# Now what should people on the left do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 6, 2024, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778 "2024-11-06T12:13:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/141 "2024-11-07T00:10:46Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Not every Trump supporter was in the Capitol on Jan 6, though. Being an Al Qaeda member is more like being a Proud Boy than like being a generic MAGA voter. You could make that argument for people who voted for him in 2020, but not after last night. Every person who checked a box for Trump signed off on January 6th, and they’re no better than the people who were actually there. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/142 "2024-11-07T00:13:27Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You could make that argument for people who voted for him in 2020, but not after last night. Every person who checked a box for Trump signed off on January 6th, and they’re no better than the people who were actually there By your logic, what people on the Left should do is prepare for civil war (or at the very least, immediately flee the country). Because if half of our country is equally bad to Al Qaeda and that half is about to take power, the only logical conclusion is that you should take up arms against them. That’s certainly what I would do if the President Elect was Osama Bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/143 "2024-11-07T00:25:52Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > A “decent” person voting for Trump isn’t being “inconsistent” with their character, they’re showing you what their real character is. This. > [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > People are complex beings and sometimes do things that are inconsistent with their character I’m not sure if this is a form of sane-washing or what, however, this is such an understated view of the current situation that it boggles the mind. Trump and his vile ilk have been laying the foundation for something possibly akin to Nazi Germany, except with the added bonus of a nuclear arsenal, and threats of pulling out of NATO (and possibly blowing up the existing post-WW II world order) as well as potential toxic treatment of any populations that his movement deems inferior. One can’t separate voting for, and supporting, the above while claiming to be a good, non-evil, person. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/144 "2024-11-07T00:29:14Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > By your logic, what people on the Left should do is prepare for civil war (or at the very least, immediately flee the country). Yes, we should. We absolutely should. The US is sick, and getting sicker. I don’t see a way out of this that doesn’t involve a lot of blood. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/145 "2024-11-07T00:34:51Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’m tired of being lectured to about how I shouldn’t judge people who are actively trying to harm me Not to jump into the argument, but I think the disagreement here is that there isn’t consensus that Republican voters are as a bloc actively trying to harm you. If one believes they all (or meaningfully close to all) do, then your position seems to naturally follow. If one believes that there is a multitude of reasons folks voted Republican, then Babale’s position makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/146 "2024-11-07T00:39:48Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Yes, we should. We absolutely should. The US is sick, and getting sicker. I don’t see a way out of this that doesn’t involve a lot of blood If you’ve decided that Trump voters vote Trump because they want to kill gay and brown people, I can see how you’d come to that conclusion. I know some Trump voters, and they’re far more concerned about inflation and about immigration than either of those things. So I’m not gonna come to that same conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/147 "2024-11-07T00:40:38Z")
I’m with Harris in her concession speech today. Not gonna quote but the essence was that this isn’t time to despair, it is time to roll up our collective sleeves. No question a major battle is lost. But the next four years will have many battles to come, and not the physical ones. The next four years will be hard, and we each will do what we can to help those we feel we can, each in our ways. Trump will demonstrate his fascist desires. There may be an opportunity during midterms to push back some. And then in another two years. He will injure our institutions but no he won’t kill them. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/148 "2024-11-07T00:40:50Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > > [@Miller](#): > > > > I’m tired of being lectured to about how I shouldn’t judge people who are actively trying to harm me > > Not to jump into the argument, but I think the disagreement here is that there isn’t consensus that Republican voters are as a bloc actively trying to harm you. If one believes they all (or meaningfully close to all) do, then your position seems to naturally follow. > > If one believes that there is a multitude of reasons folks voted Republican, then Babale’s position makes sense. You made my point much more eloquently while I was typing. ---
**Author:** ![illoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a3d4f5/32.png) [@illoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/illoe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/149 "2024-11-07T00:41:47Z")
This was a devastating loss. The only thing I’m grateful for is that I didn’t talk up this election to my daughters the same way I did in 2016– even though I loved the hell out of Harris and was meh about Hillary— so the pain was (for now) largely mine to bear. Lots of friends reaching out, and reaching out to friends, helped. Knowing that I donated and made calls and tried to have difficult conversations with people in my family and community helped. Today I’m holding tight to the people I love and gathering myself for what comes next. One thing that might help is writing to our congresspeople. Some republicans are too far gone, but certainly we can let every elected federal official know that we are concerned about autocracy and that we expect them to fight to uphold their oaths to the constitution and the people. Looks like every branch is red starting in January, and old-white-man-winter will last a lot longer than the autumn leaves, so let’s flatter the idiots (I’m a woman, it’s a survival strategy) and appeal sincerely to the good people remaining in our government. I also love @Kimstu ‘s strategy to watch for people being harmed and @Pork_Rind ’s donation list. