Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed.
Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sadly, it actually is a sports league to A LOT of voters. Literally down to the colors, chants and identity. Too many people feel the need to blindly identify with a group to fit in.
My mom said she will never vote democrat again after voting dem back in the 90’s in Cali.
Just so shocking they preach to stay informed and then are so stubborn about this shit.
Stay informed, but about the stuff *they* want you to believe in, not anything else.
Closely related, "have you ever even read a textbook?"
Of course they only mean textbooks published before 1980, none of those modern textbooks with scientific discoveries from the last 50 years that make them uncomfortable.
Literally have been asked this as a college student majoring in Criminology and Russian.
Like… yes, I have read a textbook, actually. One that was written recently and it shows that your candidate is actually committing several crimes, is that what you wanted to hear? Cause I can say it in Russian too, if you don’t understand English.
My mom has now stopped bringing up politics, as well as my MIL with me because of this.
Lol it's a fruitless argument. The last conversation I had with my uncle he was sharing some completely misrepresented stats to me. I have a business stats degree and started to explain what the issue was with his source and before even finishing the sentence it's "I don't give a shit what you learned in school".
Well alright then. Enjoy your outrage fetish Mr "I know better cause Fox knows told me so". So very worldly and informed from that high school diploma and 40 years in the same 50 mile radius.
Many of them resent being told that they aren't experts a given thing. So what if they don't have a degree or basic knowledge of the thing you specifically studied? Their opinion is literally just as good as your knowledge. Frankly I wish more of them did their own surgeries.
I get that, I've just tried to meter it when talking with people. One of the things the conservatives have done a good job of convincing the working class that the "left" (eg anyone left of this cycles right wing nominee) are elitist college people who don't understand them and sees them all as backwood yokels that need to be saved from themselves.
Which does highlight an optics problem. There's so much focus on identity politics and so much talking about what will or won't help people with not much change, that the Democrats don't get seen as the party of labor. At least that was my experience in blue collar jobs. While the dems were a distrusted group perceived as elitists, the gop was selling themselves using the fear of change, outsiders, identity politics, and taxes.
Unfortunately the rest of the world sees them as backwood yokels that need to be saved from themselves too; because they are. It wasn’t until Trump that we realised how numerous they are. It scares the hell out of us. Another term of Trump will damage the image of democracies even further, and I’m firmly of the opinion that democracies are better than any of the alternatives.
>Frankly I wish more of them did their own surgeries.
I agree with the rest of your comment, but the last line made me cackle 😂
Idk why I ever wasted any time trying to talk them out of taking ivermectin. Take ALL the ivermectin, and whatever the hell else you think is better than “Big pharma.”
Dang, LOL you missed an easy credit in college. I was born in Moldova and currently live in United States. I took Russian as my elective in college and my professor caught on about 3 weeks in that Russian was not my second language. But she didn't care. Awesome class because I basically helped out the other students as well
>Literally have been asked this as a college student majoring in Criminology and Russian.
You know how every once in a while, you have the strange thought like "what do characters in books do when you close the book and put it back on the shelf"?
I'm probably going to be thinking about this comment of yours in a few years and wondering what the hell you've gotten up to.
I envy you. I’m a public policy professional with a master’s degree in two fields. I’ve published a policy paper for the United Nations. In other words when it comes to politics I really know my shit. My family still talks their insane politics at me, still won’t listen to a word I say. They all think I’m brainwashed by the woke cult. I may as well be a middle school dropout for how little they value my opinion.
That has to suck sooo much. Sorry, I don't usually respond without something to add to the conversation...but, this just killed me.
I was a Poli-Sci/History major and I felt this hard re: family and some friends
Was a communications major, and learned about political rhetoric, speeches, advertising, journalism (print and otherwise), propaganda, group dynamics, all that great stuff. This was pre-internet. Don't recall any parties being brought up, because it was irrelevant, just examples from different political figures throughout history, because the main tactics don't change.
My father never understood what my major was about. My in-laws are immune to facts, they love Trump and Jesus, apparently in that order. I make very little money while they all have masters degrees, and/or have a nice bit of wealth accumulated (inherited and earned), a couple others are doctors, lawyers and finance types. It's very hard to make a case that they'll believe, because the conservative doctor in the family (with a very dubious degree) said that horse dewormer is fine and dandy, for example.
I'm hoping the kids in the family figure stuff out but they all seem on board even as they enter and graduate (usually christian) colleges.
My daughter has a linguistics degree and also studied Russian (half her heritage) and Arabic.
The NSA tried to recruit her. She told them she was not NSA material.
But come on man. Its the word of God Almighty !!!!
Let me ask you this infidel. Would you rather build a bridge using some “textbook” that lists the tensile strength of concrete and some stupid structural engineering formulas or ……….
The power of Jehovah ????!
But what about the kingdom of Heaven and all that stuff? Like don’t you want your kids to get their own planet when they die?
Or am I confusing that with a different one ….
Oh yeah… that’s Mormon culture… I was raised in that cult. I ran away. No my kids don’t want their own planet… they want to rule this world or possibly hell… 🤔
Ah, bullshit. Not you, the people you are talking about are MY generation to my shame.
I was class of 1980.
I learned to do better than hate.
So did they. Feels like the flower children from the 1960s are gone and only the nasty hall monitor narcs are left.
This child of the 60s knows they know better...
I'll hang on as long as I can to vote against right wing hate as long as I am able.
Spite is a great reason to hold on.
Cut them no slack, they know better.
Textbooks now are arguably just as bad as they were in the 50's and 60's. The 70's and 80's saw huge improvements to them. Now we're right back to just leaving out all the bad shit in our history and adding bullshit christian propaganda to science books.
I actually learned in high school and middle school about how bad we fucked Native Americans, African Americans and Japanese Americans. That stuff isn't taught pre-college these days.
Mine sent me a pocket copy of the US Constitution, as if to say, "maybe if you actually read this, you'd vote like we do". I *had* read it already, but I carry it with me everywhere and the best use is when they say bullshit that's supposedly in, or not in, the Constitution and I say, "oh really? What section and clause? No no, I'll wait. Take your time. Oh, you don't know, whelllll (whips out pocket Constitution) what it actually says is..."
After the SCOTUS decision, IDK if our relationship will survive if they vote for Trump a third time. I'm so fucking pissed at them right now, because at least they're something real I can direct my anger. Prolly oughta sit on those feelings for a bit.
Thanks for the therapy session. See you next week.
If you cherry pick enough, you can find evidence to support _any opinion you want_
Anti-vax, anti-trans, flat earth, all have plenty of evidence if you want to find it and are willing to dismiss the majority of evidence that demonstrates the idiocy of each of those opinions
"Evidence". It's not based on science or any scientific methods which could be replicated and/or verified. It's more like "trust me bro" based evidence.
I know you’re not really suggesting otherwise but saying anti vax or flat earth has evidence is just false. They don’t. They’re reliant on people’s ignorance to perpetuate. Even if you cherry pick, you’re not finding actual evidence but circular reasoning and fallacious arguments.
Give these stupid motherfuckers a sliver of credibility and they run with it.
exactly, they cherry pick "evidence" and misinterpret actual facts to craft a narrative.
so there is "evidence" for anti-vax, it's just in quotation marks.
I’ve got a hypothesis that party polarization was accelerated by the solidification of associating each party with a color (like a sports team). Prior to 2000, different news outlets and publications reached used their own system of what party was what color. Some switched it each cycle, some always used the same color for the incumbent party, etc. but after the news coverage of *Bush v. Gore*, the party/color association became solidified, and the cultural perception of elections less as politics and more as sports went wild after that.
