Disunited, Part Two
As part of an effort to engage local voters in a conversation about the divide we are experiencing over the election of President Donald Trump, I asked Frederick Countians who voted for Trump to share some insights about their choice here. Below is a response from those who disagree.
Marc Scott
[UPDATED with edits per author 4:30 p.m., 3.13.17]
“There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear…”
What a heck of a time we live in, right? We seem to be living in two different countries. We Americans don’t agree on the problems we face, we don’t agree on a solution set, and worst of all, we don’t know how to talk about it with each other.
We stick with people who more or less agree with us, and we get outraged and offended by everyone else’s outrage and offense, always finding more reasons to confirm that they are wrong, wrong wrong. Most people do this most of the time. It’s actually kind of built in to how we think, and it’s a problem.
I am here to admit that I am sometimes part of that problem. I am so angry that America elected Donald Trump as President! I have been following national politics since way back when NAFTA was argued the first time, and I didn’t think it possible to have a President I object to so deeply. I have long disagreed with most GOP policies, but it’s different now. I don’t even understand how to talk policy with supposed conservatives when they vote for and support this radical President. How do you discuss health care with someone who still supports the candidate that assured “insurance for everybody” and “much lower deductibles” but now backs a plan that is literally the complete opposite of those two claims. Or that he would “defeat ISIS in thirty days,” or would ‘not be a President who took vacations.”
I don’t know how to respond to a party of people who claim to take national security seriously but are now seemingly comfortable that other countries (Russia!?!) may have covert influence over members of this administration. I don’t know what to say when I raise these issues with intelligent people who literally can’t seem to address them with more than, “Obama/Hillary was worse!”
Let it suffice to say that I haven’t always been very kind or productive in my conversations with people who voted for our current president. It’s even possible that at times I may have seemed like an offensive, snotty, condescending jerk. And I I’m talking about conversations with my friends, here!
Did I mention that I make my living helping people communicate more effectively with others? Need help getting members of a team to work more productively or giving your employees difficult feedback, or how to move past disagreement to solutions? That is what I do. If anyone knows how to encourage productive communication with others, it should be me. Yet I fail at it regularly. Sometimes it seems like it would be better to just stop talking with these folks altogether.
Here is the thing though. We can’t give up. We owe it to ourselves and our children, and we owe it to the legacy of our forefathers and foremothers. America is great precisely because our political system has translated conservative and liberal ideals into imperfect but practical government for over 200 years! Go back through American history and at every juncture the opposing sides of a debate were diametrically, and even violently, opposed. Somehow or other, we have always managed to find a way to stay together and keep things moving forward.
It’s unclear that we are up to that task right now. Whether it is because we have changed, or the media and social media has changed, or that the modern world is just a different place. Our ability to have tough conversations is somehow stunted. We talk at each other not with each other. I believe our solution is to talk with each other. To share our thoughts and perspectives instead of using them as weapons. Most of all, we need to actively listen with open minds.
When someone is finished speaking, or after reading someone’s words, take some time reviewing the words, what they seem to mean. Here, empathy is a useful tool. Try to feel what you sense they feel. Of course, the world’s greatest empathy should remember they are not actually in the others’ minds. The effort is worthwhile, regardless. Notice now that the other person is speaking, the mind is still on him or her, and the words and feelings. At some point, of course, the mind reverts to its own thoughts and beliefs, hopefully with a broader perspective.
Want a test? I started sharing my truth above, but I want to share a bit more. If you subscribe to most of what you would hear on most media, you don’t actually know what a liberal believes. The liberal spoken of in conservative media is a ridiculous caricature, a radical distortion to say the least. The so-called liberal media offers no clues as what liberals actually believe. What motivates them is rarely defined or explained. So, enter in to dialogue with me. Listen to what this liberal believes.
First, Americans are interconnected and interdependent. We rely on each other economically and politically. This system only works if we all do the right things: take care of ourselves and families, follow the laws, do our jobs, pay attention, at least a little, think critically and vote. This is really what motivates liberals. Really. If you don’t see it, listen.
