6 ms·

keep telling middle america how wrong they all are. When they rise up against you at the ballot box, keep telling them how wrong they all are. It'll work eventu

by jbelich 10y ago

keep telling middle america how wrong they all are. When they rise up against you at the ballot box, keep telling them how wrong they all are. It'll work eventually!

cheriot 10y ago
It goes both ways. Keep telling minorities and the educated that they're not "real" America and we'll just trade whose most angry this election. The hard part is understanding the other perspective and building bridges.
AnOscelot 10y ago
That's been such a winning plan for middle America, hasn't it? They rise up, only to vote for the politician, usually Republican, who panders to them most. That same politician who will then proceed to do absolutely nothing to help them, and often vote for policies that hurt them. So we can either ignore middle America and let them continue this self-destructive cycle, or can point it out. Which will then make them mad and they'll continue voting in the useless pricks who do nothing to help them. I know you tried to make your statement sound like a threat. But I live in the rural Midwest. I've seen the politicians voted in at the local level. Politicians like Brownback who have trashed the state. It's cutting your nose off to spite your face, as Mom used to say.
edmccard 10y ago
>When they rise up against you at the ballot box... Fewer votes than Hillary. Fewer votes than Romney's failed 2012 run. Hardly an "uprising".
- skuhn 10y ago
  18.3% of the total population of the United States voted for the winner this time. In 2012 it was 20.9%. Doesn't seem like a huge uprising to me, but those numbers certainly have been disheartening all the same.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  All the votes of 2016 election aren't counted yet, so Trump's votes will come up as more than Romney got 2012. Absentee ballots, provisional ballots and early votes are counted later. Also, the turnout in 2016 election is 2 % higher than 2012 (56.9 % vs. 54.9 %).
bsder 10y ago
Popular and right are orthogonal values. In addition, just like Brexit, I see a lot of people who appear to have completely ignored the concrete results of their actions. For example, me to Trump voter: "You do realize that you voted to throw your own daughter and my mother off of healthcare? Your daughter couldn't get coverage before Obamacare because she has mild sleep apnea while being middle-aged. My mother couldn't get healthcare before the ACA because she is a breast cancer survivor." Trump voter: "Well, I didn't really want that." What am I supposed to say at that point? Please tell me which platform plank of yours is more important than your own daughter receiving healthcare? Please tell me which platform plank of yours is more important than my mother receiving healthcare? Really, I want to know this. And, when you give me your answer about god, guns, gays, mexicans, emails, Benghazi or any other stupid thing that doesn't impact our lives one iota other than to serve as a propaganda vehicle, don't be surprised when I tell you how FUCKING WRONG you are. Thanks.
- oldmanjay 10y ago
  Literally everything in my life is more important to me than any aspect of your mother
  - walshemj 10y ago
    You need to a hard look at your self for saying that
    - ersii 10y ago
      I've taken a long hard look at myself and I share oldmanjay's sentiments. You have other beliefs and other priorities, that's fine with me.
      - arethuza 10y ago
        Out of interest, how would you summarize your political views? You are perfectly entitled to your views, but they appear to be so completely different to my own that I am genuinely interested to find out what you believe. [NB As a bit of background I'm from the UK, strongly in favour of the socialist NHS we have and happy to pay taxes so that everyone in our country can get pretty decent healthcare "free at the point of delivery"] Edit: I upvoted you because I don't think people should be downvoted just for making that comment.
adevine 10y ago
It will work eventually. The demographic trends are undeniable. It will take longer because rural areas have, proportionally, a much greater political influence than urban areas, but the white non-Hispanic percentage of the population is going down every year.
namecast 10y ago
You didn't read the article. The author is from middle america and explaining to those who are not from there how wrong we are in our interpretation of what has happened. Read it, please, it's quite informative.
- serge2k 10y ago
  It's saying "oh they just don't know any better". That's not better than "They are idiots" or "Racist sexists!"
  - namecast 10y ago
    Again - the author is from Middle America; there is no 'they', it's 'we'. And here's just part of what is said: "To pin this election on the coastal elite is a cop-out. It’s intellectually dishonest, and it’s beneath us. We, as a culture, have to stop infantilizing and deifying rural and white working-class Americans. Their experience is not more of a real American experience than anyone else’s, but when we say that it is, we give people a pass from seeing and understanding more of their country. More Americans need to see more of the United States. They need to shake hands with a Muslim, or talk soccer with a middle aged lesbian, or attend a lecture by a female business executive. We must start asking all Americans to be their better selves. We must all understand that America is a melting pot and that none of us has a more authentic American experience." That's a far cry from your interpretation.
walshemj 10y ago
Or you get parties like the Lega Nord forming in rich areas that don't want to subsidise the rural areas any more don't for get this cuts both ways.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  Lega Nord is not just about subsidizing rural and poor areas. It is very much about being fed up with political corruption.
  - walshemj 10y ago
    well I did not want to mention that aspect might not have gone down to well
serge2k 10y ago
Last time they did it they got 2 wars and the housing crisis. How do you convince people?
Mtinie 10y ago
I can buy into that sentiment, but for one glaring issue: the significant number of incumbents at the House and Senate levels that were re-elected. If Americans want change, let's start at the levels that ultimately has a larger impact on our day-to-day experiences. Change the course of the failed domestic policy that comes from our govenors, state representatives, and those sent to Congress by bringing in new ideas. Why is the Executive the only branch of government that is scrutinized to the degree that it is? Where are the Congressional aspirants' debates that let voters draw their own conclusions after listening to the words that come out of candidates mouths, not just those from the latest attacking radio or TV spot?

by jbelich 10y ago

keep telling middle america how wrong they all are. When they rise up against you at the ballot box, keep telling them how wrong they all are. It'll work eventually!

cheriot 10y ago

It goes both ways. Keep telling minorities and the educated that they're not "real" America and we'll just trade whose most angry this election. The hard part is understanding the other perspective and building bridges.