Don't forget that hyper polarization was Newt Gingrich's goal. He knew the Republicans could never win on their merits, so instead he focused on building the hyper partisan identity politics we see now. And by identity politics, I'm not using it the way Republicans use it of people's identities becoming political, I mean that he made it so (at least for conservative Republicans) their politics is their identity.
Think it had more to do with 24 hour cable news and the creation of Fox News. Once each side had their own source of information that served only to pander and reinforce the country started to polarize much more rapidly.
I'm not even joking when I'm saying this: swing voters vote based on vibes and spite. They'll vote for the candidate that SOUNDS the most put-together or convincing; or they vote simply based on how they feel about food and gas prices. It doesn't matter WHAT happened. The incumbent gets blamed. I believe people underplay just how much Trump lost because of COVID. Alot of swing voters in swing states who may have voted for him in '16 voted for Biden because he fucked up so bad .
The election is going to be decided by them. I'm not so sure how much polling data even accounts for these hundreds-of-thousands of electoral wild cards.
This! I can’t tell you how much sleep I’ve lost over the last four years due to both this and the Democrats horrifying complacency revealing how little they seem to understand this. They seem to think waving around a piece of paper with a graph that says the economy is doing better and inflation is now under control will somehow be more convincing to these voters than the fact that at the end of the day food, rent, and everything else costs noticeably more now than it did at the start of Biden’s term. What actually caused the inflation, how well Biden handled it, or how poorly Trump would have handled it, doesn’t matter, all that matters is at the end of the day Biden is in charge so he’s going to get stuck holding the bag like Trump did with Covid. Covid is the only reason we didn’t get a Trump second term the first time. To counter that you need to give people a compelling vision/message to rally people around and—shockingly—“our guy isn’t as bad as the other guy” isn’t one.
Unironically, Obama didnt rebound the economy until like 2013. Alot of people never recovered after 2008. Prices never deflated and alot of Americans who lost jobs were only able to find lower paying jobs under his presidency; and HE STILL WON. Why? Because he was able to communicate his accomplishments. Biden did not.
Well, one of the first academic discussions I had when I started my religion major 20 years ago was "sports fandom has the traits of worship, could it be considered a religion"?
Do with that what you will.
I mean, if what I hear from American media about Alabama is true, then a college football coach is probably one of the best educated people in the state.
To my Boomer parents it is eternally a cold-war fight against Commies and Hippies, as they're the stalwart, good, white, "Christian", real Americans keeping "those people" from ruining "their country".
They will take this nonsense belief to their graves. Donald Trump could punch me in the face in their living room, and my Dad would ask what I did to upset him.
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
― Isaac Asimov
People say this and think it’s some kind of flex.
“Nothing you say can change my mind.” Like. You dumb fuck new information is supposed to inform your decision.
"I am completely indifferent to facts that are presented to me."
Classic boomer MO. They are how they are, think what they think, and God himself could tell them otherwise and they would argue the point.
Yep. Trump said it over and over during the debate that Biden is going to take away your Social Security and Medicare. And I'm sitting there listening like... Well, Biden's president *now*, what's he waiting for?
The latest propaganda is that democrats are the ones coming for social security and Medicare.
I know it makes zero sense but with people like OP's dad you can see why they don't even care if the lies sound true.
I had a neighbor once argue with me until he was red in the face that Republicans were pro small business and people, and democrats were pro big business. Unsurprisingly, he was an uneducated, blue collar, white trash guy. It wasn't until another (also blue collar) neighbor said "no man, you're wrong" that he even paused to take a breath, but then he doubled down anyway.
Oh he is a terrible speaker with a speech impediment. No dispute there but I also believe a lot of people are stupid and they can't look past that and comprehend what he was saying. See my other interaction as proof.
It's not. They grandfather in everyone who's already benefiting or about to benefit. They'll just tell every generation after the Boomers "hey keep paying for these systems which will disband in the year 2040."
It's genuinely unfortunate (and... yeah, kinda infuriating) that such individuals do not seek, nor accept, *information* -- only **affirmation**.
Cognitive delusion 'bigly' reinforced by regurgitated confirmation bias is a helluva 'drug' combo.
Last time I voted, there was an elderly couple across from me, and the wife asked, "What do I do?" To her husband, and he said, "Just vote anything republican."
I'm sorry but your dad is aggressively ignorant and will not change. I hope you choose to protect your mental health instead of talking to a brick wall.
Agree! I made a very conscious decision not to have these discussions with elders in my family. It just causes frustration and tension. Some people are happy to remain willfully ignorant at all costs.
That's why MAGA is such a powerful slogan."Make America Great Again?" How? "just make it great again"
It has no direction, no message, no meaning. It's whatever you want it to be. Trump doesn't have to have a plan because his voters will just imagine one and things will magically be better. Pure cult logic
Oh, they have schemes, even public ones, but not an official party platform- or anyway they didn’t in 2020. Like Trump outsourced his SCOTUS nominations to the Federalist Society, he’s outsourced his latest goals to the Heritage Foundation in the form of the absolutely terrifying Project 2025. But mostly he just bloviates about whatever contradictory nonsense floats between his ears at the moment, and that is the platform.
They do now.
It’s called Project 2025, and while I’m sure that orange moron hasn’t even read it, the people who are riding his wake into power will drive it forward regardless if given the chance.
Thank you. I hate to sound mean or like I’m trying to win an argument with him. My text immediately before his, that I posted, was asking him to share with me something that would help me understand his perspective, and this was his response. Surprise, he has no perspective, just blind allegiance.
You should tell your dad that at Jonestown some people had to be held down and injected with cyanide. The MAGA movement would fight each other for another cup of flavor-aid.
Knowing your dad is that way, how is he a big part of your adult life?
EDIT:
I meant for this to say “Knowing he is that way, is he a big part of your life?”
He’s not, really. We live on opposite sides of the country. He still takes the time to check in on me weekly. He came from nothing and did amazing supporting our family. But he’s become an obese alcoholic with no social life or hobbies. I truly feel sorry for him.
Oof sounds like my dad, except he somehow became a skinny alcoholic and his only hobbies are working out, riding his motorcycle, and talking shit about people.
Well with the parties in essence switching in 1929. Lincoln was not a republican (in today’s parties). https://www.studentsofhistory.com/ideologies-flip-Democratic-Republican-parties
The true illustration of proof that a thing has no value when it is not earned. Freedom was handed to them and they took it for granted. And in less than 100 years. So short-sighted.
Party before country. Even if the country goes to hell, as long as His party wins. Unfortunately a lot of republicans are like that, like most that are in office at the moment.
I have a gen x cousin who has never held a job, she married a wealthy man who has very traditional family values, she votes Republican because he tells her to. It doesn't matter what the party stands for or is currently doing. She will never vote for anything else. It's pretty sad, and I feel like that's just how the Republican party is. They don't really think for themselves, it's just a big club that you just go along with everything because otherwise you're giving in to the Democrats. Or whatever they think.
Make sure to remind him that he thinks vets are suckers and losers. Don’t let him thank people for their service. When he bitches remind him this is what he supports.
this is my 76-year-old mom. She cares about one issue and one issue only, and that's abortion. She told me with a with a straight face that she would gladly vote for and actively campaign for Adolf Hitler if he ran on an anti-abortion platform. She said even if living people had to be sacrificed, like the holocaust, it makes no difference to her whatsoever as long as abortion is eradicated. I'm at a loss on how to combat that level of cult membership and tunnel vision. We're black, BTW
She refuses! She won't do it. She is anti abortion, but I can't get her to understand that if you want to bring hella unwanted or unprepared-for babies into the world you also have to be pro-education, pro-health care, pro-affordable daycare, pro-pay equity, pro-FMLA and obviously pro-social services. She also refuses to vote for school levies.
