump supporters. Because, I know most of them are like me.

[Anonymous]

Have you actually done a detailed chart of point by point pros and cons, Trump versus Clinton?

I don't like Clinton either. I'm a Sanders supporter. But I'd be hard pressed to even evaluate Trump on any point by point bases because he's either changed his position so many times you can't track it or he's never actually articulated anything coherent in the first place for anyone to make sense of.

No, I don't like Clinton. But at least I'd know what I'm getting with Clinton. Trump is unhinged, incoherent, and a total loose cannon. Nobody would ever know what they are getting. That's far worse than Clinton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: But at least I'd know what I'm getting with Clinton.

Me too. And, I don’t like it.
I will take my chances with the devil that I don’t know.

[Anonymous]

Trump voters are fearful voters. They are afraid foreigners will take our jobs or kill us. When you are very frightened, you fall back on your basic survival instinct - see threat, get rid of threat. So Trump promises to get rid of all the scary foreigners. That makes the frightened people feel safer.

So don't be angry with your friends for falling for Trump's comforting BS. Pity them for being consumed by fear. And don't talk politics with them until after the election.

[Anonymous]

I think there is a difference between someone who might vote for Trump, just because they are of conservative/Republican bent, and someone who is a Trump supporter.

When you say supporter I think someone who actually LIKES Trump, as opposed to thinking it is best for Republicans to stick together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trump voters are fearful voters. They are afraid foreigners will take our jobs or kill us. When you are very frightened, you fall back on your basic survival instinct - see threat, get rid of threat. So Trump promises to get rid of all the scary foreigners. That makes the frightened people feel safer.

So don't be angry with your friends for falling for Trump's comforting BS. Pity them for being consumed by fear. And don't talk politics with them until after the election.

No, we are not fearful. We are just sick of what is happening to this country. Our military. Our economy. Our foreign “policy” (of which there is really no policy at all).
So, we are just fed up. Not fearful.
Don’t pity us.

[Anonymous]

Well, all my birth family is voting for him and I'm married to a Muslim. I take it as a real slap in the face, this willingness to tolerate bigotry and racism of any form.

I would not be friends with someone who supports Trump. I'm making a distinction here between friends and acquaintances. I do have several acquaintances who support him. At the core is the need to make America white again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump voters are fearful voters. They are afraid foreigners will take our jobs or kill us. When you are very frightened, you fall back on your basic survival instinct - see threat, get rid of threat. So Trump promises to get rid of all the scary foreigners. That makes the frightened people feel safer.

So don't be angry with your friends for falling for Trump's comforting BS. Pity them for being consumed by fear. And don't talk politics with them until after the election.

No, we are not fearful. We are just sick of what is happening to this country. Our military. Our economy. Our foreign “policy” (of which there is really no policy at all).
So, we are just fed up. Not fearful.
Don’t pity us.

Serious question: What's so bad about the country right now? For instance, recently I hear from conservatives how horrible the military is. When did it suddenly get so horrible?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump voters are fearful voters. They are afraid foreigners will take our jobs or kill us. When you are very frightened, you fall back on your basic survival instinct - see threat, get rid of threat. So Trump promises to get rid of all the scary foreigners. That makes the frightened people feel safer.

So don't be angry with your friends for falling for Trump's comforting BS. Pity them for being consumed by fear. And don't talk politics with them until after the election.

No, we are not fearful. We are just sick of what is happening to this country. Our military. Our economy. Our foreign “policy” (of which there is really no policy at all).
So, we are just fed up. Not fearful.
Don’t pity us.

We pity you because you are putting your faith in a total con man. We are angry at you because you are putting our country in great peril. Trump has zero true accomplishments and is a fraud.

With Hillary, the USA continues on. With Trump, the USA could be over.

[Anonymous]

I find it extremely difficult to remain friends with people who supported Obama. I'm a conservative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump voters are fearful voters. They are afraid foreigners will take our jobs or kill us. When you are very frightened, you fall back on your basic survival instinct - see threat, get rid of threat. So Trump promises to get rid of all the scary foreigners. That makes the frightened people feel safer.

So don't be angry with your friends for falling for Trump's comforting BS. Pity them for being consumed by fear. And don't talk politics with them until after the election.

No, we are not fearful. We are just sick of what is happening to this country. Our military. Our economy. Our foreign “policy” (of which there is really no policy at all).
So, we are just fed up. Not fearful.
Don’t pity us.

Our country? Yes, you can't stand the sight of brown people and you freak out when you hear someone speaking in any language other than English.
Our military? What the fuck are you talking about? We STILL spend more than the next ten biggest countries combined on our military, and yes, that includes both Russia and China. If you think our military is being cut back in any meaningful way you are delusional.
Our foreign policy? Ah, yes, what you mean by that is the continuing fall out of fucked-up BUSH foreign policy, which got us into multiple wars, destabilized the entire Middle East, gave rise to Al Qaeda and ISIS, and put us trillions of dollars in debt.

You're fed up? No, I'm fed up, because it was your kind of bullshit that's been screwing up our economy, letting our infrastructure fall apart, and making America a less safe. Trump needs to go. Needs to LOSE. Needs to BE FIRED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it extremely difficult to remain friends with people who supported Obama. I'm a conservative.

That's fine. Start your own thread. Not OP, not a Trump or Obama supporter.

[Anonymous]

With Hillary, the USA continues on. With Trump, the USA could be over.

I cannot stand Trump. But, Hillary has actually done some pretty awful things. Her style is better--but her actions are proven to be poor. She has thumbed her nose at the American people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump voters are fearful voters. They are afraid foreigners will take our jobs or kill us. When you are very frightened, you fall back on your basic survival instinct - see threat, get rid of threat. So Trump promises to get rid of all the scary foreigners. That makes the frightened people feel safer.

So don't be angry with your friends for falling for Trump's comforting BS. Pity them for being consumed by fear. And don't talk politics with them until after the election.

No, we are not fearful. We are just sick of what is happening to this country. Our military. Our economy. Our foreign “policy” (of which there is really no policy at all).
So, we are just fed up. Not fearful.
Don’t pity us.

Serious question: What's so bad about the country right now? For instance, recently I hear from conservatives how horrible the military is. When did it suddenly get so horrible?

The military have had their hands tied when it comes to their ability to do their job. Read up on it. It is called Obama’s “rules of engagement.” And, don’t forget incidences like the soldier who confronted an Afghan police officer for assaulting a boy. The soldier was nearly courtmartialed. (I think he finally was released) He does not respect the job they do.
And, the economy. Just look at today’s dismal job numbers and the fact that we have not had ONE YEAR of over 2.5 % GDP growth under Obama. That is pathetic.
And, if you can explain Obama’s foreign policy - have at it. Even the experts don’t know what it is.