AnOscelot 10y ago

That's been such a winning plan for middle America, hasn't it? They rise up, only to vote for the politician, usually Republican, who panders to them most. That same politician who will then proceed to do absolutely nothing to help them, and often vote for policies that hurt them. So we can either ignore middle America and let them continue this self-destructive cycle, or can point it out. Which will then make them mad and they'll continue voting in the useless pricks who do nothing to help them. I know you tried to make your statement sound like a threat. But I live in the rural Midwest. I've seen the politicians voted in at the local level. Politicians like Brownback who have trashed the state. It's cutting your nose off to spite your face, as Mom used to say.

edmccard 10y ago

>When they rise up against you at the ballot box... Fewer votes than Hillary. Fewer votes than Romney's failed 2012 run. Hardly an "uprising".

skuhn 10y ago
18.3% of the total population of the United States voted for the winner this time. In 2012 it was 20.9%. Doesn't seem like a huge uprising to me, but those numbers certainly have been disheartening all the same.
ptaipale 10y ago
All the votes of 2016 election aren't counted yet, so Trump's votes will come up as more than Romney got 2012. Absentee ballots, provisional ballots and early votes are counted later. Also, the turnout in 2016 election is 2 % higher than 2012 (56.9 % vs. 54.9 %).

bsder 10y ago

Popular and right are orthogonal values. In addition, just like Brexit, I see a lot of people who appear to have completely ignored the concrete results of their actions. For example, me to Trump voter: "You do realize that you voted to throw your own daughter and my mother off of healthcare? Your daughter couldn't get coverage before Obamacare because she has mild sleep apnea while being middle-aged. My mother couldn't get healthcare before the ACA because she is a breast cancer survivor." Trump voter: "Well, I didn't really want that." What am I supposed to say at that point? Please tell me which platform plank of yours is more important than your own daughter receiving healthcare? Please tell me which platform plank of yours is more important than my mother receiving healthcare? Really, I want to know this. And, when you give me your answer about god, guns, gays, mexicans, emails, Benghazi or any other stupid thing that doesn't impact our lives one iota other than to serve as a propaganda vehicle, don't be surprised when I tell you how FUCKING WRONG you are. Thanks.

oldmanjay 10y ago
Literally everything in my life is more important to me than any aspect of your mother
- walshemj 10y ago
  You need to a hard look at your self for saying that
  - ersii 10y ago
    I've taken a long hard look at myself and I share oldmanjay's sentiments. You have other beliefs and other priorities, that's fine with me.
    - arethuza 10y ago
      Out of interest, how would you summarize your political views? You are perfectly entitled to your views, but they appear to be so completely different to my own that I am genuinely interested to find out what you believe. [NB As a bit of background I'm from the UK, strongly in favour of the socialist NHS we have and happy to pay taxes so that everyone in our country can get pretty decent healthcare "free at the point of delivery"] Edit: I upvoted you because I don't think people should be downvoted just for making that comment.

adevine 10y ago

It will work eventually. The demographic trends are undeniable. It will take longer because rural areas have, proportionally, a much greater political influence than urban areas, but the white non-Hispanic percentage of the population is going down every year.

namecast 10y ago

You didn't read the article. The author is from middle america and explaining to those who are not from there how wrong we are in our interpretation of what has happened. Read it, please, it's quite informative.

serge2k 10y ago
It's saying "oh they just don't know any better". That's not better than "They are idiots" or "Racist sexists!"
- namecast 10y ago
  Again - the author is from Middle America; there is no 'they', it's 'we'. And here's just part of what is said: "To pin this election on the coastal elite is a cop-out. It’s intellectually dishonest, and it’s beneath us. We, as a culture, have to stop infantilizing and deifying rural and white working-class Americans. Their experience is not more of a real American experience than anyone else’s, but when we say that it is, we give people a pass from seeing and understanding more of their country. More Americans need to see more of the United States. They need to shake hands with a Muslim, or talk soccer with a middle aged lesbian, or attend a lecture by a female business executive. We must start asking all Americans to be their better selves. We must all understand that America is a melting pot and that none of us has a more authentic American experience." That's a far cry from your interpretation.

walshemj 10y ago

Or you get parties like the Lega Nord forming in rich areas that don't want to subsidise the rural areas any more don't for get this cuts both ways.

ptaipale 10y ago
Lega Nord is not just about subsidizing rural and poor areas. It is very much about being fed up with political corruption.
- walshemj 10y ago
  well I did not want to mention that aspect might not have gone down to well

serge2k 10y ago

Last time they did it they got 2 wars and the housing crisis. How do you convince people?

Mtinie 10y ago

I can buy into that sentiment, but for one glaring issue: the significant number of incumbents at the House and Senate levels that were re-elected. If Americans want change, let's start at the levels that ultimately has a larger impact on our day-to-day experiences. Change the course of the failed domestic policy that comes from our govenors, state representatives, and those sent to Congress by bringing in new ideas. Why is the Executive the only branch of government that is scrutinized to the degree that it is? Where are the Congressional aspirants' debates that let voters draw their own conclusions after listening to the words that come out of candidates mouths, not just those from the latest attacking radio or TV spot?