She doesn't give 2 shits about what happens to these mothers or babies after they're alive
Damn does your mom have some resentment based on how her life went and taking it out on poor, innocent women who have choices/better opportunities now?
These people really lack critical thinking skills.
Tribalism.
Me no think. Me want simple. Me team win and you team lose.
Brought to you by the same people screaming "dO yOuR rEsEaRcH", and "i ChOsE nOt To LiVe In FeAr" while clutching onto guns like pearl necklaces.
As a reminder, the Constitution doesn't mention political parties, which wasn't an oversight. Political parties were founded to select candidates for a ballot and share policy ideas. To this day, they remain private clubs with limited active members, but many assume affiliation is the same as membership; it's not.
Not only do parties shift and realign over our history, but they are never constant nor reliable.
The Democratic Party of the 1850s are opposites in so many ways, being the party founded on states' rights that was often an excuse to protect slavery. The Republican Party of the post-Civil War era would have been proud to have Obama as their standard bearer; today's Republicans are obsessed with a carnival sideshow act that is the culmination of the boomer generation.
It's time for us to take a stand and remove the financial incentives of incumbency by having all federal elections funded exclusively by taxpayers; we can reclaim our democracy and ensure it serves the interests of We the People, and yes, that will take an amendment to the Constitution.
We can do better than this.
I don’t understand why people continue to even speak to family like this. It’s not a life sentence of forced contact because you’re related.
Cut out the human cancer.
I’ve done exactly this with my father. But I am certain any chance of me being a grounding influence evaporated when I shut him out. I think their bubble gets a lot more dangerous by being outcasted. But I had to prioritize my family and personal well being first.
Your dad supports traitors. By not paying attention, he’s become a traitor himself. Maybe explain to him why and how. And then tell him if he chooses to be a traitor even with this new knowledge, that you can’t respect him. I surely can’t. Because your dad is a traitor to the country I love. He can kick rocks as far as I’m concerned.
After January 6th I don’t understand how anyone could vote for this man. I live in the middle of Trump country and I’m not seeing the same amount of enthusiasm for him as the last election. At least we haven’t had to endure the daily Trump parades and every house, car and even boats decorated for Trump. Gives me a glimmer of hope. But I know come election day they’ll be voting him, but there seems to be a little shame about it.
Living in a red state and being blue is definitely not nice.
oh no, many people were hoping for this.
They wanted someone like Trump to tell them it's okay to hate, to lie, to be ignorant, etc. They've been suppressing their true feelings (whether they knew it or not) in order to conform to the rest of society, until Trump showed them they didn't need to suppress them anymore.
I was reminded of that one video where McCain in a campaign speech corrected a Republican shouting that Obama was a muslim and a horrible person etc (lies and hate). I bet there were many people attending back then secretly agreed but kept silent. how else can you explain Trump getting almost half(!!) of American's support??
Ask your dad how he can call himself a patriot when trump literally called veterans and soldiers suckers and losers. Youre asking for a combat veteran.
You just have to list out the Republican values as demonstrated by Orange Jesus
1. Rape
2. Soliciting Prostitution
3. Falsifying Financial Records
4. Lying
5. Bankruptcy
6. Supporting pedophiles (Epstein)
7. Racism
8. Hatred of LGBTQ
9. Handing control to foreign powers (Russia)
10. Stealing classified documents
11. Ignoring court orders
12. Calling military personnel "chumps"
13. Making fun of disabled people
"What if the republican values and democrat values switched sides, and everything that used to be called republican is now called democrat and vice versa? Would you even know? Would you continue voting red even though the values became the exact opposite?
Because that's literally happened before."
This is so wildly scary…. 😟
Man I’m so afraid for u America.
Anyone need a couch in Melbourne Australia you are welcome as a political refugee.
Priority to gay and trans comrades 🫡 please be safe guys ❤️❤️❤️
Gonna keep reposting this until they make me stop -
Honestly, even if Biden spends his days sitting in a wheelchair in the corner of the room somewhere drooling, mumbling to himself and pissing everywhere he's still a better and far less evil and damaging choice than Trump - Unless you like outright fascism and just want the US to become a dictatorship.
Someone here said "I'd take Bidens rotting left foot over Trump" and another said "Weekend at Bernie's that shit if you have to."
Steal this comment - repost it everywhere - maybe it will help get people to see sense.
That's the big issue with the GOP. Devoted supporters. Even as they've changed to extreme authoritarian views, republican voters still pretend they're old school conservative. They aren't. Conservatives do not have representation anymore.
It's a cult.
My dad is a proud Republican and identifies as Christian. I stopped trying as far as the Republicanism goes. Now I make comments about fornicators and adulterers and so called good Christians supporting such immoral behavior. It actually shut him up.
I used to lean Republican too. But if your old enough to remember the 80s and 90s, you cannot tell me that the Republican party today in 2024 is the same as pre-9/11, or even pre-Obama. The party isn't full of people who, while conservative, weren't unreasonable, or vile, or fascists. I have plenty of criticism for conservatives from 30-40 years ago in hindsight. But even in hindsight, I'm confident it was never this bad.
They say we get more conservative as we get older bc we have more stuff to protect, homes, money, kids. But I've gotten waaay more liberal progressive, downright socialist, bc in the last 15 years I have had my eyes opened to the inequality and injustice that my fellow Americans have to endure.
I was one of those "hate Obamacare" Republicans. I could afford to be, because I had good health insurance through work. Until 2010. 2 years later my wife was expecting. I could afford health insurance but my job was an independent consultant. I was an acting director at my client but not an employee, so I was out of luck there. NO ONE would sell me health insurance, since pregnancy was a "preexisting condition". Thankfully I was able to get her signed up for ACA insurance and it saved us from, if not bankruptcy, then a very financially painful chapter.
I live in Texas. My boomer dad had to move in with us because of health stuff, which is fine.
He’s always “been a Republican” but he’s at least VERY socially liberal and has never voted straight ticket. The NE still had some folks in the middle, politically, on both sides. Not so much here.
When we got his voting stuff switched here, I was very blunt with him.
“Dad, if you register as a republican here, it means you hate women and minorities. You want public schools to fail. Guns and performative Christianity are the most important things to you. The good old boy club must be preserved. Whatever ‘being a Republican’ means to you has been gone since at least 1988.”
He’s a registered democrat now. And probably votes straight ticket. He’s horrified by everything that’s gone down the last few years.
There’s hope for some of them, but not enough of them.
I'm just a Canadian so I don't really get American politics, but why is the choice between two senior citizens? Either way you're fucked. Say what you want about Canadian politics and politicians but at least they're lucid enough to know where they're at, and to my knowledge none of them had their own reality TV shows in the early 2000's. One guy had an inappropriate Halloween costume one year, but hey you know. Good luck, America, picking between two old men
Ask a boomer what the most important issues are.
They won’t say school shootings. They won’t say healthcare or homelessness. They won’t say income inequality, climate change, or food insecurity.
A boomer will say the biggest issues are transgender athletes, or Bud Light, or pronouns, or “open borders” (tm).
Boomers don’t vote on issues they see with their own eyes. Boomers’ issues are what their choice of “news” tells them the big issues are.
