Thread by @emrazz

I am having the most fascinating and productive conversation with a self described conservative at this bar and I never thought it possible but, part of me feels like these folks don’t even know what they believe anymore. Maybe it’s just this guy. Maybe he’s full of shit. Idk.

He’s from Kansas. Now lives in Charlotte with his family. (I’m in ATL on business) He doesn’t like Trump. Didn’t vote for him. (Didn’t vote) Had two grandmas, ostracized from him growing up. I think he’s a liberal guys. I’m gonna turn this dude.

Backpedal city

This is now a semantics battle

Ok we’re back on track. He’s afraid of being called a liberal. He’s also afraid of being called a feminist, fwiw, despite relaying that his wife is both breadwinner and his “favorite person” — What?

I’m too tired to keep this up, dude’s defenses are strong, but he concedes I’ve given him something to think about.

[hey psychos, I’m actually totally reasonable in person!]

Here’s the takeaway:
- most people just want to exist without being fucked with
- “being fucked with” has different meanings for different people
- everybody wants an opportunity to make a decent living without being demonized (white guys included - his input)
- “god bless”

WARREN 2020

(My input)

Further takeaway, some known, some new insights:

Knew
- Rs don’t like labels
- most men hate the word feminist
- people can at least seem decent despite political persuasion

New
- rural Kansas hates Kansas City
- affirmative action is “even worse than inequality bc it divides”

To be clear, the new insights aren’t my own - but god damn these people walk among us and seem super normal while believing this shit.

By normal I mean mostly white male and successful. This is America, after all.

I’m not a political analyst (just an evil Wall Street lawyer, as I’m sure someone will remind me, afterall) but perhaps someone who’s good at this can make some use out of this conversation.

Read: stop telling me biden is the only bipartisan option. He’s not. He can’t be.