Liberals do not want a nanny state. Liberals don’t want a huge federal government. We want the leanest federal organization we can hold accountable for seeing that laws passed by Congress are carried out. The federal government only does what our congress people have enacted. I understand a lot of people think, or think they think, the government does too much. Others think it does too little. We should be having more dialogue about this, heck let’s even argue! This is a we actually have been avoiding for the last thirty years we have been avoiding that debate! For this democrats are to blame, too.
Now, instead of having that debate, we have a president who seems to want to hack away as much as he can – this from the guy who I think recently said, “Who could have known health care is so complicated?” We trust him to decide how much it takes to make sure salmonella outbreaks don’t spread, and the next generation of medicine is safe?
Once we know what we want the federal government to do, we need to pay for it. Liberals are willing to pay their taxes, because they believe it’s the right thing to do. Liberals tend to think that people who have or earn more should also be willing to pay their taxes, and in fact should be willing to pay more. Given how thankful we feel wealthy people should be to have a place like America to be wealthy in, we just don’t understand why this is a problem. We don’t want to stifle the economy, of course, but contrary to what most people may say, we also understand that in history the economy has done quite well and quite poorly, regardless of taxation. Taxation just isn’t the cancer on the economy conservatives act as it is.
That’s what you need to understand about liberals now. Whether you see it or not, we believe this president is actually weakening the things that hold us together. We really do, and this isn’t being a snowflake or whatever. This is where I know many conservatives believe President Obama was worse. I think that is ludicrous, but whatever. Think what you want about Obama, just please pay attention to Trump!
That last point probably caused heads to explode as conservatives tried to stay listening and not formulating such an argument! So, before recovery sets in, here is the bedrock of what liberals believe, whether you believe it or not: we believe in the United States of America! We believe we have the greatest government in the world (at least on paper!). We believe we need a balance of liberal and conservative voices to keep this 200 year old system going in these challenging times. Well, a lot of liberals are afraid this last point isn’t the case, but I think it.
Jim Racheff
That I've re-drafted this message three times, and still felt unsatisfied, is maybe a good metaphor for the way I feel about the current political and social environment.
Before I get into my recent interactions with "Trump Voters", I'd like to set the stage with a couple of baseline opinions:
A majority of eligible voters choose neither the Republican or Democratic nominee; in fact, most stayed home. Let's also recognize that many people vote for a combination of beliefs and priorities, the largest statistical factors being party affiliation and positive name recognition.
Democrats won the popular vote, Republicans control the House and most State legislatures, the Senate is basically split. The country has self-sorted into more polarized regions (relatively speaking) and even with the parties themselves there is deep disagreement on priorities and core principles.
So while talking about trends and patterns can be insightful, it's less useful to apply broad stereotypes to individuals (as natural as it is for everyone to do). Everyone has their own combination of beliefs and perceptions when they enter the voting booth. And no one wants to be misunderstood or labeled.
That all said, it goes without saying that I haven't been happy with the selection of Mr. Trump from the large field of primary candidates, nor his election as president. There's no question in my mind that President Trump has committed acts of racism, misogyny and bigotry. His rhetoric has emboldened and credentialed a (hopefully small) minority of people in our community that hold similar prejudicial beliefs. Prior to, and since his election, he has spread misinformation at an alarming rate. He has used the power of the presidency to undermine key tenants of American democracy. He has attacked and demonized the most vulnerable among us. While I thought he was a poor candidate, I'm deeply concerned that he and his inner circle constitute a danger to the long-term stability of our country.
For those who think that my concern is simply "poor sportsmanship" and "snowflake whining,” I can only say that as a Democrat who grew up in Frederick County, I've experienced a fair share of losses. Even then, I've worked with folks on the "other side of the aisle," including Commissioners Lennie Thompson, David Gray and Charles Jenkins; Mayors Jeff Holtzinger and Randy McClement, and Governor Larry Hogan. I even volunteered under the Young Board of County Commissioners, made up entirely of Republican members. I've certainly been a passionate support of candidates and policies, but win or lose I've rolled up my sleeves and looked for areas of common ground. In my experience, the current tensions and divides are unlike anything I've experienced before.