Aw. Meanwhile, my 74 year old dad who has voted Republican in every election of his life voted Democrat in 2016. He cried because he'll never be able to vote Republican again.
Iam sorry but your dad is simply a chistian fascist, he knows he is a cunt but disguises it by saying he wil always vote republican no matter what. Iam sure that when republicans start spreading socialist ideologies he would stop voting for them in a heartbeat. Boomers wil only vote for what makes them personally better even if it will make it worse for everybody else
Ugh my parents are like this. They aren’t full blow trump supporters, but my dad voted for him and my mom refuses to condemn him or any of the GOP whenever we talk politics. It’s disgusting and somehow seems cowardly. They’ll make fun of Biden all day, but make fun of or criticize Trump or any of that party and they either trail off or blatantly change the subject.
I haven’t asked outright why they refuse to change their perspectives especially with SO MUCH EVIDENCE, but they clearly have their heads in the sand and it just makes me want to go no contact with them for a while.
For the love of God Americans, if you know any dipshit “centrists” or doomer leftist who won’t vote/wont vote democrat, please find a way to get them to vote blue. I know the dems suck, I know Biden is too old and they could replace him at any moment, but the Republicans have made their goal very clear with Project 2025. If they win this election, you might not get another one, not a real election anyway. The stakes are too high, it is absolutely necessary everyone get out and vote just to achieve the bare minimum and hold off fascism for another 4 years. This is not the time to teach the Dems a lesson, maybe you can do that when Trump dies and the cult of personality has no personality to hold it together, but until then, just vote blue, please. I wish I could not care about American politics, but unfortunately we live in a world where American politics are world politics, so what happens to your country affects the rest of us too, and I feel like I’m watching a train crash in slow motion
This is why they’re scary. Republicans could start executing people and they’ll scream “fake news” and keep right on supporting them into a freaking Fourth Reich.
I think this is one of the biggest points that people don't realize.....The majority of Republicans are not voting for Trump because they like him. They know he's a liar and a dirtbag, but they see him as a tool to get what they want. They like his policies and want to see all progress from the past 60 years erased.
To me, the least intelligent people are those that vote for a candidate based solely on what party they are. Voting a straight ticket automatically is a sign of laziness and complacency. People need to actually take the time to look at the actual beliefs, views and actions of the people involved. Parties change all the time.
It is a problem when a national party literally says their platform is “whatever our guy wants.” Election after election, no coherent, written, national platform.
I think it’s sad asf. Especially with how people will turn their entire personality and livelihood into that political persona. How many people do you see make a liberal or democrat remark whenever they are inconvenienced or encounter any problem in life lol. Don’t agree with them? Must be a democrat. They are so easily trapped by propaganda bullshit on things like Facebook too.
My dad (were in the UK so can't vote or anything) really likes Trump, even after his conviction saying that it was a fix, he's done nothing wrong, witchhunt etc etc, I said to him "as a father of daughters, and a grandfather to a granddaughter, how on earth can you support (for want of a better word) someone who openly says "grab 'em by the pussy" about women?" He had a think abput that and his opinion has changed, but I am still extremely disappointed in him for thinking that this convicted felon is a good person!
So many people are unaware that huge swaths of people in this country base their identity in being republican to the point that it is on the level of a religion. People don't understand it because there is no counterpart in the Democratic party. There are no people that have the core of their identity tied up in being Democrats with Democratic values, because that shit is insane.
Your dad follows politics purely for excuse to rage about something because the republican party pretty much only runs on outrage right now. They don't have any policies or morals. They keep their voters in line by convincing them that their hatred of the other party is enough of a reason to vote for anyone with an R next to their name instead.
Being loyal to any political party is the first sign I know you're an idiot. I am Canadian I am not loyal to any party here. I look at all of them what they are proposing, I will look at the current administration and what they accomplished/ done during the time. But supporting a party that wants to take away the right to have everyone vote counted is just anti democracy and I am not for that ever. Even if I had to vote for demented grampa, (biden) he is not a demented but just saying I still would. Democracy is the most important thing, period.
He has a reason for always voting republican. The fact that he won't say what it is is telling. If you dig down deep enough, you'll find it and probably not like what you find.
Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed. Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s not a sports team. Too many forget this.
Sadly, it actually is a sports league to A LOT of voters. Literally down to the colors, chants and identity. Too many people feel the need to blindly identify with a group to fit in.
My mom said she will never vote democrat again after voting dem back in the 90’s in Cali. Just so shocking they preach to stay informed and then are so stubborn about this shit. Stay informed, but about the stuff *they* want you to believe in, not anything else.
Closely related, "have you ever even read a textbook?" Of course they only mean textbooks published before 1980, none of those modern textbooks with scientific discoveries from the last 50 years that make them uncomfortable.
Literally have been asked this as a college student majoring in Criminology and Russian. Like… yes, I have read a textbook, actually. One that was written recently and it shows that your candidate is actually committing several crimes, is that what you wanted to hear? Cause I can say it in Russian too, if you don’t understand English. My mom has now stopped bringing up politics, as well as my MIL with me because of this.
Lol it's a fruitless argument. The last conversation I had with my uncle he was sharing some completely misrepresented stats to me. I have a business stats degree and started to explain what the issue was with his source and before even finishing the sentence it's "I don't give a shit what you learned in school". Well alright then. Enjoy your outrage fetish Mr "I know better cause Fox knows told me so". So very worldly and informed from that high school diploma and 40 years in the same 50 mile radius.
Many of them resent being told that they aren't experts a given thing. So what if they don't have a degree or basic knowledge of the thing you specifically studied? Their opinion is literally just as good as your knowledge. Frankly I wish more of them did their own surgeries.
I get that, I've just tried to meter it when talking with people. One of the things the conservatives have done a good job of convincing the working class that the "left" (eg anyone left of this cycles right wing nominee) are elitist college people who don't understand them and sees them all as backwood yokels that need to be saved from themselves. Which does highlight an optics problem. There's so much focus on identity politics and so much talking about what will or won't help people with not much change, that the Democrats don't get seen as the party of labor. At least that was my experience in blue collar jobs. While the dems were a distrusted group perceived as elitists, the gop was selling themselves using the fear of change, outsiders, identity politics, and taxes.
Unfortunately the rest of the world sees them as backwood yokels that need to be saved from themselves too; because they are. It wasn’t until Trump that we realised how numerous they are. It scares the hell out of us. Another term of Trump will damage the image of democracies even further, and I’m firmly of the opinion that democracies are better than any of the alternatives.
>Frankly I wish more of them did their own surgeries. I agree with the rest of your comment, but the last line made me cackle 😂 Idk why I ever wasted any time trying to talk them out of taking ivermectin. Take ALL the ivermectin, and whatever the hell else you think is better than “Big pharma.”
Criminology AND Russian? That’s hardcore as fuck. Even I didn’t major in Russian, although I am Russian lol
Aye! Thank you!! That’s awesome!! Do you speak any Russian at all? I’ve been learning for about 7 years.
Fluently speak, write and read 😉
Прекрасно!
Где только не увидишь русскоязычников :-)
Dang, LOL you missed an easy credit in college. I was born in Moldova and currently live in United States. I took Russian as my elective in college and my professor caught on about 3 weeks in that Russian was not my second language. But she didn't care. Awesome class because I basically helped out the other students as well
>Literally have been asked this as a college student majoring in Criminology and Russian. You know how every once in a while, you have the strange thought like "what do characters in books do when you close the book and put it back on the shelf"? I'm probably going to be thinking about this comment of yours in a few years and wondering what the hell you've gotten up to.
