by Rommie » Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:58 pm
So, I'm just wrapping up a week primarily with my parents, plus one dinner with my dad's side of the family for Canadian Thanksgiving (post Oct surprise bombshell) and one with parents' friends (pre bombshell), all Trump supporters and traditionally Republican. One cousin was even wearing a Trump/Pence cap, which I was kinda surprised about given the cousin in question was not the sort I'd peg as that. (Funnily enough, I'm taking a Trump/Pence cap back to Holland for my boyfriend who thinks it'd be funny- my brother had it spare as he says he got it when it was still an ironic joke!)
Anyway, I didn't press too much, because what's the point, these are all otherwise nice people and I don't see a five minute convo w me changing much. But what struck me is it's not that anyone is a Trump supporter, really, it's just that they all hate Hillary that much. Cousin with the cap insisting she should be in jail, and "who cares about taxes and what he said 11 years ago, it's not like he's actually done anything illegal." Then a really meta conversation with another cousin who insisted Trump is actually not much less qualified than Obama was, as he was "only a Senator two years before he got elected, and before that he was just a community organizer, which is a code for doing nothing- all suburban housewives say the same thing about what they do." I said no, actually he was a state senator from Illinois for many years and a law professor at U of Chicago- and she insisted that wasn't true, that in fact he was only a community organizer and "Oprah got him elected to the senate." It was just so weird and meta.
(At this point, I should point out that my cousins are all more wealthy than I will ever be thanks to their father's businesses, so I confess I'm not quite certain just what they so seriously hate and fear. Pitchforks, perhaps in a vague way, but I really don't see Trump as keeping the pitchforks at bay more than Hillary.)
The parents' friends were kinda the old generation now retired crowd, and I should note that the hostess lost her son two months ago or so and thus I didn't feel right doing anything but holding my tongue. At some point, she decided to break out a chain email she was sent that was "really funny." One of those where it lists all the sins of PC liberals- "I respect cops, so now that means I hate blacks" type stuff (I can't remember the direct quotes anymore, I was kinda seeing red). Two were VERY hard to hold my tongue for, however- the first being "I have been happy in a straight marriage for decades, but now that makes me a homophobe" and "I worked hard through college to pay my tuition and graduate debt free, but when people are too lazy to do the same today that makes me a miser." These are all nice people... but seriously don't seem to get that what was hard to accomplish some decades ago may be impossible now, or that just because people want the same rights does not mean they're taking away from yours. But gee, how can anyone support this stuff and vote for Hillary?!
Then last night, watching the debate, the only time I vocally kinda lost it was the part where Trump said he'd throw Hillary in jail if he won because I was astounded by the precedent of jailing your opponent. Consensus from the Trump crowd though seems to be "but she should be!" without much detail. It's just so bizarre that these people are so willing to overlook so much because they hate the other candidate so much... but then, I guess they say the same for me (though I suspect the family just thinks I'm gonna vote Libertarian, even if they know I hate Trump- can't be voting for the enemy).
I did also finally ask my mom at the end of the debate "you know he's not going to win, right?" She said a weary "yes." So maybe it's like the Brexit protest votes a few months ago in the UK- it's not like you like the guy, you just don't like the direction things are heading and want to be heard (and hang the vehicle that takes you there).
Anyway, maybe a long read, but I've had so many friends lately in Europe ask me if I really and truly know Trump supporters, that I decided to form my thoughts a little on the topic.
Yes, I have a life. It's quite different from yours.