Dear Democrats, Beware Dragon Voters
Taming right-leaning voters is as critical as mobilizing our base & persuading the undecided.
Recently, a hardcore Trump supporter told me:
“I hated Trump my whole life. I voted against him even. But I never felt more personally committed to doing whatever I can to help him succeed than watching [impeachment] unfold.”
Think about that for a moment. He didn’t vote for Trump. Hated him, in fact. But now he’s mobilized not just to vote for Trump, but to do whatever he can to reelect him.
Resist the temptation to write this guy off — I know you think he’s crazy, but he’s not — just listen.
This isn’t an isolated case. I’ve been talking with Trump supporters almost nonstop since the 2016 election and this sentiment is more the rule than the exception. It’s not always so clearly expressed — but it’s there. If you’re not hearing it, it’s because you’re not asking the right questions or not engaging with Trump supporters at all.
Don’t believe me? Consider this conversation described by Erica Etelson in her excellent new book Beyond Contempt: How Liberals Can Communicate Across the Great Divide:
“Four white men at a red-blue dialogue I attended said they used to be liberal but…