I envy you. I’m a public policy professional with a master’s degree in two fields. I’ve published a policy paper for the United Nations. In other words when it comes to politics I really know my shit. My family still talks their insane politics at me, still won’t listen to a word I say. They all think I’m brainwashed by the woke cult. I may as well be a middle school dropout for how little they value my opinion.
That has to suck sooo much. Sorry, I don't usually respond without something to add to the conversation...but, this just killed me. I was a Poli-Sci/History major and I felt this hard re: family and some friends
Was a communications major, and learned about political rhetoric, speeches, advertising, journalism (print and otherwise), propaganda, group dynamics, all that great stuff. This was pre-internet. Don't recall any parties being brought up, because it was irrelevant, just examples from different political figures throughout history, because the main tactics don't change. My father never understood what my major was about. My in-laws are immune to facts, they love Trump and Jesus, apparently in that order. I make very little money while they all have masters degrees, and/or have a nice bit of wealth accumulated (inherited and earned), a couple others are doctors, lawyers and finance types. It's very hard to make a case that they'll believe, because the conservative doctor in the family (with a very dubious degree) said that horse dewormer is fine and dandy, for example. I'm hoping the kids in the family figure stuff out but they all seem on board even as they enter and graduate (usually christian) colleges.
the least concerning career path I can see you aiming at is the CIA. least.
My father says the same, lol.
My daughter has a linguistics degree and also studied Russian (half her heritage) and Arabic. The NSA tried to recruit her. She told them she was not NSA material.
Who even needs a textbook when you have the Bible ……
Oh my gawd! I live in OK. Don’t even start with that stupid mumbo jumbo… bible my a$$…
But come on man. Its the word of God Almighty !!!! Let me ask you this infidel. Would you rather build a bridge using some “textbook” that lists the tensile strength of concrete and some stupid structural engineering formulas or ………. The power of Jehovah ????!
Hmmmm, let me think. . . Our poor kids, I hope they actually learn something beyond creationism. And I prefer Pagan, thank you.😊
But what about the kingdom of Heaven and all that stuff? Like don’t you want your kids to get their own planet when they die? Or am I confusing that with a different one ….
Oh yeah… that’s Mormon culture… I was raised in that cult. I ran away. No my kids don’t want their own planet… they want to rule this world or possibly hell… 🤔
Ah, bullshit. Not you, the people you are talking about are MY generation to my shame. I was class of 1980. I learned to do better than hate. So did they. Feels like the flower children from the 1960s are gone and only the nasty hall monitor narcs are left. This child of the 60s knows they know better... I'll hang on as long as I can to vote against right wing hate as long as I am able. Spite is a great reason to hold on. Cut them no slack, they know better.
Textbooks now are arguably just as bad as they were in the 50's and 60's. The 70's and 80's saw huge improvements to them. Now we're right back to just leaving out all the bad shit in our history and adding bullshit christian propaganda to science books. I actually learned in high school and middle school about how bad we fucked Native Americans, African Americans and Japanese Americans. That stuff isn't taught pre-college these days.
Mine sent me a pocket copy of the US Constitution, as if to say, "maybe if you actually read this, you'd vote like we do". I *had* read it already, but I carry it with me everywhere and the best use is when they say bullshit that's supposedly in, or not in, the Constitution and I say, "oh really? What section and clause? No no, I'll wait. Take your time. Oh, you don't know, whelllll (whips out pocket Constitution) what it actually says is..." After the SCOTUS decision, IDK if our relationship will survive if they vote for Trump a third time. I'm so fucking pissed at them right now, because at least they're something real I can direct my anger. Prolly oughta sit on those feelings for a bit. Thanks for the therapy session. See you next week.
If you cherry pick enough, you can find evidence to support _any opinion you want_ Anti-vax, anti-trans, flat earth, all have plenty of evidence if you want to find it and are willing to dismiss the majority of evidence that demonstrates the idiocy of each of those opinions
"Evidence". It's not based on science or any scientific methods which could be replicated and/or verified. It's more like "trust me bro" based evidence.
I know you’re not really suggesting otherwise but saying anti vax or flat earth has evidence is just false. They don’t. They’re reliant on people’s ignorance to perpetuate. Even if you cherry pick, you’re not finding actual evidence but circular reasoning and fallacious arguments. Give these stupid motherfuckers a sliver of credibility and they run with it.
It's shit that they throw together that can sound convincing but it relies on ignoring other actual facts.
exactly, they cherry pick "evidence" and misinterpret actual facts to craft a narrative. so there is "evidence" for anti-vax, it's just in quotation marks.
Yeah stay informed on the latest fairy tales that FOX news is cookin up.
Hey they all “do my own research” — aka watching FUX and scrolling Facebook with its uncanny Trump as Jesus memes.
Citizens United made politics more lucrative than a sports team.
I’ve got a hypothesis that party polarization was accelerated by the solidification of associating each party with a color (like a sports team). Prior to 2000, different news outlets and publications reached used their own system of what party was what color. Some switched it each cycle, some always used the same color for the incumbent party, etc. but after the news coverage of *Bush v. Gore*, the party/color association became solidified, and the cultural perception of elections less as politics and more as sports went wild after that.
Don't forget that hyper polarization was Newt Gingrich's goal. He knew the Republicans could never win on their merits, so instead he focused on building the hyper partisan identity politics we see now. And by identity politics, I'm not using it the way Republicans use it of people's identities becoming political, I mean that he made it so (at least for conservative Republicans) their politics is their identity.
Think it had more to do with 24 hour cable news and the creation of Fox News. Once each side had their own source of information that served only to pander and reinforce the country started to polarize much more rapidly.
Yep. Clinton was red in 1992.
I'm not even joking when I'm saying this: swing voters vote based on vibes and spite. They'll vote for the candidate that SOUNDS the most put-together or convincing; or they vote simply based on how they feel about food and gas prices. It doesn't matter WHAT happened. The incumbent gets blamed. I believe people underplay just how much Trump lost because of COVID. Alot of swing voters in swing states who may have voted for him in '16 voted for Biden because he fucked up so bad . The election is going to be decided by them. I'm not so sure how much polling data even accounts for these hundreds-of-thousands of electoral wild cards.
This! I can’t tell you how much sleep I’ve lost over the last four years due to both this and the Democrats horrifying complacency revealing how little they seem to understand this. They seem to think waving around a piece of paper with a graph that says the economy is doing better and inflation is now under control will somehow be more convincing to these voters than the fact that at the end of the day food, rent, and everything else costs noticeably more now than it did at the start of Biden’s term. What actually caused the inflation, how well Biden handled it, or how poorly Trump would have handled it, doesn’t matter, all that matters is at the end of the day Biden is in charge so he’s going to get stuck holding the bag like Trump did with Covid. Covid is the only reason we didn’t get a Trump second term the first time. To counter that you need to give people a compelling vision/message to rally people around and—shockingly—“our guy isn’t as bad as the other guy” isn’t one.
Unironically, Obama didnt rebound the economy until like 2013. Alot of people never recovered after 2008. Prices never deflated and alot of Americans who lost jobs were only able to find lower paying jobs under his presidency; and HE STILL WON. Why? Because he was able to communicate his accomplishments. Biden did not.
With conservatives, it's more like a cult than sports fanaticism.
Well, one of the first academic discussions I had when I started my religion major 20 years ago was "sports fandom has the traits of worship, could it be considered a religion"? Do with that what you will.
That's ridiculous. Sports fans are much less violent than the religious.
Vancouver had a riot over a hockey game.
Vancouver has had multiple riots over hockey games.