I've had both good and bad experiences since the general election, that basically fall into four categories:
First, reaffirmation with friends and acquaintances of all sorts of political stripes. I've found that many Republicans and otherwise self-identified "conservatives" are as equally offended and concerned by the behavior of the President and his most ardent supporters.
Second, resignation with acquaintances I think of as "establishment" conservatives. These are friends who say, "I could never vote for Hillary Clinton (or a Democrat)" or "I didn't think Trump would actually win, but now that he has, conservatives will be able to get their policies passed and that will help everyone." The acquaintances tend to moderate between cautious skepticism and false equivocation: they're "normalizers.” These may or may not have voted for the president, but are generally happy that "Team Democrat" lost, and that any legacies of President Obama can be undone. They think that racism, misogyny, and bigotry are isolated and are greatly exaggerated by a biased press and liberals. As much as I wish these friends would add the voices to the groundswell of Americans that have already concluded that this president is greatly concerning, I understand their pragmatism -even if I'm disappointed in their priorities and conclusions.
Third, shock at the number of loose acquaintances and "friends-of-friends" on social media that feel that the president's election has given them license to express their hate and prejudice freely. This may be a deep hatred of other races, religions, gender-identities, and/or other political views. The fact that there are more people with these views than I thought is downright frightening.
Fourth, exasperation with ardent "Trump Supporters.” Those that boast they voted for President Trump tend to tell me some combination of:
He's a great deal-maker, so he'll be able to navigate through the polarization in DC.
He's a member of the elite establishment, so he knows how to defeat the elite establishment.
He's a "straight talker" - he says what he thinks.
The other GOP primary candidates and Democratic nominee were all versions of the status quo, and we need drastic change.
He's the only candidate that genuinely cared about us and our problems.
To these acquaintances, they don't think that the president's racism, misogyny and bigotry and constant falsehoods even exists. They see the behavior of the president and his inner circle as better than all other presidents, and will often rationalize and excuse the president's behavior with a "but so-and-so did such-and-such..." example.
They're also frustrated and angry. I've yet to have a conversation with someone who says they voted for the president that isn't "pissed off" about a litany of things: Government, taxes, Democrats, liberals/communists/socialists, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, anyone named Clinton, "snowflakes,” minorities that are granted "special" protections, special interests, unions, political correctness, safe spaces, the liberal press and biased "fake" news, liberal teachers, the Nanny State, scientists and so-called "experts", Muslims, the Government picking "winners and losers", the concept of institutional racism or sexism, the Government not protecting their jobs from competition, lazy people, non-native English speakers that refuse to learn English, illegal immigrants, the European Union, NATO, the ACLU, firearm regulations, the Southern Poverty Law Center, fairness, ObamaCare, suppression of free speech, protesters and boycotts, the Anti-Defamation League, Black Lives Matter, environmentalists, politicians, the urban elite, the corporate elite, the Hollywood elite, the political elite, the global elite, people that say "Happy Holidays" and the "War on Christmas,” removal of the Confederate Flag from State Houses, and Planned Parenthood.
Over the last few months (and some admittedly heated discussions) I've asked some to describe what it is that they believe, and I found some commonality of views. They seem to believe in:
- First and foremost the concept of individual liberty and autonomy, that America was founded on the principle of minimizing Government and share responsibility and maximizing individual liberty; personal responsibility and "hard work" is the gateway to deserving respect; Western-European religious and ethnic culture as the true definition of "American."
- A federal government that primarily protects national security and economic interests
- The free market, but also a protectionist government to protect jobs for hard-working, deserving Americans.
- Limiting (or eliminating) immigration, both legal and unauthorized. They believe in birthright citizenship by parental relation only.
