I am a white male in a red rural area of a red southern state.
I wear wrangler pants from Walmart to work, I drive a 4x4, I own a firearm.
I am a fiscally conservative, socially liberal Democrat.
But I look exactly like the magas, and work with my CONT..
I believe I have some insights to offer.
1)They are propagandized.
Decades of faux and talk radio in combination with conservative social media have ingrained right wing talking points into even casual viewers. CONT.
On every TV at the doctors office. In every gym. On every radio. Everywhere.
There are virtually no public or private areas that are not being inundated, outside of rare private homes.
If a station besides faux is on at the doctor's, the patients turn the CONT
2)Even the folks that are starting to (only just now) realize that something is "wrong" about Individual-1 are
actively shamed if they question his actions openly.
The words "liberal" and "democrat" are said through clenched teeth here.
Folks are afraid for CONT
So all that is openly spoken of him is good, and any bad is suppressed.
This is exactly the type of environment that would make a reasonable person question their own judgment.
And the negative incentive to avoid dissent is real CONT
I'm sorry. I don't like it either and I wish it wasn't so.
But if everyone around you is claiming that the dems are out to destroy the country,,, it's a goddamn stretch just to vote CONT
4)It's about race, replacement, and Obama, with a side order of Hillary hate for good measure.
And they can't get past it.
These folks are so radicalized against Obama, he is literally seen as a usurper CONT
Watch Tucker or Hannity, or Ingraham. You'll get the idea.
They fear brown people, and losing the control that they presently enjoy.
They believe that CONT
They also believe that illegal immigrants have been allowed to vote, and feel justified in voter CONT
Because they been sold the status of "victim" they feel justified in winning by any means necessary.
See @Teri_Kanefield for excellent threads on hardball democracy if you're interested in more on that.
CONT
The folks that are coming around. We want them and we need them.
If crossing over will result in more shame folks will stay where they are. We need em.
We can teach them all about embracing progressive values after we get em... CONT
Embrace that.
Wars are won one battle at a time. We need to take any victory we can get.
The bigger the better?
Sure.
But small ones too.
CONT
I'm uninsured right now and it's scary. I can't afford the marketplace and I'm cash-n-carry at the doctors office.
I want a progressive. Badly.
But if a centrist gets the nomination I'm all in.
This is about democracy.
And keeping it. So.
CONT
Twitter is not our country, and we have to accept that.
Not everyone has the same understandings we do and we all still need each other to stay intact as a democracy.
Vote for the dem that can win... CONT
Don't hit the folks crossing enemy lines with fire and brimstone. Help them ease over to the side of tolerance and acceptance.
That's our strength.
We let people have different points of view and choose how to live without shame. CONT
It's literally the reason we're different. Let's keep it.
It's fucking awesome.
Individual-1 doesn't get to take that from us.
Sorry for the typos and grammar. I have very little formal education.
This concludes today's public service announcement.
Getting some traction.
Gotta do some good with that.
Please help me!
Follow @Teri_Kanefield right now. Read her thread on hardball democracy. She's literally America's Twitter mom. Do it.
Follow @SethAbramson. He wrote the book on Trump Russian collusion.
CONT
They will teach you how propaganda is being used to divide us so we can't function as a cohesive force.
He understands Individual-1s betrayal so well it will enrage you.
Then remember.
Your neighbors and coworkers are a-holes.
But they're a-holes that have fallen victim to a decades long propaganda operation.
CONT
We want them back.
I'm really humbled by the kindness, support, suggestions and follows.
You guys rock!
I noticed a couple of reoccurring hiccups and wanted to try to clear them up.
Dems wind up cleaning up the mess after every repub administration.
We're actually better with money than they are, but they're better at claiming to be. They're lying.
Rural areas tend to have as much, or more, crime than cities. And there are generally only 4 patrols working in my whole county at night.
If I call 911 at 1am it could be a half hour or an hour before they arrive.
I've never pointed it at a human being, but I have used it to protect the animals from raccoons and possums.
I believe gun ownership is a right, but would love to see reform/education.
It's true.