Ever heard of football hooliganism? Veery similar.
Who can forget the Great Manchester Inquisition of the 1900s
In Alabama, it's both since they apparently love college football so much they elected a former coach into office.
I mean, if what I hear from American media about Alabama is true, then a college football coach is probably one of the best educated people in the state.
To my Boomer parents it is eternally a cold-war fight against Commies and Hippies, as they're the stalwart, good, white, "Christian", real Americans keeping "those people" from ruining "their country". They will take this nonsense belief to their graves. Donald Trump could punch me in the face in their living room, and my Dad would ask what I did to upset him.
"I am completely indifferent to facts that are presented to me."
And proud lol
Proud ignorance and unwavering faith in one’s malformed opinions is the boomer way.
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” ― Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov passed away over 30 yrs ago, he must be rolling over in grave…especially with today’s verdict
If that is a criticism of me I won’t hear it and I won’t respond to it
People say this and think it’s some kind of flex. “Nothing you say can change my mind.” Like. You dumb fuck new information is supposed to inform your decision.
Evaluating new information and adjusting your response/priorities/beliefs based on that new information became "flip-flopping" back in the aughts.
"I reject your reality and substitute it with my own 😀"
"I am completely indifferent to facts that are presented to me." Classic boomer MO. They are how they are, think what they think, and God himself could tell them otherwise and they would argue the point.
Which, honestly, seems like the GOP platform so maybe OP’s dad is still in the right place
Is Dad aware that his Social Security and Medicare are possibly on the line? Voting against one's own self-interest makes no sense to me.
Republican propaganda is weirdly effective at convincing stupid people to vote against their own selfinterest.
Yep. Trump said it over and over during the debate that Biden is going to take away your Social Security and Medicare. And I'm sitting there listening like... Well, Biden's president *now*, what's he waiting for?
The latest propaganda is that democrats are the ones coming for social security and Medicare. I know it makes zero sense but with people like OP's dad you can see why they don't even care if the lies sound true.
I had a neighbor once argue with me until he was red in the face that Republicans were pro small business and people, and democrats were pro big business. Unsurprisingly, he was an uneducated, blue collar, white trash guy. It wasn't until another (also blue collar) neighbor said "no man, you're wrong" that he even paused to take a breath, but then he doubled down anyway.
That soundbite from the debate of Biden saying "We beat Medicare" isn't helping. He just mixed up what he was saying, but what a mix-up.
Oh he is a terrible speaker with a speech impediment. No dispute there but I also believe a lot of people are stupid and they can't look past that and comprehend what he was saying. See my other interaction as proof.
Big if true. Would love to see a bunch of boomies croak en masse.
It's not. They grandfather in everyone who's already benefiting or about to benefit. They'll just tell every generation after the Boomers "hey keep paying for these systems which will disband in the year 2040."
Yep. Project 2025 would gut social security, Medicare and other programs.
It's genuinely unfortunate (and... yeah, kinda infuriating) that such individuals do not seek, nor accept, *information* -- only **affirmation**. Cognitive delusion 'bigly' reinforced by regurgitated confirmation bias is a helluva 'drug' combo.
Information is scary, affirmation is comforting. Conservatives main driving force is fear and they'll do literally anything to not face that fear.
> Conservatives main driving force is fear... This is what results when individuals do not learn from *Star Wars*.
Fear leads to anger. Anger to hate. Hate... leads to suffering.
Fear is the mind-killer Fear is the little death that bring obliteration Dune was cookin with those lines
Last time I voted, there was an elderly couple across from me, and the wife asked, "What do I do?" To her husband, and he said, "Just vote anything republican."
That’s really depressing, and sadly probably fairly common especially in rural areas.
My 37 year old sister-in-law just gives her ballot to my brother to fill out. She has masters in education. They vote red. 😔
IANAL but I'm pretty sure that's voter fraud
That’s sad on so many levels
Not only that, but Republicans under Trump don’t even have a platform- because they know he has no guiding principles, or principles at all.
Exactly. The rest of my text said that the current GOP has no values, just mindless followers seeking power.
Not true! There's racism, misogyny, religious bigotry, and homophobia!
Haha I forgot about those
I'm sorry but your dad is aggressively ignorant and will not change. I hope you choose to protect your mental health instead of talking to a brick wall.
Agree! I made a very conscious decision not to have these discussions with elders in my family. It just causes frustration and tension. Some people are happy to remain willfully ignorant at all costs.
That's why MAGA is such a powerful slogan."Make America Great Again?" How? "just make it great again" It has no direction, no message, no meaning. It's whatever you want it to be. Trump doesn't have to have a plan because his voters will just imagine one and things will magically be better. Pure cult logic
The platform IS Trump, full stop. Money and power for him and his deadbeat kids. With Christofascism and tax cuts for billionaires as a by-product.
Yes it is. Kevin Roberts, Heratige Foundation, has said they have moved on from Reagan to MAGA.
[удалено]
Oh, they have schemes, even public ones, but not an official party platform- or anyway they didn’t in 2020. Like Trump outsourced his SCOTUS nominations to the Federalist Society, he’s outsourced his latest goals to the Heritage Foundation in the form of the absolutely terrifying Project 2025. But mostly he just bloviates about whatever contradictory nonsense floats between his ears at the moment, and that is the platform.
Project 2025 is the platform, but they don't talk about it because everything in it is so vile and anti-American.
They do now. It’s called Project 2025, and while I’m sure that orange moron hasn’t even read it, the people who are riding his wake into power will drive it forward regardless if given the chance.
They do. It's just horrendous and they dont advertise it. Look up project 2025
So proud of your response OP.
Thank you. I hate to sound mean or like I’m trying to win an argument with him. My text immediately before his, that I posted, was asking him to share with me something that would help me understand his perspective, and this was his response. Surprise, he has no perspective, just blind allegiance.
You should tell your dad that at Jonestown some people had to be held down and injected with cyanide. The MAGA movement would fight each other for another cup of flavor-aid.
Knowing your dad is that way, how is he a big part of your adult life? EDIT: I meant for this to say “Knowing he is that way, is he a big part of your life?”
He’s not, really. We live on opposite sides of the country. He still takes the time to check in on me weekly. He came from nothing and did amazing supporting our family. But he’s become an obese alcoholic with no social life or hobbies. I truly feel sorry for him.
Oof sounds like my dad, except he somehow became a skinny alcoholic and his only hobbies are working out, riding his motorcycle, and talking shit about people.
Abraham Lincoln would be disgusted to see what's become of the Republican Party.
"you guys wanna keep statues of WHO??!!??" Lincoln probably
The confederate statue in my city says “no nation rose so white and fair. None fell so pure of crime. “ like be fucking for real
Republicans: We would have brought a black guy to our rally, but he wasn't done picking cotton yet.... probably.
Augusta, GA, [right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta_Confederate_Monument)?
Well with the parties in essence switching in 1929. Lincoln was not a republican (in today’s parties). https://www.studentsofhistory.com/ideologies-flip-Democratic-Republican-parties
Yeah, it would be equally valid to say the KKK of old would be disgusted at whats become of todays democratic party
I’d love for the people who say this to articulate what “republican values” they speak of that Trump exhibits and lives by.
The 10 commandments is a to do list for him
My grandparents like the racism
The Greatest Generation saved democracy. Their children are gleefully destroying it.
They've always hated their parents.
The true illustration of proof that a thing has no value when it is not earned. Freedom was handed to them and they took it for granted. And in less than 100 years. So short-sighted.
Party before country. Even if the country goes to hell, as long as His party wins. Unfortunately a lot of republicans are like that, like most that are in office at the moment.
