I was doing an IT job in Rhinelander, WI last weekend. After slaving over a hot keyboard all day long I decided to take a break. I headed to the hotel bar where I was staying, ordered an IPA. I engaged in conversation with the gentleman sitting next to me. Things were flowing fine but somehow the convo steered toward Trump’s fitness to be prez. I usually avoid politics and religion in conversation. I don’t like confrontation. But this guy was really pushing all the buttons.
After my trying to change the subject several times, this guy got increasingly agitated. He made a huge deal of leaving his seat and moving to the opposite end of the bar from me, joining the only two other people at that end the bar.
Then he started chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump”. After a few iterations the other two people joined in. So now all three of them are chanting “Trump”.
At first I thought they were kidding, but the pure hate toward me was obvious in their eyes. The bartender just stood there. I figured he wanted to join in too, but he wanted his tip from me so he kept his mouth shut.
So I ordered another IPA and ignored them. I just wanted to see how long they’d carry on. Uh… they carried on, and on. I ended up chugging my beer and got out of there. They applauded as I left. Bartender got no tip.
Granted this was only a very small group of people in a very small city. But their fervor was unmistakeable. Eyes glazed over, hands in the air, they are being “saved”. It was almost like going to a Baptist chuch service.
I didn’t know Rhinelander HAD white collar beers. Of course, it’s been quite awhile since I visited. There used to be a big paper mill there, so it was pretty blue collar. Not sure if the mill is still there. If not, maybe they make their $$ of tourism now. Hence the upscale brewski?
Sounds like you handled some crude idiots with a great deal of class. Perhaps that’s how they knew you weren’t “one of them.”
It’s a good thing you left before they started chanting “Crooked Hillary” and “Lock Her Up!” at you. Who knows how things might have ended? Sounds like it could be a scene from a remake of The Wicker Man or Deliverance.
And you assume that most Yelp readers are anti-Trump? A post like that might attract more business, not drive it away. Not to mention, what the hell is the hotel going to do? What should the bartender have done? If there were only four people in the bar (if I’m reading that right) is he going to tell three of them to pipe down?
To answer the OP, it is my opinion that some percentage of supporters of 45 are as rabid as that, they have adopted him as their standard because he represents a retreat from the direction the world has been heading in since Reagan, and even before. They love what he stands for even when it bites them in the economic ass. You know, morons.
I’m curious what the OP said when he was declining to discuss politics. Was there no way to phrase it that wouldn’t have driven the other guy to express his idiocy?
I’m sure the same thing would have happened had you insulted their favorite sports team. A lot of people are morons. That’s pretty much the take away from your encounter.
But what % of people who voted for him are like this? And I’m guessing they were always like this, but now they can be open about it.
At root its just angry white christians upset about society becoming multicultural and they view Trump as their great white hope at pushing back against multiculturalism. Most of them will be dead in 20 years and hopefully their children are better people than their parents.
If Trumpism is a religion, it’s not the kind that wants to gain new converts, nor the kind that wants to just peacefully coexist with other religions. It’s the kind that wants to see everyone outside the religion burn in hell, and to enjoy watching them burn.
The guy who started it was white, morbidly obese and an unemployed former paper mill worker. Also a Chicago Bears fan, which is a rare thing to admit in Wisconsin.
That angry Trump fan in the bar. Was he becoming increasingly agitated because you wouldn’t or didn’t want to debate him? ( You indicated you were trying to change the subject )
The main reason I don’t visit North America anymore is incidents like this. I wouldn’t have the self-control you had were I to venture into a cesspool of ignorance. I’m on the other side of the world, but the stench of hatred and ignorance from U.S.A. is palpable.
I doubt this very much. Even R-voting Americans can grasp that different cities have different teams. The hatred OP witnessed is more like religious fervor. Satan worship?
Just when I thought there might be hope for you, you trot out an insipid little gimme meme like this. Wow.
I think the Trumpette was looking for someone to shout down, a “librul” to publicly attack so that he could show others that he would defend his Lord and Master.
The “Bears Fan Deep in Packer Territory” thing makes me think that, since he lost his job, his whole purpose in life is to piss people off.
It’s gotta be frustrating when he failed with you.
(Little did he know he was dealing with a Doper… who can stay zen because he’s got a support group to rant to once out of the situation.)
I doubt this very much. Even R-voting Americans can grasp that different cities have different teams. The hatred OP witnessed is more like religious fervor. Satan worship?