I'd just like to remind everyone that the magas feel marginalized and attacked.
Right or wrong they believe it.
It's the reason they feel justified in...
The problem with us joining that is,,, that we're the only goddamn adults right now.
If we don't do the right thing, nobody will.
Sorry y'all. It's not fair.
But it is fact.
There is nobody else to do it.
It's on us.
Actually I prefer Warren.
I just really identify with the way she sees things.
But we need the candidate that will pull the most dem votes. And I will vote for whoever that is.
The idea that we shouldn't act strategically in choosing...
And claiming that we shouldn't care about pulling maga voters is a bad argument.
Why?
Because of the electoral college, and the "winner takes all" state systems to distribute those electoral votes, only a few...
Those are not liberal states.
Sorry. I wish they were.
But they're not.
And we have ZERO chance of fixing that right now.
We just have to navigate it.
Sucks right?
We gotta make the "least bad" choice.
But that's where we are.
1. Dems are the real fiscal conservatives.
2. Guns are a useful tool. Reform is DEFINITELY needed.
3. If you've decided that tactical planning is offensive to you stop worrying about it.
You've already lost.
5. We're the adults. It falls to us.
Thanks y'all.
I appreciate your attention and care.
I've was trying not to tack too much on to this thread but I've seen some more stuff pop up in the comments that I think is worth addressing.
Hoping it's ok to take a bit more of your time.
I do appreciate it 😀
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We've struck a nerve with this talk and they're out in full force.
Please don't feed em.
They just want to divide us.
I know it's hard but if you could just ignore it and move on we'll all be better off.
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A lot of folks are very kindly fearful for my safety and well-being.
It is unwarranted.
But thank you!
These are my neighbors and friends. I am proud and privileged to have them.
I love them, and some of them even love me back 😀
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Or my uncle. Or my kind and helpful next door neighbor from whom I have learned much about when to hold my tongue and anger.
All of those people would feed me If I was hungry.
And all know where I stand politically.
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Many just choose to live a more modest life than city people might like.
They value that.
It's important to them.
I love it 🇺🇸
They are survivors.
They are resourceful and self sufficient, and consider it a point of honor to be so.
Respect.
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And...perhaps help me to understand better.
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I hope I didn't come off like an expert... I'm not one.
I'm not Jane Goodall.
And these are not monkeys that I'm studying.
These are complicated and proud people
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They are not Nazis.
And the vast majority are not like the people you see at Individual-1 rallys on TV.
Most have never seen his rallys. Nor do they care to.
They are getting all the info they 👇
It's an unfair characterization to imagine the average republican is someone like we see on TV.
The ugliest voices always scream the loudest.
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One side of our government has abandoned fact. And now considers lying and gaslighting to be an acceptable method of social control.
The other is literally trying to keep the wheels from coming off the car we're all riding in.
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Pretending.
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🇺🇸Our Fellow Americans🇺🇸
We don't have to be them, but we might want to walk a mile in those wrangler cargos before we pass judgment.
👇
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That's what Individual-1 is doing. He's leading his voters... And nobody else.
How does that feel?
Is it fair?
Do you like it?
Was it good for the country?
Are we better for it?
Is that the country you want your kids to grow up in?
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And... That line of thought has a fatal structural flaw.
It won't work.
It can't.
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And it's not like all the people who think differently than we do are suddenly going to disappear when we put a democrat in the big white house that's supposed to belong to all of us.
We're all literally trapped, together, in that car...
The one we're trying to keep the wheels from coming off of.
And that's not going to change soon.
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But we shouldn't pretend that's going to be the end of this fight.
You're going to have to make peace with your neighbors.
You've got to personally find a way.
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But also them.
And they don't see that right now. They can't yet.
If we actually have the values we claim to, we have to demonstrate them in the face of adversity, open hatred and disinformation.
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I am not a religious person.
But I have to tell y'all, I am trying to have faith in us.
All of us.
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That we were the melting pot.
That we were all immigrants.
That diversity was strength.
And my personal favorite...
That going high beat going low.
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Many are angry and radicalized, and most of those will likely outlive me.
But I will not forget it.