Let Trump Voters Change Their Minds
Those of us that don’t like Trump and have never liked Trump have a hard time understanding why so many others voted for him. We feel smart for predicting all that is happening now and smug because we knew better. But, if we don’t want Trump re-elected in 2020 (or anyone with same mindset) and if we want his congressional supporters to lose re-election in 2018, we need to stop the arrogance.
First of all, there really is no place for arrogance. We lost. Yes, we predicted most of the madness and mismanagement going on in the executive branch right now, but we did a piss poor job of convincing people of our objections. "I told you so," is not likely to turn Trump voters against him.
Fortunately, Trump himself is working tirelessly to disappoint, frustrate, and/or anger most of his supporters. The problem is, if we just go around pointing out how they were wrong to vote for him the first time (and we were right about him), they are likely to double-down and vote for him again.
The key, I believe, is to understand that these people already distrusted politicians and the government when they voted for the outsider. They are disappointed that he has turned out to be just as dishonest as they believe that other politicians to be. That’s not a strong argument for why they should vote for the other politician.
Instead, try acknowledging that a large percentage of the population wanted major changes to politics and the government and that they are frustrated by the ourcome so far. In that way, you validate the reason they voted for Trump and give them a reason that they can’t vote for him again without accusing them of making a mistake the first time. They voted the way the did for a reason and, as it appears from polling, many of them are not happy with the outcome so far.
The next step for any candidate for any office is to state the principles that will guide them if elected using everyday language and not so much in the way of details. Leave the wonkiness to your website and for specific issues during debates and interviews.
Also, and this is key, Be Honest. In every way. Did you serve in Iraq? "No, I did not." Does your opponent really hate America? "No, I don’t think that’s true." Will you end the opioid crisis? "Bringing the opioid crisis under control and, hopefully, ending it will be a top level goal for me. This crisis is cripling our cities, villages, and rural areas and is directly affecting a great many families in our nation. We will fight hard and will not stop. But, we have to be realistic and realize that this crisis does not have a single cause. There are a multitude of factors that have allowed this problem to grow to where it is today. It is important that we go to the affected areas and seek an understanding for how this crisis developed and collect ideas for how it can be addressed. Will we beat this problem in one term? No. Will I fight like hell for my entire term? You can count on it." (Then, actually fight like hell for your entire term.)
See, I didn’t get into funding, alliances with non-profits, Federal versus local jurisdiction, the impact of opioids on GDP, actual therapies, etc.
So, if you want to defeat Trump and his philisophical brothers, you need to give his previous supporters a way out while saving face. Speak to them like a normal American human being without sounding condescending. And, most of all, be honest in all ways. Be honest in a way that is easily verifiable not just "technically" honest.
Originally published at DifferentJim.com