- A strong military and law enforcement capability; otherwise, a weak government
- Lower (or no) taxes
- A very limited social safety net for only those that "deserve" a "hand up.”
- They seem to distrust, dislike and/or oppose: The government, in general, and especially the federal government; shared responsibility through government or social mandate; reliance on the social safety net by "lazy" people; state-run public education and institutions, which "indoctrinate" people to be dependent on the state; "small d,” democratic institutions, including the free press, academia, science, non-partisan public institutions; the false promise of "fairness.” Life's not fair, get over it; globalization, which takes jobs and undercuts national sovereignty and individual liberty; "political correctness,” when applied to minority groups or special interests; corporate welfare and a government that "picks winners and losers."
- Protections for "special interests" - minorities, women, the LGBTQ community, non-Christian religions, organized labor, consumers, environmentalists.
- Democrats, liberals, moderates, compromisers, urbanists, academics, the "coastal elite" - people they see as presuming to "know more" than they do and "look down on real Americans".
In short, they oppose anything that stifles or limits their individual liberty or ability to make individual choices - the nanny state - and anything that mandates or compels them to contribute to the welfare of others. Life is not fair, you are entitled to nothing and deserve only what you earn, and "charity" is a choice not a requirement.
But they also want their way of life - the "real American Way" - revered, protected and preserved. There's no cognitive dissonance here: life's not fair, and when you're in America you have to adapt to the existing dominate culture, which was ideal until "others", led by the left, ruined it. I've been told these others caused racism. Others caused poverty. Others caused the sub-prime mortgage crash. Others caused wage stagnation. Others caused healthcare costs to rise. Others caused the loss of manufacturing jobs.
I'll be honest, I've had a lot of discussions and debates with folks in the fourth category that lead in circles and come to know agreement or consensus; the reason is probably three fold:
The first is that I feel I've seen more racism and bigotry exposed than I ever thought existed in our country, and I have been strong in its condemnation. That's put me at atypical odds to varying degrees with the Establishment Conservatives, Trump Supporters and the Ethnic Nationalist/White Supremacist types who don't share that opinion. I've had personal friends say to me "Jim, stop talking about how the President said or did something prejudice, because I voted for him and I'm not prejudice." or "Your white guilt got old a long time ago." I've had others - people that I've known for years - tell me that African Americans are simply inherently lazy, which is why the aggregate median income in that demographic is low.
Second, I've found that we can't even agree on basic facts and figures: no source is objective, no source reliable or unbiased, no body of evidence conclusive. When you can't even agree on baseline facts, it makes discussing the more difficult issues impossible. Without some common frames of reference, meaningful communication can't take place.
The last (and probably most difficult) is that the realization that I might share fewer common values with some people than I previously thought and, to be fair, vice versa. Partisanship is the debate of different priorities and methods within the context of shared values. For example, debating the relative merits of the minimum wage and earned income tax credit as a way to decrease poverty and increase self-sufficiency: agreement on the end goal, disagreement on approach. That type of debate is good for our country.
Polarization occurs when there's not agreement in core values.
I believe in a society that ensures full opportunity for all, and that protects the vulnerable from abuses of power and circumstance. I believe that the promise of America - in which the people took responsibility for their own governance and the welfare of their fellow citizens - requires not only the protection of individual rights and liberties but also the recognition and willing acceptance of our duty to each other. I believe in respect for all people along the arc of their lives, that diversity of culture is positive, that economic globalization is an inevitable side-effect of capitalism, and that systematic discrimination exists and we should strive to be better.
The society that the president's supporters want is one in which liberty is all, responsibilities are few and optional, and that the law of the jungle applies. One in which the "lazy" and undeserving are punished, and the "hard working, real Americans" are protected and rewarded. One in which the existing culture and social dynamic of the 20th Century is preserved: unchanged and unchallenged.
These viewpoints aren't minor variations on a theme or even different sides of the same coins, they largely in opposition to each other, and that puts us largely in opposition with each other.
