Here are some hard truths for people like Jess, and a lot of people on this forum.
"Dear Democrats,
There’s a hard conversation coming, friends. I’m here for it…so I will start it.
49 of 50 states shifted right.
And Utah remained neutral-ish by a fractional percentage. Look at all those states, with all those people in them…living different lives in different ways and places. Maybe similarities amongst them but not sameness on any or every level.
The media is going to drag this out to try to soften the blow but Trump will likely get 312 in the electoral college.
76 million people.
It’s not only cynical but arrogant to assume the only reason for this is the ignorance or moral failings of those voters.
Are you not even going to consider that policies, reality, or predictability could have been some factors? THE FACTORS?
Are you not going to leave room for the possibility that all those people see and understand their reality rightly, are living it, learning from it…and can logically predict what happens if the trajectory remains the same? And they strongly object?
To be clear—there has been some pretty abhorrent **** normalized, AND I STRONGLY OBJECT.
Are you not going to entertain that votes were cast not out of rejection or hate of others but love and concern for those closest to them?
How come we can accept that a trans woman likely has the intelligence and agency to vote for their own self-interests but a conservative wife and mother is obviously voting out of fear, hate, or self-loathing?
Y’all don’t think mama bear is voting for her self-interests and those of her cubs? And she values and wants different things for them?
This is narcissism. It’s not all about you.
I know this will be noxious to assert but what if mama bears ARE voting for the common good but they define good differently?
Out of 76 million I would surmise that relatively small is the number of votes cast out of petty dislike or spite for others. I feel confident of this because the legal voting age is 18…not 11.
Huuuuge is the number cast because people are concerned for THEIR OWN safety, finances, children, communities, etc.
At what point will you entertain that it could be your own perspective that is askew? Or your own information that is errant?
What will happen to this “possible grievance” based grief when the grievances don’t materialize?
Will there be any dawning clarity when the “threat to democracy, neo-Nazi, fascists…” are just people trying to live and a man trying to lead?
You could even now be justified in questioning your sources. They lied.
And you believed them.
The candidate was always poor.
And they knew it.
The campaign was always hype.
And they knew it.
THE POLICIES HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE.
And they knew it.
The message was off.
And they knew it.
What was the alternative for people who could see this?? Not vote?
The landslide was the likely outcome.
AND THEY KNEW IT.
But they didn’t say that, did they?
Y’all, I knew it. And I know very little. But I knew enough to have a party with hor d’oevres. And I’m not doing charcuterie on faith. Not in this economy!! The data was there. If you didn’t see it, expand your circle of trust.
You may not be able to stop liars from lying but you can stop believing them.
I know this because our side has liars too and I have learned to filter, fact-check, or disregard them.
As long as you can only see this referendum as “what is wrong with them” and never consider “what did we get wrong?” you will remain wounded, shocked, and shattered.
There’s a hard conversation to be had about the media, the motivations, and liberalism run amok. Whether we wanted to or not, we’ve been subjected to this socio-economic experiment of the left and complicit right.
We didn’t like it.
And so we voted to end it.
It was not to harm you personally though it may help you corporately. I’ll understand if I don’t receive a “thank you” in the mail.
Sincerely,
Not sorry"
www.wbur.org
