NICHOLAS KRISTOF WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES RECENTLY WENT TO
TRUMP COUNTRY, IN TULSA OKLAHOMA, TO TRY TO GET A SENSE
OF WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF HIS SUPPORTERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
THE FACT THAT TRUMP'S BUDGET PROPOSAL WOULD CUT A LOT OF THE
PROGRAMS THAT THEY RELY ON AND DEPEND ON, AND IF THEY WERE
UPSET ABOUT THESE CUTS, WITH A BOAT DIFFERENTLY IN
UPCOMING ELECTIONS?
THIS IS AN INSANELY INTERESTING CASE STUDY, AND OF COURSE
IT IS MOSTLY BASED ON ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, BUT I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT TO KIND OF LOOK AT DIFFERENT PATTERNS, AND SEE
HOW VOTERS FEEL ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE WORKING AGAINST
THEIR BEST INTERESTS.
HERE IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE WE CONTINUE
WITH THIS STORY: "WHILE CONSERVATIVES OFTEN DECRY
GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN GENERAL, RED STATES GENERALLY RECEIVE
MORE IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BENEFITS THAN BLUE STATES DO ñ
AND THUS ARE OFTEN AT GREATER RISK FROM SOMEONE LIKE TRUMP."
THIS STORY PERFECTLY OUTLINED EXAMPLES OF WHY THAT IS THE
CASE.
IN ONE CASE THERE IS A WOMAN WHO IS AN AVID SUPPORTER, HER
NAME IS RHONDA MCCRACKEN, AND SHE HAD A VERY ABUSIVE
HUSBAND AND WAS LIKELY ABLE TO LEAVE HIM THANKS TO A
PROGRAM THAT SHE SAYS SAVED HER LIFE.
IT IS TULSA'S MESSICK VIOLENCE INTERVENTION SERVICES, AND
BECAUSE OF TRUMP'S PROPOSALS, IF THEY PASS, ALL GOVERNMENT
FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM WOULD BE CUT AND PROGRAM WOULD NO
LONGER EXIST.
SO, RHONDA WAS ASKED, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS?
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
AND SHE'S LIKE, WELL, THEY SAVE MY LIFE AND MY SON'S.
MY PRAYER IS THAT CONGRESS WILL STEP INTO SAVE DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE PROGRAMS.
SHE IS MAD THAT DONALD TRUMP IS CUTTING FUNDS FOR IT, BUT SHE IS
SAYING THAT SHE WOULD STILL VOTE FOR HIM AGAIN ANYWAY, WHICH IS
INSANE, RIGHT?!
SO, THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE.
THEY ALWAYS THINK, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS,
IT'S THE OTHER GUYS, USUALLY BROWN, THAT ARE TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF THESE PROGRAMS.
ME?
I DESERVE THE PROGRAM.
THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM FOR ME AT A BAD PROGRAM FOR THEM.
WHICHEVER PROGRAM THAT THEY HAPPEN TO BE.
SO, WHEN YOU THINK THAT IRRATIONALLY IN THE FIRST PLACE,
IT IS HARD TO SHAKE YOU OUT OF YOUR IRRATIONALITY.
IT IS HARD, AND THIS INABILITY TO EMPATHIZE WITH OTHER
PEOPLE I THINK IS THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM WITH EVERYTHING, I
THINK, IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
BUT LOOK, EVERYTHING A PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT
FOR THE TOP 1%, GOES THROUGH MOMENTS IN LIFE THAT ARE
SUPER DIFFICULT, AND YOU NEED HELP, RIGHT?
I AM NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT THAT.
I DEFINITELY NEEDED THAT HELP WHEN I WAS A COLLEGE
STUDENT, MY PARENTS WEREN'T MAKING THAT MUCH MONEY AND
I NEEDED TO PAY FOR COLLEGE.
GOVERNMENT STEPS IN AND HELP TO PAY, WITH GRANTS AND STUFF
LIKE THAT.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
OUR TAXPAYER MONEY SHOULD GO TO PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY HELP
OUR PEOPLE, AS OPPOSED TO WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, ONE PERSON SAYS, "WHY IS BUILDING A WALL MORE IMPORTANT
THAN AT GETTING PEOPLE?"
THAT IS WHAT BILLY HINKLE, A TOP VOTER WHO IS INVOLVED IN A
PROGRAM, CALLED TULSA WORKADAVANCE, ASKED, THAT
TRAINS MOSTLY UNAPPLIED WORKERS.
WHAT MISTER HINKLE SAYS THAT HE WAS STILL VOTE FOR TRUMP.
THEN SHUT UP ALREADY.
THEN DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR PROGRAM BEING CUT.
IF YOU WANT JOBS PROGRAMS, DEMOCRATS ARE IN FAVOR OF
JOBS PROGRAMS.
THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS, BUT THAT IS NOT
ONE OF THEM.
THEY CONSISTENTLY GO TO HELP PEOPLE GET RETRAINED.
SO, WE DIDN'T VOTE FOR THE WALL, YOU VOTED FOR THE WALL.
NOW HE'S PLANNING ABOUT THE WALL.
YOU VOTED FOR TRUMP AND YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WALL?
TO BE FAIR TO BILLY HINKLE AND THE OTHER GUYS, TRUMP DID LIE
ABOUT JOBS.
HE DID SAY HE WAS GOING TO BRING BACK JOBS, SO WHEN HE CUT THE
JOB PROGRAM, I DO THINK IT IS LEGITIMATE FOR HINKLE TO
THINK THAT IS A PRETTY BIG BETRAYAL.
BUT HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO BUILD A WALL, HE SAID HE DIDN'T
LIKE MUSLIMS AND HE WAS TO DO A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN ON MUSLIMS,
AND IN MANY WAYS HE IS DOING THE MUSLIM BAN.
