I was actually disheartened by the revelations from Bob Woodward's book, because I knew that even as I read/heard them, they would not change the mind of a single Trump voter. I've even spoken with a couple of them and they are calling it "fake news" from quotes "which are taken out of context". It was so sadly predictable. People keep asking me why I am so pessimistic about the election in November. It's because nothing he does changes the minds of his supporters. Nothing. Lying about a virus that has killed almost 200,000 Americans as of today? Doesn't matter. Expressing contempt for soldiers and a respected former Senator (McCain)? Doesn't matter. Trying to blackmail a foreign government with US aid so that it will turn over "incriminating evidence" against his presumed opponent in the upcoming election? Doesn't matter. Wiping out this country's environmental regulations? Doesn't matter. Kowtowing to Putin? Doesn't matter. Politicizing the USPS and Justice Department like no President ever has? Doesn't matter. Turning wearing a mask into a political issue to the point where it affects the national health? Doesn't matter. Refusing to condemn white supremacists? Doesn't matter. Pursuing an openly racist immigration policy? Doesn't matter. I could go on and on. None of it matters to his supporters, because for the most part, they agree with him and/or are so brainwashed by him and his cheering sections at Fox News and OANN that he could do just as he promised--shoot someone on 5th Avenue--and not lose a single voter. Sadly, that is where this country is today.
I'd add that Obama publicly humiliated Trump at the 2011 WH Correspondents Dinner and I think that's an important, if not the primary, reason Trump wants to erase Obama and everything he did from existence.
Everything you say is dead on, Ian, but there is nothing to be done to change any cult member's mind about him. We need to ensure everyone who opposes him gets to vote and does vote.
Agreed, Tim, but I am also very concerned about violence from his supporters around the time of the election because many are convinced that the vote is "rigged", thanks to his idiotic pronouncements.
Ian, there will be violence and threats of violence. I've assumed this for a while. I even expect it up here in my blue city in NH. I expect the cult members will simply show up at polling stations nationwide with weapons, which is, I'm pretty sure, illegal everywhere. I do not know what local police will do if this happens; I have faith in my local police but I'm not confident about anywhere else in the state or the country. Too many police love Trump.
I own weapons; I do not expect to use them but I will not be intimidated by people with guns.
One good thing came out of this for me. My sister, who has been saying that COVID is "just the flu" finally seemed to grasp that his has been a lie all along. Until it effects her personally, though, I still don't think she will understand. She isn't a trump supporter... she and her husband are politically neutral (if there is such a thing these days). Thank you, as always, Amee for your deep dives and hard work!
One positive: images from the N.C. rally, as contagious as it will inevitably be, showed more Trump supporters in masks than I have EVER seen before. One negative: Woodward, the original famed anonymous source journalist, didn’t even think to leak the COVID-19 disclosure — if he did, in fact, feel he had to keep the info under wraps until pub date. (As a former college instructor of journalism, and journalist myself, I question this, but...)
Like others I hope against hope this will change the minds of trumpers, but I wonder if it’s enough if it pushes mainstream republicans to abandon him.
But I wonder if it will change this predictive model that only fails if there are shenanigans. Now we know there will be shenanigans but in the tangerine tyrant favor. It says Trump by landslide based on primary data. 🤦🏽♀️
I was actually disheartened by the revelations from Bob Woodward's book, because I knew that even as I read/heard them, they would not change the mind of a single Trump voter. I've even spoken with a couple of them and they are calling it "fake news" from quotes "which are taken out of context". It was so sadly predictable. People keep asking me why I am so pessimistic about the election in November. It's because nothing he does changes the minds of his supporters. Nothing. Lying about a virus that has killed almost 200,000 Americans as of today? Doesn't matter. Expressing contempt for soldiers and a respected former Senator (McCain)? Doesn't matter. Trying to blackmail a foreign government with US aid so that it will turn over "incriminating evidence" against his presumed opponent in the upcoming election? Doesn't matter. Wiping out this country's environmental regulations? Doesn't matter. Kowtowing to Putin? Doesn't matter. Politicizing the USPS and Justice Department like no President ever has? Doesn't matter. Turning wearing a mask into a political issue to the point where it affects the national health? Doesn't matter. Refusing to condemn white supremacists? Doesn't matter. Pursuing an openly racist immigration policy? Doesn't matter. I could go on and on. None of it matters to his supporters, because for the most part, they agree with him and/or are so brainwashed by him and his cheering sections at Fox News and OANN that he could do just as he promised--shoot someone on 5th Avenue--and not lose a single voter. Sadly, that is where this country is today.
My sister texted this to me today and I think it makes sense about why the Trumpies will never abandon him: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/opinion/biden-trump-humiliation.html
I'd add that Obama publicly humiliated Trump at the 2011 WH Correspondents Dinner and I think that's an important, if not the primary, reason Trump wants to erase Obama and everything he did from existence.
Everything you say is dead on, Ian, but there is nothing to be done to change any cult member's mind about him. We need to ensure everyone who opposes him gets to vote and does vote.
Agreed, Tim, but I am also very concerned about violence from his supporters around the time of the election because many are convinced that the vote is "rigged", thanks to his idiotic pronouncements.
Trump is an expert at poisoning the well.
Ian, there will be violence and threats of violence. I've assumed this for a while. I even expect it up here in my blue city in NH. I expect the cult members will simply show up at polling stations nationwide with weapons, which is, I'm pretty sure, illegal everywhere. I do not know what local police will do if this happens; I have faith in my local police but I'm not confident about anywhere else in the state or the country. Too many police love Trump.
I own weapons; I do not expect to use them but I will not be intimidated by people with guns.
One good thing came out of this for me. My sister, who has been saying that COVID is "just the flu" finally seemed to grasp that his has been a lie all along. Until it effects her personally, though, I still don't think she will understand. She isn't a trump supporter... she and her husband are politically neutral (if there is such a thing these days). Thank you, as always, Amee for your deep dives and hard work!
The experiment is over.
One positive: images from the N.C. rally, as contagious as it will inevitably be, showed more Trump supporters in masks than I have EVER seen before. One negative: Woodward, the original famed anonymous source journalist, didn’t even think to leak the COVID-19 disclosure — if he did, in fact, feel he had to keep the info under wraps until pub date. (As a former college instructor of journalism, and journalist myself, I question this, but...)
Like others I hope against hope this will change the minds of trumpers, but I wonder if it’s enough if it pushes mainstream republicans to abandon him.
But I wonder if it will change this predictive model that only fails if there are shenanigans. Now we know there will be shenanigans but in the tangerine tyrant favor. It says Trump by landslide based on primary data. 🤦🏽♀️
http://primarymodel.com/