We are all Slave now.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I'm in a purple state. Anti-Trump Exhaustion is huge.

"I hate the guy. But I hate the endless criticism more."

"I hate the guy, but I like where the economy seems to be going."

"I wish the media would stop covering him and his critics. It's all you fucking hear. Enough already."

This pretty much paraphrases 80% of what I hear about the issue here. It's a "pox on both of their houses" sentiment. I know you don't like that because you see it as false equivalence, but that's where people are at.

I don't see it as false equivalence. When someone says, "I hate the guy. But I hate the endless criticism more.", what they are saying is, I'm fundamentally a conservative, and will stick by him, but Trump isn't a very good leader. Someone who hates the endless criticism of Trump IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THEIR MIND.

If someone says, "I hate the guy, but I like where the economy seems to be going.", and doesn't note that the ECONOMY WENT IN THE SAME DIRECTION FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS UNDER OBAMA, what they are saying is that they are fundamentally a conservative, and will stick by him, but Trump isn't a very good leader. Someone who gives Trump credit for what the economy has been doing is demonstrating the political equivalent of fundamental attribution error.

If someone says, "I wish the media would stop covering him and his critics. It's all you fucking hear. Enough already.", they are either not interested in politics, which is a lot of people, or what they are saying is, I'm fundamentally a conservative, and will stick by him, but boy is he a fuck-up and I'd rather not hear about it any more.

In short, anyone who complains about having to hear from Trump's critics is identifying as basically pro-Trump. Yes, there are people who say those things. They are not swing voters.

Now tell me about a cocktail party you were at recently.

eta: Remember all the stories in the NYT in 2010 about how Obama voters were sticking by him, and about how Republicans needed to quit the angry talk and try to persuade them to change their minds? Yeah, me neither.