# Democracy: The art of winning an unfair game **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 14, 2019, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729 "2019-01-14T12:25:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/21 "2019-01-14T22:52:07Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > This entire sentiment about those who voted for the President is exactly what is wrong with a large number of “liberals” and Democrats today: the assumption that they are on the “right” side of things because their position is inherently “superior” to that of those who are on the “other” side. I know several people who voted for Donald Trump for a variety of reasons, none of which can be considered inherently stupid. From those who were concerned about the state of the federal judiciary, to those who are socially conservative on things like abortion, to those who are fiscal hawks and/or opposed to liberal federal social programs, to those who simply disliked Hillary Clinton more than they disliked Donald Trump, there are any number of people who had perfectly valid reasons to vote for him. To label all such people as “stupid” just shows an incredible bias in your own thinking. We are on the right side of things, our position is inherently superior. It is not an assumption. The act of voting for Trump was inherently stupid, whatever mental gymnastics your friends had to do to justify that to themselves does not make it any less stupid. If anything it makes it more so. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/22 "2019-01-14T23:12:25Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > This entire sentiment about those who voted for the President is exactly what is wrong with a large number of “liberals” and Democrats today: the assumption that they are on the “right” side of things because their position is inherently “superior” to that of those who are on the “other” side. I know several people who voted for Donald Trump for a variety of reasons, none of which can be considered inherently stupid. From those who were concerned about the state of the federal judiciary, to those who are socially conservative on things like abortion, to those who are fiscal hawks and/or opposed to liberal federal social programs, to those who simply disliked Hillary Clinton more than they disliked Donald Trump, there are any number of people who had perfectly valid reasons to vote for him. To label all such people as “stupid” just shows an incredible bias in your own thinking. Nope. Those are all very stupid justifications for voting for someone so horribly repugnant to the values of a fair and just society, and so utterly unqualified to run in the first place. I’ll keep saying it: the people who voted for Trump knew what they were voting for, and they’re just as responsible for whatever ruin comes next. I won’t be in the mood for reconciliation. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/23 "2019-01-14T23:39:12Z")
I can think of intelligent people who plugged their nose and voted for Trump for no other reason than to hopefully avoid a 5-4 liberal leaning SCOTUS. Say what you want about Merrick Garland being a centrist, I’m not about to duke it out on that one, but I feel confident in saying Merrick Garland was decidedly far to the left of Scalia’s originalism. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/24 "2019-01-15T01:50:13Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > This entire sentiment about those who voted for the President is exactly what is wrong with a large number of “liberals” and Democrats today: the assumption that they are on the “right” side of things because their position is inherently “superior” to that of those who are on the “other” side. I know several people who voted for Donald Trump for a variety of reasons, none of which can be considered inherently stupid. From those who were concerned about the state of the federal judiciary, to those who are socially conservative on things like abortion, to those who are fiscal hawks and/or opposed to liberal federal social programs, to those who simply disliked Hillary Clinton more than they disliked Donald Trump, there are any number of people who had perfectly valid reasons to vote for him. To label all such people as “stupid” just shows an incredible bias in your own thinking. Let’s see: Donald Trump flirts shamelessly with girls in their early teens, was even credibly accused of raping a 13-year old, and talked about grabbing pussy because he was a star. Would anyone but a stupid person think this monster was morally fit to lead the country? Trump University was a crass and blatant fraud; that fact was readily visible to anyone who knew hot to click Google. Trump had consistently defrauded others; he’d declared bankruptcy repeatedly and American banks no longer gave him credit. Much of the vomitus that emerged from his barf-hole was lies, baby talk, or gratuitous insults. Trump was a pompous ass whose flatulent stump speeches showed nothing but ignorance and hatred. He encouraged his supporters to beat up protesters and journalists. He was condemned and ridiculed by most GOP leaders (excepting Limbaugh, Alex Jones, etc.). His idea of “debate” was to repeat hateful nicknames like a grade-school bully. Are these the “valid reasons” to vote for Trump? Trump had a long history of racism. Trump had a history of kanoodling with Russian Mafia. Hillary Clinton’s biggest fault was that she wasn’t a professional baby-kissing politician. I’ll agree that some of the people who voted for Trump weren’t “stupid” in a clinical sense (though it’s safe to say most were so ignorant they should have been embarrassed to vote). But, unless they are part of the kleptocratic crowd eager to betray their own country, then their decision to vote for this pathetic excuse for a human being was a stupid decision. No, **DSYoungEsq** , your viewpoint quoted above is so unreasonable I have no interest in further reading of your newsletter. Oh: And how’s that “fiscal hawkery” working out for all y’all? ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/25 "2019-01-15T02:17:36Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Hillary Clinton’s biggest fault was that she wasn’t a professional baby-kissing politician. I think just the opposite. I think her candidacy was a well-oiled machine, and had a support structure to marvel at. The problem was people just didn’t like Hillary. “[If you don’t like Trump](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/18/16305486/what-really-happened-in-2016) and never did and find yourself baffled as to how the voters could have possibly disagreed with you, the answer is simple: They didn’t. He was able to win not just because of the Electoral College, but because most voters also didn’t like his opponent.” ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/26 "2019-01-15T02:39:43Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > I think just the opposite. I think her candidacy was a well-oiled machine, and had a support structure to marvel at. The problem was people just didn’t like Hillary. > > “[If you don’t like Trump](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/18/16305486/what-really-happened-in-2016) and never did and find yourself baffled as to how the voters could have possibly disagreed with you, the answer is simple: They didn’t. He was able to win not just because of the Electoral College, but because most voters also didn’t like his opponent.” That’s one problem; the other is their own abject stupidity and ignorance. We live in a country of morons who hold conservative presidents accountable only when they’re unemployed and they’ve got padlocks on their front doors. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/27 "2019-01-15T02:48:06Z")
Funny how a system is lauded until it provides a result that vocal elitists disagree with. It’s almost as if democracy is a ruse to provide a veneer of legitimacy to a modern ruling political class. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/28 "2019-01-15T03:19:24Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Funny how a system is lauded until it provides a result that vocal elitists disagree with. It’s almost as if democracy is a ruse to provide a veneer of legitimacy to a modern ruling political class. I was thinking more along the lines if “sad, but unsurprising”. The libs want to pout and stamp their feet because they didn’t get their way, fine, but these anti-democratic views, especially after they spent so much time and energy accusation President Trump of being a “fascist” are just … sad. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/29 "2019-01-15T03:24:04Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > …_most_ voters also didn’t like his opponent. (emphasis added with a pedantic sniff…) Three million more voters voted for his opponent. Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt, you were saying? ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729/30 "2019-01-15T04:03:09Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > (emphasis added with a pedantic sniff…) > > Three million more voters voted for his opponent. Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt, you were saying? The crazy part is, if she had just been _slightly_ more popular, if _slightly_ more people had bothered to go out and vote for her in key states, she’d be Madam President right now. But she just couldn’t muster that tiny extra bit of support. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/827729.md?page=1)