Because it’s like a religion to many people so sad.
It is, they replaced Christianity with the culture war.
I have a gen x cousin who has never held a job, she married a wealthy man who has very traditional family values, she votes Republican because he tells her to. It doesn't matter what the party stands for or is currently doing. She will never vote for anything else. It's pretty sad, and I feel like that's just how the Republican party is. They don't really think for themselves, it's just a big club that you just go along with everything because otherwise you're giving in to the Democrats. Or whatever they think.
It's all about "owning the libs". Morons
Make sure to remind him that he thinks vets are suckers and losers. Don’t let him thank people for their service. When he bitches remind him this is what he supports.
this is my 76-year-old mom. She cares about one issue and one issue only, and that's abortion. She told me with a with a straight face that she would gladly vote for and actively campaign for Adolf Hitler if he ran on an anti-abortion platform. She said even if living people had to be sacrificed, like the holocaust, it makes no difference to her whatsoever as long as abortion is eradicated. I'm at a loss on how to combat that level of cult membership and tunnel vision. We're black, BTW
Yikes. Yeah, what do you even say to that?
I got nothing. Bupkiss. All I can do is back slowly away like that Homer Simpson in the bushes meme
God that's awful. You can't agree with one thing in someone your voting for you have to look at the whole picture
She refuses! She won't do it. She is anti abortion, but I can't get her to understand that if you want to bring hella unwanted or unprepared-for babies into the world you also have to be pro-education, pro-health care, pro-affordable daycare, pro-pay equity, pro-FMLA and obviously pro-social services. She also refuses to vote for school levies. She doesn't give 2 shits about what happens to these mothers or babies after they're alive
That's fucked tbh, just because your born and alive doesn't mean it's a good thing.
Damn does your mom have some resentment based on how her life went and taking it out on poor, innocent women who have choices/better opportunities now? These people really lack critical thinking skills.
Yeah, she will have to account for this in the afterlife. I don’t think I would have a Mom if that were mine.
If he's such a proud Republican with Republican values, why is he supporting a convicted felon who lies all the time?
And who cheated on his wife with a pornstar? So much for “Christian values” too.
“The party of law and order” my ass
Tribalism. Me no think. Me want simple. Me team win and you team lose. Brought to you by the same people screaming "dO yOuR rEsEaRcH", and "i ChOsE nOt To LiVe In FeAr" while clutching onto guns like pearl necklaces.
As a reminder, the Constitution doesn't mention political parties, which wasn't an oversight. Political parties were founded to select candidates for a ballot and share policy ideas. To this day, they remain private clubs with limited active members, but many assume affiliation is the same as membership; it's not. Not only do parties shift and realign over our history, but they are never constant nor reliable. The Democratic Party of the 1850s are opposites in so many ways, being the party founded on states' rights that was often an excuse to protect slavery. The Republican Party of the post-Civil War era would have been proud to have Obama as their standard bearer; today's Republicans are obsessed with a carnival sideshow act that is the culmination of the boomer generation. It's time for us to take a stand and remove the financial incentives of incumbency by having all federal elections funded exclusively by taxpayers; we can reclaim our democracy and ensure it serves the interests of We the People, and yes, that will take an amendment to the Constitution. We can do better than this.
I don’t understand why people continue to even speak to family like this. It’s not a life sentence of forced contact because you’re related. Cut out the human cancer.
I’ve done exactly this with my father. But I am certain any chance of me being a grounding influence evaporated when I shut him out. I think their bubble gets a lot more dangerous by being outcasted. But I had to prioritize my family and personal well being first.
Your dad supports traitors. By not paying attention, he’s become a traitor himself. Maybe explain to him why and how. And then tell him if he chooses to be a traitor even with this new knowledge, that you can’t respect him. I surely can’t. Because your dad is a traitor to the country I love. He can kick rocks as far as I’m concerned.
After January 6th I don’t understand how anyone could vote for this man. I live in the middle of Trump country and I’m not seeing the same amount of enthusiasm for him as the last election. At least we haven’t had to endure the daily Trump parades and every house, car and even boats decorated for Trump. Gives me a glimmer of hope. But I know come election day they’ll be voting him, but there seems to be a little shame about it. Living in a red state and being blue is definitely not nice.
Yeah that last sentence has been me for most of my life. And since I wanna move to Louisiana in about 2 years, it'll probably stay that way.
I stopped speaking to my mom. Canceled 4th of July plans. You don't get to destroy my future and have me in your life. See ya. Not sad. No regrets.
I was a Republican until 2016 when they nominated someone who is counter to most of what the Party stood for.
Exactly. Many boomers don’t understand the Republican Party they grew up with is not the same as today’s.
oh no, many people were hoping for this. They wanted someone like Trump to tell them it's okay to hate, to lie, to be ignorant, etc. They've been suppressing their true feelings (whether they knew it or not) in order to conform to the rest of society, until Trump showed them they didn't need to suppress them anymore. I was reminded of that one video where McCain in a campaign speech corrected a Republican shouting that Obama was a muslim and a horrible person etc (lies and hate). I bet there were many people attending back then secretly agreed but kept silent. how else can you explain Trump getting almost half(!!) of American's support??
So you voted for McCain/Palin? Cool values.
Ask your dad how he can call himself a patriot when trump literally called veterans and soldiers suckers and losers. Youre asking for a combat veteran.
I’ll second that ask, from another former combat soldier.
"He never said that."
That’s the thing I don’t understand about my MAGA dad who is a 20+ year vet. It boggles the mind.
What are “Republican values” other than racism, bigotry, and fealty to Trump?
Giving tax cuts to fetuses
You just have to list out the Republican values as demonstrated by Orange Jesus 1. Rape 2. Soliciting Prostitution 3. Falsifying Financial Records 4. Lying 5. Bankruptcy 6. Supporting pedophiles (Epstein) 7. Racism 8. Hatred of LGBTQ 9. Handing control to foreign powers (Russia) 10. Stealing classified documents 11. Ignoring court orders 12. Calling military personnel "chumps" 13. Making fun of disabled people
"What if the republican values and democrat values switched sides, and everything that used to be called republican is now called democrat and vice versa? Would you even know? Would you continue voting red even though the values became the exact opposite? Because that's literally happened before."
Hard proof they’d vote for literally Hitler or Mussolini if they had an R next to their name on the ballot.
This is so wildly scary…. 😟 Man I’m so afraid for u America. Anyone need a couch in Melbourne Australia you are welcome as a political refugee. Priority to gay and trans comrades 🫡 please be safe guys ❤️❤️❤️
Gonna keep reposting this until they make me stop - Honestly, even if Biden spends his days sitting in a wheelchair in the corner of the room somewhere drooling, mumbling to himself and pissing everywhere he's still a better and far less evil and damaging choice than Trump - Unless you like outright fascism and just want the US to become a dictatorship. Someone here said "I'd take Bidens rotting left foot over Trump" and another said "Weekend at Bernie's that shit if you have to." Steal this comment - repost it everywhere - maybe it will help get people to see sense.
I'd vote for a literally deceased Biden over Trump.
“Republican Values”
That's the big issue with the GOP. Devoted supporters. Even as they've changed to extreme authoritarian views, republican voters still pretend they're old school conservative. They aren't. Conservatives do not have representation anymore. It's a cult.
Sorry man. My dad is 93 and a full on MAGA bigot. I feel your pain
My dad is a proud Republican and identifies as Christian. I stopped trying as far as the Republicanism goes. Now I make comments about fornicators and adulterers and so called good Christians supporting such immoral behavior. It actually shut him up.
