Demonizing Trump and his supporters in earshot of passive supporters

[Chew Toy McCoy]

By passive supporters I mean people you know either support Trump or probably do but aren’t actively advertising it. I’m talking about loudly and knowingly making comments around these people but not to them. I don’t agree with this behavior. It usually only happens when the Trump supporter is outnumbered. I can pretty much guarantee the person doing it wouldn’t do it if they knew they were outnumbered by Trump supporters. If anything they’d be a lot more diplomatic about it and a lot less "These idiots....."

This behavior isn’t going to change the supporter's mind and is just going to further alienate them and cause them to further dig in with their like-minded circle. In a way it’s attacking the weak and that never goes anywhere good.

Also I’m not talking about when a Trump supporter opens that door or engages you with something they said. In that case, have at it if you want.

 

[Eric]

I couldn't agree more here. In the end Trump is their guy whether we agree or not and this is where empathy plays a role, back during the Obama presidency how offensive was it to us when people who hated him did the same thing?

I know Trump supporters who aren't outspoken and give them the common courtesy of not ripping him in their presence, I am perfectly willing to hang out with them as long as we can simply not engage in political conversation and show me the same respect.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I couldn't agree more here. In the end Trump is their guy whether we agree or not and this is where empathy plays a role, back during the Obama presidency how offensive was it to us when people who hated him did the same thing?

I know Trump supporters who aren't outspoken and give them the common courtesy of not ripping him in their presence, I am perfectly willing to hang out with them as long as we can simply not engage in political conversation and show me the same respect.

It’s been my experience with right wing people that we often agree on a problem but disagree on the cause or how to fix it.

It’s also been my experience that they are getting fed a very narrow set of data. I have a right wing friend who is staunchly against welfare. It wasn't until recently that he found out through me that red states are the biggest welfare states. He was actually fascinated to have this information and I got no kickback. All he has been fed his entire life is that Democrats are all about welfare and free stuff.

There’s a scene in the Netflix docudrama Best of Enemies about a school integration battle between whites and blacks in the south in the early 70’s where a black man says he empathizes with the local klan leader in that they both just want what is best for their children. After hearing that the confused looking klan leader goes “Wait. Why is he agreeing with me?”. I think it’s sadly extremely rare that opposing sides come to that realization.