# How to be a liberal in a Trump world **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 16, 2016, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840 "2016-12-16T05:07:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/41 "2016-12-17T02:48:52Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The general pattern has been that just about everyone he’s appointed to head any agency is someone with an ideology that is directly opposed to the purpose of the agency along with an astounding degree of inexperience or incompetence. Among the most mindboggling of the lot is Betsy DeVoss for the Deparment of Education, who has spent most of her life trying to destroy public education, and Rick Perry for the Department of Energy, who once pledged to abolish the department then famously forgot what department he wanted to abolish during the previous presidential debates. Rick Perry thus demonstrating the very best of the Trump Cabinet secretary criteria: (a) believes the department he’s supposed to be managing should not exist, and (b) is comically incompetent. And his latest pick for Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who has said that left-wing Jews, like myself, are worse than Jews who worked with the Nazis: > [@](#): > > Finally, are J Street supporters really as bad as kapos? The answer, actually, is no. They are far worse than kapos – Jews who turned in their fellow Jews in the Nazi death camps. The kapos faced extraordinary cruelty and who knows what any of us would have done under those circumstances to save a loved one? But J Street? They are just smug advocates of Israel’s destruction delivered from the comfort of their secure American sofas – it’s hard to imagine anyone worse. ([http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18828](http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18828)) Friedman and Trump can go f-ck themselves! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/42 "2016-12-17T02:55:24Z")
> [@squidfood](#): > > But we are “seeing” right now. His cabinet picks couldn’t be a clearer indication of his direction, and there’s no conciliation, hope, or moderation for a liberal to find in any of them. I agree. It looks like he’s basically nominating the comment section of Breitbart. He gets to do that and there’s nothing we can do. Once he starts governing (or fails to do so) then the mechanisms of government are available to us, though they require some pulling. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/43 "2016-12-17T03:02:56Z")
> [@Colleen7242664](#): > > Not so young. My day to day life is not dependent, but it has affected me negatively. More so than any other election. Why do you suppose that is? ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/44 "2016-12-17T04:14:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You’re right about one thing-- I don’t agree with your reasoning. Including the part that I was sneering at anyone. Okay, it sure sounded like sneering to me, but if it was intended as a respectful response, I’ll take your word for it. I’d be interested in hearing a response that is more that just “I don’t agree,” however. So you don’t agree with my assertion that some people’s day-to-day lives may indeed be affected by a Trump presidency - for example if they lose their jobs as a direct result of his policies? That takes a little explanation before it makes sense. Most people consider loss of employment a pretty big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/45 "2016-12-17T04:15:50Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I think this is one example, similar to how the evangelicals forgave or overlooked his multiple marriages. They also managed to forgive or overlook his lies, his adultery, his assaults on women, his fake christianity, the way he defrauded thousands of people, his crude language, his crude behavior, his poor judgement, his lies (did I mention his lies?), his…well, I could go on. Evangelicals are apparently willing to overlook lots of things. Someone, not me but someone, might suspect those evangelicals of being insincere and hypocritical in their beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/46 "2016-12-17T05:46:27Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > They also managed to forgive or overlook his lies, his adultery, his assaults on women, his fake christianity, the way he defrauded thousands of people, his crude language, his crude behavior, his poor judgement, his lies (did I mention his lies?), his…well, I could go on. Evangelicals are apparently willing to overlook lots of things. Someone, not me but someone, might suspect those evangelicals of being insincere and hypocritical in their beliefs. It all falls into place if we stipulate that evangelicals are very enthusiastic about keeping women in their place by restricting abortion. In this they are quite sincere. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/47 "2016-12-17T05:54:10Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > They also managed to forgive or overlook his lies, his adultery, his assaults on women, his fake christianity, the way he defrauded thousands of people, his crude language, his crude behavior, his poor judgement, his lies (did I mention his lies?), his…well, I could go on. Evangelicals are apparently willing to overlook lots of things. Someone, not me but someone, might suspect those evangelicals of being insincere and hypocritical in their beliefs. Either that (they’re all a just a bunch of hypocrites), or you’re missing something about the way they evaluate their political priorities. Which do you think is the most parsimonious explanation of your confusion about their actions? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/48 "2016-12-17T06:16:11Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Really? Because he’s certainly made no secret of how much he enjoys [revenge](http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/donald-trump-obsessed-with-revenge). > > ETA: Ninja’d! It isn’t revenge, it’s an object lesson. As far back as _The Art of The Deal_ Trump talked about how whenever someone hit him, he hit them back ten times as hard. This wasn’t to exact revenge but to discourage them from trying it again. It was also a lesson to observers as to what they could expect should they decide to try to take him on. It was and is just a very effective way of saying ‘don’t jack with me’. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/49 "2016-12-17T06:27:16Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > It isn’t revenge, it’s an object lesson. As far back as _The Art of The Deal_ Trump talked about how whenever someone hit him, he hit them back ten times as hard. This wasn’t to exact revenge but to discourage them from trying it again. It was also a lesson to observers as to what they could expect should they decide to try to take him on. It was and is just a very effective way of saying ‘don’t jack with me’. In what way do you know anything of why he does anything? Just guessing? His mentor was Roy Cohn. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/50 "2016-12-17T15:03:56Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > It isn’t revenge, it’s an object lesson. As far back as _The Art of The Deal_ Trump talked about how whenever someone hit him, he hit them back ten times as hard. This wasn’t to exact revenge but to discourage them from trying it again. It was also a lesson to observers as to what they could expect should they decide to try to take him on. It was and is just a very effective way of saying ‘don’t jack with me’. And you think that’s different from revenge… how exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/51 "2016-12-17T15:18:37Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > They also managed to forgive or overlook his lies, his adultery, his assaults on women, his fake christianity, the way he defrauded thousands of people, his crude language, his crude behavior, his poor judgement, his lies (did I mention his lies?), his…well, I could go on. Evangelicals are apparently willing to overlook lots of things. Someone, not me but someone, might suspect those evangelicals of being insincere and hypocritical in their beliefs. That post reminds me of comedian Jim Jefferies talking about religious people and God: > [@](#): > > “Religious people will forgive god for fucking anything. In their mind he does good things. Rainbows. Children’s laughter. Shit like that, right? But when he does bad things like hurricanes, aids, cancer, child molestation, then we just go ‘ah well… god works in mysterious ways’. What type of an excuse is that? What is mysterious about acting like a fucking asshole? That is like the least mysterious activity since the dawn of time!” ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/52 "2016-12-17T15:34:22Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > . Most people consider loss of employment a pretty big deal. Psssttt…that could be why TRUMP won. You need to contact the DNC. ---
**Author:** ![CatandMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@CatandMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatandMouse)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/53 "2016-12-17T15:52:24Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Psssttt…that could be why TRUMP won. You need to contact the DNC. Last I check, unemployment was around 5%. Maybe the reason Trump won is because people are dumb enough to believe his BS. Pants on fire > **[Donald Trump says the unemployment rate may be 42 percent](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/sep/30/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-unemployment-rate-may-be-42-perc/)** > > During the televised press conference in which he announced his tax plan, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Tru Americans think the economy is in far worse shape than it is. The U.S. unemployment rate is only 4.9%, but 57% of Americans believe it’s a lot higher than that, according to a new survey by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. The general public has “extremely little factual knowledge” about the job market and labor force, Rutgers found. > **[Problem: Americans don't believe unemployment rate](https://money.cnn.com/2016/09/06/news/economy/us-unemployment-rate/)** > > The U.S. unemployment rate is 4.9%, but 57% of Americans believe the rate is a lot higher than that, according to a new Rutgers University survey. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/54 "2016-12-17T17:08:28Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > In what way do you know anything of why he does anything? Just guessing? We should ask the opinion of some who’s known Trump personally, for years. Like Barbara Res, who worked for him for 18 years, and who … thinks he’s unintelligent and unsuited for the Presidency…OK, that’s no good, forget that, let’s go with the opinion of someone who’s read his book. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/55 "2016-12-17T17:11:30Z")
> [@CatandMouse](#): > > Last I check, unemployment was around 5%. Maybe the reason Trump won is because people are dumb enough to believe his BS. > > ] Breaking news…to get people to vote for you…you kinda need to address their concerns…how grounded in reality they are isn’t particularly relevant. But hey, if you wanna be right and NOT in office…well, have fun with that. ---
**Author:** ![CatandMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@CatandMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatandMouse)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/56 "2016-12-17T17:13:32Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Breaking news…to get people to vote for you…you kinda need to address their concerns…how grounded in reality they are isn’t particularly relevant. > > But hey, if you wanna be right and NOT in office…well, have fun with that. And you can lead a horse to water…well, you know the saying. ---
**Author:** ![CatandMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@CatandMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatandMouse)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/57 "2016-12-17T17:19:30Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Breaking news…to get people to vote for you…you kinda need to address their concerns…how grounded in reality they are isn’t particularly relevant. > > But hey, if you wanna be right and NOT in office…well, have fun with that. Your post reminds me of Liberal Redneck. (funny) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1CnayKa3EKs/hqdefault.jpg "Liberal Redneck - Reaching Rural America") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CnayKa3EKs) ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/58 "2016-12-17T19:24:50Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > And you think that’s different from revenge… how exactly? Revenge is its own end. It has no goal but to pay someone back or give them their just deserts. Sometimes it’s delivered in such a way that the recipient doesn’t even know where it came from. When Trump unloads on somebody it’s with the goal in mind to teach them and others that there’s a price to pay for wronging him. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/59 "2016-12-17T19:33:40Z")
[quote=“CatandMouse, post:57, topic:774840”] Your post reminds me of Liberal Redneck. (funny) [/QUOTE] Well, again… You can laugh all you want while Trump sits in the Oval Office…while Hillary bemoans the fact that unemployment isn’t/wasn’t as bad as all those rednecks thought it was…and if only they KNEW that she would have won. Have fun on your ivory zip line to nowhere… ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840/60 "2016-12-17T19:44:18Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > We should ask the opinion of some who’s known Trump personally, for years. Like Barbara Res, who worked for him for 18 years, and who … thinks he’s unintelligent and unsuited for the Presidency…OK, that’s no good, forget that, let’s go with the opinion of someone who’s read his book. Or better yet let’s go with the opinion of someone like yourself who keeps claiming Trump is only successful because of his inheritance when in fact Trump had twice built multi-billion dollar fortunes by the time his father died in the late nineties. Plus we don’t know why Res left after all that time. Her criticisms are very likely just the rumblings of disgruntled former employee. And Res was outspokenly in the tank for Hillary. Trump has spent his career spotting and bringing to fruition real estate development opportunities that others either haven’t seen or chose to by. He’s spent a lot of time working with architects, engineers, financiers, attorneys, municipal officials, etc., etc., etc. His own ex-wife, a former executive in his companies herself, once said you can’t win with him, that he’ll always find a way to outsmart you. But if you want to continue to believe and attempt to persuade others that he’s just some dummy who managed to get himself elected because “-isms”, knock yourself out. Just know that reality is heavily biased against you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-be-a-liberal-in-a-trump-world/774840.md?page=4)