BUT IN THIS CASE, HE SAID HE WAS QUITE JOBS AND HE ISN'T GOING TO
DO JOBS.
BUT DESPITE ALL THAT, BILLY HINKLE IS STILL LIKE, NOPE,
I'LL VOTE FOR HIM.
ANOTHER ONE, JUDY BANKS, A 70-YEAR-OLD
STRUGGLING TO GET BY, SAYS SHE VOTED FOR TRUMP BECAUSE HE
WAS TALKING ABOUT GETTING RID OF THOSE ILLEGALS.
BUT SHE NOW FINDS HERSELF SHOCKED THAT HE ALSO HAS
SET HIS SIGHTS ON FUNDS FOR THE LABOR DEPARTMENT'S SENIOR
COMMUNITY SERVICE IMPLEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS HER LIFELINE.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT HELPS THE ELDERLY FIND JOBS, AND AT LEAST
MAKE MINIMUM WAGE SO THAT THEY CAN GET BY.
SHE SAYS, "IF I LOSE THIS JOB, I'LL SIT AT HOME AND DIE."
AND YET, KNOWING THAT THIS WOULD KILL HER, SHE WOULD STILL
SUPPORT TRUMP, WHICH IS INSANE.
NICHOLAS KRISTOF WRITES, "I TALKED TO MANY TRUMP VOTERS
ABOUT THE IMPACT IF TRUMP'S BUDGET CUTS GO THROUGH, AND
NONE REGARDED THEIR VOTES IN NOVEMBER.
THEY ALL SAID THAT THEY MIGHT VOTE FOR TRUMP FOR REELECTION."
AND IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE BROADER PICTURE, "ONE RECENT
SURVEY FOUND THAT ONLY 3% OF TRUMP VOTERS WOULD VOTE
DIFFERENTLY IF THE ELECTION WERE TODAY."
AND THEY CITED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
REASON NUMBER ONE IS JUST DEFIANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE
ANGRY AT LIBERALS LIKE ME, WHO CALL THEM STUPID BIGOTS,
RIGHT, SO THEY ARE LIKE, WE ARE NOT STUPID BIGOTS SO WE
WANT TO KEEP VOTING AGAINST OUR OWN INTERESTS.
OKAY, DO YOU BOO.
ANOTHER REASON IS, WELL IT'S A LITTLE TOO EARLY TO TELL IF
TRUMP IS A TERRIBLE PERSON WHO IS BASICALLY GOING TO
DESTROY OUR LIVES.
I REMEMBER WHEN THAT POLE CAME OUT, AND SOME LIBERALS WERE
CROWING ABOUT HOW 3% OF HIS BASE HAS TURNED ON HIM.
THAT IS A REALLY LOW NUMBER, THAT'S NOT ANYTHING TO BRAG
ABOUT.
SO, YOU HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT IT, SO NO THEY HAVE NOT
LEFT HIM IN BIG NUMBERS, BUT THAT POLL WAS ACTUALLY DONE
BEFORE HEALTHCARE, AND HEALTHCARE ACTUALLY DID HIT HIS
NUMBERS PRETTY HARD, BECAUSE THAT WAS A GREAT NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO WERE LIKE, WAIT, I'M GOING TO LOSE MY HEALTHCARE?
THE GUY TOLD ME I WAS GOOD TO GET BETTER HEALTHCARE AT A
BETTER PRICE.
SO, I THINK THAT THE THINGS THAT HE IS DOING AT THE MEDIA IS
FLIPPING OUT ABOUT, THE WALL, THE MUSLIM BAN--
VIDEO BUFFERING ñ
IT GOES ON, AND SO, I THINK THAT HIS NUMBERS WILL ERODE, THEY ARE
BEGINNING TO ERODE.
ONCE THE STUFF SETTLES IN.
BUT NOT ERODE TO THE DEGREE THAT THEY SHOULD, WHICH IS THE POINT
OF THIS ARTICLE, AND GIVING YOU THESE ANECDOTES, WHICH THEN
FINALLY LEADS ME BACK TO JUDY BANKS, THE 70-YEAR-OLD
WHO WAS WHAT TO STAY AT HOME AND DIE.
WELL, YOU ARE OFFENDED BY PEOPLE LIKE US WHO SAID THAT SOME
OF YOU, NOT ALL OF YOU, I WOULD SAY AND I HAVE SAID
THROUGHOUT, ABOUT HALF OF YOU, ARE STUPID BIGOTS.
THE OTHER HALF GOT LIED TO, AND YOU ARE GOING TO GET PISSED, AND
YOU ARE GOING TO FLIP OVER, NOT BECAUSE YOU LIKE LIBERALS OR
DEMOCRATS, BUT BECAUSE YOU FIND THAT TRUMP IS A CHARLATAN.
I FEEL BAD FOR JUDY BANKS, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HER TO
SIT AT HOME AND DIE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU SAYING, IT'S OKAY IF I SIT AT HOME AND I
AS LONG AS HE GOES AFTER THE ILLEGALS, AND REMIND ME HOW THAT
DOESN'T MAKE YOU A STUPID BIGOT.
JUST ON THE IDEA THAT HE WILL GO AFTER BROWN PEOPLE, EVEN IF
IT MEANS IT KILLS THEM, THEY ARE STILL GOING TO SUPPORT HIM.
SO THAT 50% OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS ARE NOT MOVABLE, BECAUSE THEY DO
NOT LIVE IN THE RATIONAL WORLD, AND THEIR HATRED HAS CONSUMED
THEM, SO THAT IF YOU HURT THE OTHER GUYS MORE THAN YOU HURT
ME, EVEN IF YOU HURT ME, I'M STILL GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU.
THAT IS INSANE, I MEAN THAT IS DEEP HATRED.
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