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/150 "2024-11-07T00:52:50Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I would still like an answer from @We_re_wolves_not_werewolves here’s your answer, equating Trump to bin Laden is an absurd comparison. Let me repeat, it is absurd. You need to wrap your head around what is being discussed here and come up with a better analogy than that. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/151 "2024-11-07T00:58:02Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > That you think that this is an apt comparison explains why Trump won. Thank you for once again demonstrating that the left has to be so much better than the right to even stand a chance. Trump and his supporters have been saying worse about Democrats for decades, but it only gets him _more_ support. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/152 "2024-11-07T00:58:51Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > These are people who just voted in favor of a guy who campaigned on putting people in concentration camps, and I’m supposed to try and see the good in them? I don’t care what you do. You can live a long lonely life judging the character of more than half the people in this country based solely on who they voted for. You have a lot of company, that narrow thinking is distressingly common on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/153 "2024-11-07T01:14:24Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > If you’ve decided that Trump voters vote Trump because they want to kill gay and brown people, I can see how you’d come to that conclusion. > > I know some Trump voters, and they’re far more concerned about inflation and about immigration than either of those things. So I’m not gonna come to that same conclusion. It’s not about the specific issue that brought them to Trump, it’s about what they’re willing to countenance so long as their issue is catered to. And the answer to that, apparently, is “absolutely anything.” Time and again, Trump has found a new low that made us think, "Surely, _surely_, this will be too much for them, and they’ll desert him. And it never happens. We need to abandon the idea that there is some excess Trump could commit that would cause him to lose support, because there is no bottom to that barrel. Does every Trump voter want to genocide gay and brown people? No, probably not, and ethnic cleansing isn’t really what I’m worried about. January 6th showed that Trump isn’t afraid to use violence to achieve his political ends, and last night told us a majority of Americans are okay with that. If, say, the Trump administration starts disappearing political opponents, or deploys lethal force to break up protests, are any of his supporters going to object? They never have before, so why would you expect them to now? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/154 "2024-11-07T01:18:13Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > We need to abandon the idea that there is some excess Trump could commit that would cause him to lose support, because there is no bottom to that barrel. You’re right. So rather than repeatedly whining about how bad Trump is, maybe we can run campaigns around addressing the issues that Americans say they care about - immigration, inflation. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/155 "2024-11-07T01:20:27Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > maybe we can run campaigns around addressing the issues that Americans say they care about - immigration, inflation. Thing is the Biden administration is leaving with those issues under control … Trump will just say on day one : “There! Fixed faster and better than anyone ever in history!” ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/156 "2024-11-07T01:23:49Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Thing is the Biden administration is leaving with those issues under control That’s precisely the message that didn’t appeal to voters. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/157 "2024-11-07T01:30:30Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I thought you said that all Trump supporters were evil racists who wanted you - and most of the world’s population - dead. > > But now some portion of them are just deluded fools? > > What portion of Trump voters are evil and want you dead, and what portion are deluded fools? Are those the only two categories of Trump voters, or are there more you’re waiting to reveal? Can the Democrats win over any of the “deluded fool” contingent? No, they can’t. Their constant attempts to try are one of the reasons they keep failing, And you are ignoring the obvious point I was making that voting for somebody who hates you is either irrational or stupid. As for evil; voting for Trump _was_ an act of evil in itself. All of them are evil, and all of them want me dead. Because _I_ am not _them._ ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/158 "2024-11-07T01:37:35Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Thing is the Biden administration is leaving with those issues under control …Trump will just say on day one : “There! Fixed faster and better than anyone ever in history!” And he doesn’t even need to try mass deportation. Just make a spectacle out of deporting some people. Perception is reality. Then people in Montana can praise him saying “It worked! Since Trump got back in office, not a single person in my family has been raped or killed by an illegal!" How do you counter that? His people will believe anything he tells them, reality be damned. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/159 "2024-11-07T01:37:52Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > I don’t care what you do. You can live a long lonely life judging the character of more than half the people in this country based solely on who they voted for. You have a lot of company, that narrow thinking is distressingly common on this board. Well, you can live a long lonely life _unless they kill you._ ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/160 "2024-11-07T01:42:17Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > You can live a long lonely life judging the character of more than half the people in this country based solely on who they voted for. You have a lot of company, A long lonely life with a lot of company? Sounds okay to me. > [@Babale](#): > > You’re right. So rather than repeatedly whining about how bad Trump is, maybe we can run campaigns around addressing the issues that Americans say they care about - immigration, inflation. The thing is, _we did that_. It didn’t matter. What do you do with a voter who says immigration in his biggest issue, then votes for the guy who killed the border bill? That’s why I’m saying, blue states need to prepare for violence, up to and including civil war. There is no check on Trump. They will support whatever he tries to do, and accept his narrative about why he did it unquestioningly. The only practical limit on what Trump can get away with is what he wants to get away with. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778.md?page=9)