I haven’t seen any “in your face” Trump displays in my neighborhood yet this year. Back in 2020 though there was an annoying caravan of 40-50 cars driving through Willow Glen bedecked with Trump banners, waving signs out their windows, shouting slogans and honking horns. My first impulse was to flip them off but thought better of it and just gave them a thumbs down.
The most interesting yard sign I’ve seen in the 'hood is now obsolete, I wonder if they’ll replace it with one for the new candidate.
I go back to what I’ve heard from a number of sources - We take him literally, but don’t take him seriously; MAGA takes him seriously, but doesn’t take him literally.
We hear him say “If I were dictator on day 1, I would do this, that and the other” and say “He wants to be dictator - how can anyone vote for this clown?”
They hear that and go “He wants to make bad things good! I love him!”, ignoring the fact that he won’t be dictator, and wouldn’t be able to do the things he’s promising. Heck, they may even know that he can’t do those things, but he knows that those are things that bug his constituants and get them frothing at the mouth.
I rarely have political discussions with my MAGA mother, but this past weekend we were talking about the problems Arkansans face with healthcare, and mom mentioned she had written to our governor, Huckabee Sanders, asking what she was going to do about the healthcare problems. I found this perplexing and blurted out with incredulity, “You voted for her!” Mom correctly pointed out that just because she voted for someone it doesn’t mean she thinks they’re doing a good job with everthing, but that wasn’t I was in disbeliefs. My point was that mom knew what kind of person Huckabee Sanders was when she voted for her, so asking her what she would to do help improve the healthcare situation of the state is silly. The answer is nothing. Huckabee Sanders doesn’t care.
And I’ve seen similiar beliefs from MAGA supporters in other areas. They think he’s got the ability and the interest to fix everything. It’s bizarre magical thinking.
Agreed. What I was wondering more about was the relative amount of visible Trump vs visible Harris signs/stickers/paraphernalia. I think in general, MAGA is more likely to display their stuff than non/anti-MAGA.
Totally agree. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that Trump supporters in both 2016 and 2020 displayed more stuff than any other presidential election in my memory.
Having said that, I do believe that there is less stuff this time around, at least at this point.
You’ve put me in mind of a Cracked article that was published before the 2016 election…the author is from one of these areas and explains the mindset of Trump voters as he sees it.
Read it. What pisses me off is they refuse help. I’m rural, mountain rural. My wife and I do not have kids but vote for every tax that would help education and people in need. Yup, I vote to increase my taxes when it won’t help me directly.
I live in the eastern WA / northern ID portion of the world and there is a lot of Trump, fuck Biden, let’s go Brandon and other moronic shit hung in driveways, pastures, and festooned all over their lifted vehicles. I’m also seeing more of the Christian Nationalist flags which is concerning.
Today is Michigan’s primary election. Local gov and Congressional races along with non partisan judgeships and proposals on the ballot. There’s always a few who feel compelled to quiz me on how do we prevent “illegals” from voting if one doesn’t have to show ID? Well we ask every registered voter to fill out an application to vote. And provide picture ID. Don’t have one or forgot that’s cool sign the affidavit on the reverse side. Now let’s look you up. And if they ain’t in the poll book it means they didn’t register to vote and they ain’t getting a ballot. What are we stupid? Oh sure fill out your application to vote in pencil or pen it don’t make a difference. But if it’ll make you feel more secure fill it out in pen.
I live in a very red corner of a blue county in the corner of a blue state. 2016 and 2020, there was Trump shit all over - hats, banners, etc. There were 2 stands of people selling MAGA stuff within a mile of my house.
This year - nothing. I’m not seeing signs; I’m not seeing banners; neither stand is up grifting selling MAGA crap. Maybe the Trump campaign has given up on our state as a lost cause and are focusing on more purple states.
Sadly, my car horn doesn’t work. I do flip them the bird though. I don’t see as many as I did last time. It’s a good thing too; my middle finger is a bit arthritic and arthritis can be exacerbated by repetitive use.
Here in Florida, at the lead up to the last election, I recall a Trump boat parade. Lots of trucks with huge Trump flags drove around town. There were a lot of bumper stickers.
I just don’t see it now. He has his fans (I recently saw a house flying an upside down flag) but he doesn’t have the enthusiasm he once did.
A few weeks ago I was in a red part of California and didn’t see very many Trump signs but I did see a billboard with the Founding Fathers on it and, The Founding Fathers were felons, too.
Local rednecks just voted to retain Dr. Karen Barber in her position as Superintendent of Schools for Santa Rosa County FL. Out of curiosity I checked her web page and found:
There are 2 houses near me - diagonally across an intersection, directly across from an elementary school - that previously had Trump flags, signs saying, “Make liberals cry”, etc. Not seeing any yet this year.
There are a couple of homes that have had all manner of (IMO) offensive signs up continuously. Those remain. But - as a whole, glad not to see more. Nice to be in an increasingly blue-purple area of a blue state (due to Chicago). When we drive any distance south or west, the Trump signs appear.
Thank you,@Hermione1, for sharing that excellent essay.
I grew up in the SoCal bubble. I don’t recall the term ‘bubble’ being used but I recall thinking I lived in The Center of The Universe. Florida, where I would eventually live for the next three decades, wasn’t even worth thinking about. My parents, having grown up in Chicago during the Depression, did not instill that in me. I attribute it to the media in general, and my youthful ignorance specifically.
Fast forward to 2016, when I genuinely understood( or tried to) what it must be like to be disregarded if one lived in the south or a flyover state. To never see oneself represented positively ( if at all) in the media. I tried to start conversations among like- minded Dems.
All my goodwill and empathy got incinerated by trump and his ignorant, hateful followers.
From the article: “It was a source of shame to be dependent on anyone – especially the government.”
To which I have to reply - what about every public school and every non-toll road and highway, every bridge, every police officer, and every firefighter (subsidized by us effete urban elites)? The whole anti-socialism hypocrisy really pisses me off TBH.
I live in SoCal in a small unincorporated community with just about 50/50 Red/Blue.
It is odd- in 2020, there were “Make America Great Again” and “Fuck Biden” signs all over the place, but I am not seeing them this year. I think trump is losing part of his base- some are actually embarrassed to put that sign out now.
