Greenville, NC Trump Voters Brand Me A Socialist; As Workers They Loved My Money In The 80s

Greenville, NC Trump Voters Brand Me A Socialist; As Workers They Loved My Money In The 80s

Greenville Wasn’t Always Prosperous

Unlike most progressives, I've been to Greenville, NC. In fact, I've been there at least 25 times. As a small business owner, I pumped a minimum of $25 million into the Greenville, NC manuf economy.

Older Trump supporters in Greenville can brand me as an elite socialist, but I'll bet large numbers of these same Trump voters were happy to have my $$$ support back in the 80s.

The behavior I witnessed by Trump supporters in Greenville this week was horrifying and unAmerican from my perspective. This Politico article says Trump supporters wanted to go much further in Greenville with their chants. See their t-shirts in this Politico article.

All I can tell you, Greenville, is that this capitalist (tomatoes fly stage left from the Bernie crowd) stood with you when Greenville wasn't so prosperous. There was no BMW plant in those days. I could have taken my business off-shore, but did not. My principles dictated that I pay higher prices and support American workers.

America's Rejection Of Science, Rational Thinking, Institutions & Perceived Reality Is Epic & Dangerous

America's Rejection Of Science, Rational Thinking, Institutions & Perceived Reality Is Epic & Dangerous

I propose that we all be subjected to a certain level of knowledge about civic events before we are allowed to vote. Over half of Trump voters don't believe that the meeting Trump Jr. agreed happened with the Russians -- happened.  The fact that he released his own emails about the meeting does not convince them -- or they are reading/hearing from Trump-loving media outlets that this is #fake news. 

We cannot combat this kind of deep ignorance among voters. If one believes that all of life is a conspiracy, then intelligent learning has no impact on one's mind. The liberal media is loathe to take up this topic, because it sounds so elitist. Reality is that informed people have been backed into a corner in which it is politically incorrect to challenge a fundamental ignorance and skepticism about real events as a civic responsibility.  This state of our civic life in America has real consequences.

1) Electoral College Mismatch vs Voter Fraud

US president Donald Trump never talks about the reality that if all votes counted equally in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton would have received 259 votes and Trump 256.  The states where Hillary Clinton won her 65,844,610 votes count for less than the ones where Trump won his 62,979,636 votes.  The mismatch is considerable with Clinton actually beating Trump by 2 percent of the 2016 presidential vote, at 48.2% and Trump 46.1%. The remaining 5.7% of the vote went to independents and write-ins.

Rather than accept the mismatch between electoral college votes and the populations in those states -- a mathematical reality that also impacted the 2000 election that gave us President Bush vs. President Gore -- Trump charges voter fraud and has launched a federal commission to prove it. This is another authoritarian act, since states are in charge of their voting. The electoral college is a federal issue and one that should be a Congressional initiative. 

Writing Wednesday for the New York Times, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, informs us:

The Trump administration’s election-integrity commission will have its first meeting on Wednesday to map out how the president will strip the right to vote from millions of Americans. It hasn’t gotten off to the strongest start: Its astonishing request last month that each state hand over voters’ personal data was met with bipartisan condemnation. Yet it is joined in its efforts to disenfranchise citizens by the immensely more powerful Justice Department.

2) Truth Rejecters Undermine Key Institutions

The level of voters education was a huge factor in the recent election, with more educated voters supporting Hillary Clinton. Trump carried non-college educated voters 2-1.  Of far greater concern is new data among Republicans published by Pew Research in July 2017 that 58 percent of Trump voters believe that colleges and universities have a negative impact on America. In 2015, just 37 percent of voters agreed with this statement. 

Among Democrats polled by Pew, 72 percent believe that universities have a positive effect on America.

Colorado's Flat Earth Movement Thrives in Fort Collins

'Trump Regretters' Are Growing, Feeling That Trump Is "Going Too Far"

Last month, half of Trump voters felt he was "surrounding himself with the best people". This week, only 39 percent do.  The majority of Trump supporters still feel the President is "keeping his promises" and "getting things done" but "three of the four traits on which Americans rate {Trump} as doing 'more than expected' are negative", says Margie Omero of PSB Research, who polled 800 general population respondents between March 6-9.

"He has no crossover appeal," Omero told MarieClaire.com, citing other polling outlets that have found Trump to be strong with his supporters, but dangerously weak with Democrats and independents. "So if he starts to slip with his base—as he has in our poll—where does he have room to grow?"

"He has to hold onto his base going into the midterms," she added. "If this slide continues, he is going to have some serious trouble."

PSB has issued another potential flag on Trump's field of political play: Voters who were "With Her" last fall are twice as likely as Trump voters to have taken some sort of politically-motivated action since January. Actions include protesting and marching, contacting their congressional rep, donating to a cause, or switching away from a product or service whose leadership didn't share their values.

"People are looking for ways to take action," said Omero. "There may not be a vote until next November, but there's still plenty to be done between now and then."

The PSB poll was conducted among 800 general population respondents between March 6-9, before details of Trumpcare -- his proposed health care plan and the federal budget were released. Given a health care plan that doubles insurance costs for many people in the 50-65 age bracket -- and Trump's proposed federal budget with its staggering cuts for programs like breakfasts for poor children and the elderly, and the elimination of any arts funding including axing Big Bird and The Cookie Monster, as part of PBS, It seems totally reasonable that Trump's "going too far" numbers will decline further.

Related: Trump's Budget Blueprint Is A War on the Future of the American Economy VOX

Trump's Budget Hits Trump's Voters Hard The Daily Beast

The tax Trump paid in 2005 is the tax Trump wants to abolish Business Insider

Trump's budget would cut funding for Appalachia -- and his allies in coal country are livid VOX

Why Does Trump Want to Defund Meals on Wheels? Seth Meyers Thinks He's "dead Inside" Vanity Fair

As Trump Readies Planned Parenthood Rodeo, Half of Trump Voters Support Funding & Expect Him To Stand Down

As Trump Readies Planned Parenthood Rodeo, Half of Trump Voters Support Funding & Expect Him To Stand Down

Planned Parenthood is sending a message to Donald Trump and the Republicans: They will defund us "At Their Peril". 

In a shocking-to-many new study by Harvard's School for Public Health, almost half of Trump supporters are against cutting all federal funds to Planned Parenthood. Add Clinton voters with 70% wanting continued federal funding for PP and it's clear that making defunding Planned Parenthood a top priority could be perilous for Republicans. 

The primarily women's health-care provider followed up on the study results with focus groups this month with Trump voters in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, writes Vogue. Many men had a lot to say. Dawn Laguens, executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) explained the essential nature of Planned Parenthood clinics in rural, medically underserved regions, including those in key Trump-supporting states.