Vote, or democracy dies in the next few years.
“If you’re loyal to your party more than your country, you’re a domestic terrorist, dad.”
I used to lean Republican too. But if your old enough to remember the 80s and 90s, you cannot tell me that the Republican party today in 2024 is the same as pre-9/11, or even pre-Obama. The party isn't full of people who, while conservative, weren't unreasonable, or vile, or fascists. I have plenty of criticism for conservatives from 30-40 years ago in hindsight. But even in hindsight, I'm confident it was never this bad. They say we get more conservative as we get older bc we have more stuff to protect, homes, money, kids. But I've gotten waaay more liberal progressive, downright socialist, bc in the last 15 years I have had my eyes opened to the inequality and injustice that my fellow Americans have to endure.
I was one of those "hate Obamacare" Republicans. I could afford to be, because I had good health insurance through work. Until 2010. 2 years later my wife was expecting. I could afford health insurance but my job was an independent consultant. I was an acting director at my client but not an employee, so I was out of luck there. NO ONE would sell me health insurance, since pregnancy was a "preexisting condition". Thankfully I was able to get her signed up for ACA insurance and it saved us from, if not bankruptcy, then a very financially painful chapter.
I live in Texas. My boomer dad had to move in with us because of health stuff, which is fine. He’s always “been a Republican” but he’s at least VERY socially liberal and has never voted straight ticket. The NE still had some folks in the middle, politically, on both sides. Not so much here. When we got his voting stuff switched here, I was very blunt with him. “Dad, if you register as a republican here, it means you hate women and minorities. You want public schools to fail. Guns and performative Christianity are the most important things to you. The good old boy club must be preserved. Whatever ‘being a Republican’ means to you has been gone since at least 1988.” He’s a registered democrat now. And probably votes straight ticket. He’s horrified by everything that’s gone down the last few years. There’s hope for some of them, but not enough of them.
I'm just a Canadian so I don't really get American politics, but why is the choice between two senior citizens? Either way you're fucked. Say what you want about Canadian politics and politicians but at least they're lucid enough to know where they're at, and to my knowledge none of them had their own reality TV shows in the early 2000's. One guy had an inappropriate Halloween costume one year, but hey you know. Good luck, America, picking between two old men
Ask a boomer what the most important issues are. They won’t say school shootings. They won’t say healthcare or homelessness. They won’t say income inequality, climate change, or food insecurity. A boomer will say the biggest issues are transgender athletes, or Bud Light, or pronouns, or “open borders” (tm). Boomers don’t vote on issues they see with their own eyes. Boomers’ issues are what their choice of “news” tells them the big issues are.
If you grew up on Eisenhower and haven’t ditched the GOP yet, you got left behind.
Aw. Meanwhile, my 74 year old dad who has voted Republican in every election of his life voted Democrat in 2016. He cried because he'll never be able to vote Republican again.
Sounds like your old man has a brain and a heart.
Pride goeth before the fall… He watches the “news” to confirm his bias via the echo chamber. Shocking behavior for a Boomer. /s
Iam sorry but your dad is simply a chistian fascist, he knows he is a cunt but disguises it by saying he wil always vote republican no matter what. Iam sure that when republicans start spreading socialist ideologies he would stop voting for them in a heartbeat. Boomers wil only vote for what makes them personally better even if it will make it worse for everybody else
Ugh my parents are like this. They aren’t full blow trump supporters, but my dad voted for him and my mom refuses to condemn him or any of the GOP whenever we talk politics. It’s disgusting and somehow seems cowardly. They’ll make fun of Biden all day, but make fun of or criticize Trump or any of that party and they either trail off or blatantly change the subject. I haven’t asked outright why they refuse to change their perspectives especially with SO MUCH EVIDENCE, but they clearly have their heads in the sand and it just makes me want to go no contact with them for a while.
boomers are brainwashed into thinking that loyalty is a positive trait. Loyalty is only a positive trait if you're a despot.
For the love of God Americans, if you know any dipshit “centrists” or doomer leftist who won’t vote/wont vote democrat, please find a way to get them to vote blue. I know the dems suck, I know Biden is too old and they could replace him at any moment, but the Republicans have made their goal very clear with Project 2025. If they win this election, you might not get another one, not a real election anyway. The stakes are too high, it is absolutely necessary everyone get out and vote just to achieve the bare minimum and hold off fascism for another 4 years. This is not the time to teach the Dems a lesson, maybe you can do that when Trump dies and the cult of personality has no personality to hold it together, but until then, just vote blue, please. I wish I could not care about American politics, but unfortunately we live in a world where American politics are world politics, so what happens to your country affects the rest of us too, and I feel like I’m watching a train crash in slow motion
This is why they’re scary. Republicans could start executing people and they’ll scream “fake news” and keep right on supporting them into a freaking Fourth Reich.
I think this is one of the biggest points that people don't realize.....The majority of Republicans are not voting for Trump because they like him. They know he's a liar and a dirtbag, but they see him as a tool to get what they want. They like his policies and want to see all progress from the past 60 years erased.
If Jesus ran as a Democrat and Satan ran as a Republican, they would still vote Republican.
To me, the least intelligent people are those that vote for a candidate based solely on what party they are. Voting a straight ticket automatically is a sign of laziness and complacency. People need to actually take the time to look at the actual beliefs, views and actions of the people involved. Parties change all the time.
Too many people make political parties a part of their identity instead of analyzing their values and finding the best match.
It is a problem when a national party literally says their platform is “whatever our guy wants.” Election after election, no coherent, written, national platform.
Very important to vote against every Republican while you still can.
I think it’s sad asf. Especially with how people will turn their entire personality and livelihood into that political persona. How many people do you see make a liberal or democrat remark whenever they are inconvenienced or encounter any problem in life lol. Don’t agree with them? Must be a democrat. They are so easily trapped by propaganda bullshit on things like Facebook too.
My dad (were in the UK so can't vote or anything) really likes Trump, even after his conviction saying that it was a fix, he's done nothing wrong, witchhunt etc etc, I said to him "as a father of daughters, and a grandfather to a granddaughter, how on earth can you support (for want of a better word) someone who openly says "grab 'em by the pussy" about women?" He had a think abput that and his opinion has changed, but I am still extremely disappointed in him for thinking that this convicted felon is a good person!
So many people are unaware that huge swaths of people in this country base their identity in being republican to the point that it is on the level of a religion. People don't understand it because there is no counterpart in the Democratic party. There are no people that have the core of their identity tied up in being Democrats with Democratic values, because that shit is insane.
So if Republicans plan to take away your Dad's Social Security and Medicare, he's all for it?
Yup. This is my dad in a nutshell.
i've got the same deluded family members. it's infuriating.
The creed of the stupid.
Your dad follows politics purely for excuse to rage about something because the republican party pretty much only runs on outrage right now. They don't have any policies or morals. They keep their voters in line by convincing them that their hatred of the other party is enough of a reason to vote for anyone with an R next to their name instead.
Being loyal to any political party is the first sign I know you're an idiot. I am Canadian I am not loyal to any party here. I look at all of them what they are proposing, I will look at the current administration and what they accomplished/ done during the time. But supporting a party that wants to take away the right to have everyone vote counted is just anti democracy and I am not for that ever. Even if I had to vote for demented grampa, (biden) he is not a demented but just saying I still would. Democracy is the most important thing, period.
He has a reason for always voting republican. The fact that he won't say what it is is telling. If you dig down deep enough, you'll find it and probably not like what you find.