# Why People Vote for Trump - help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 5, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027 "2016-05-05T21:59:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/1 "2016-05-05T21:59:42Z")
So dear old mom sent me a piece of crap email (copied below). What is GREAT is that mom asked me how to refute / check these numbers! I consider this a huge step for her, but I would like to ask the 'Dope for assistance. There are a lot of numbers in this thing, and I want to reply to her point by point with some help with cites. 1. $1,500 monthly for each “anchor baby.” 2. Single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890. Each can also obtain an additional $580 in Social Assistance, for a total of $2,470 a month The comparison number is the social security stuff and the “maximum of $1,012 in Old Age Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement”. The cap in social security seems to have accuracy issues as well. Now, I can send her to the Snopes article (which sometimes works): [Are Asylum Seekers Paid More Than Social Security Recipients? | Snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/refugees.asp) Funny how this is an urban myth that started in Canada… But any ideas on “true” numbers for America? > [@](#): > > From a Florida ER doctor: > > I live and work in a state overrun with Illegal’s. They make more money having kids than we earn working full-time. > > Today I had a 25-year old with 8 kids - that’s right 8, all Illegal Anchor Babies and she had the nicest nails, cell phone, hand bag, clothing, etc. She makes about $1,500 monthly for each; you do the math. > > I used to say, “We are the dumbest nation on earth,” Now I must say and sadly admit: WE ARE the dumbest people on earth (that includes ME) for we Elected the Idiot Ideologues who have passed the Bills that allow this. Sorry, but we need a Revolution, > > If the Illegal Immigrant is over 65, they can apply for SSI and Medicaid and get more than a woman on Social Security, who worked from 1944 until 2004. She is only getting $791 per month because she was born in 1924 and there’s a ‘catch 22’ (notch) for her. It is interesting that the Federal Government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890. Each can also obtain an additional $580 in Social Assistance, for a total of $2,470 a month. This compares to a single pensioner, who after contributing to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years, can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012 in Old Age Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement. Maybe our Pensioners should apply as Refugees! > > Consider sending this to all your American friends, so we can all be ticked off and maybe get the Refugees cut back to $1,012 and the Pensioners up to $2,470. Then we can enjoy some of the money we were forced to submit to the Government over the last 40 or 50 or 60 years. > > PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERY AMERICAN TAXPAYER YOU KNOW > > Remember too, that all the Syrian refugees will get the same benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/2 "2016-05-05T22:10:25Z")
Well, if the refugees are allowed to stay and get assimilated, they too will contribute “to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years”, so what’s the big deal? This is one of those “penny wise, pound total fucking moron” cases, except they’re not even penny wise. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/3 "2016-05-05T22:15:28Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, if the refugees are allowed to stay and get assimilated, they too will contribute “to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years”, so what’s the big deal? > > This is one of those “penny wise, pound total fucking moron” cases, except they’re not even penny wise. That part is easy for me - I was hunting down an attempt to fight the ignorance of the dollars, not just the hyperbole (without even getting into the racism and the modern welfare queen that is apparently now a Hispanic illegal immigrant OR a refugee instead of being black). ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/4 "2016-05-05T22:16:54Z")
See [here](http://www.factcheck.org/2010/05/a-mythical-florida-mom-and-other-false-claims-about-immigrants/) and [here](http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/social-security-for-immigrants-and-refugees/) ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/5 "2016-05-05T22:25:18Z")
How does an illegal immigrant get federal aid? Is it good or bad that we’ve moved from “wellfare babies” to “anchor babies?” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/6 "2016-05-05T22:55:46Z")
Why do People Vote for Trump? Probably they have a feeling of alienation topped off with an unhealthy dose of [Despair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism#Angst_and_dread)? Others may vote for him just for Cheap Thrills. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/7 "2016-05-05T23:35:28Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > Is it good or bad that we’ve moved from “wellfare babies” to “anchor babies?” Good for the AAs, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/8 "2016-05-05T23:49:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, if the refugees are allowed to stay and get assimilated, they too will contribute “to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years”, so what’s the big deal? I had just seen this article on Newser showing Trump eating a taco bowl and saying he “loves Hispanics Happy Cinco De Mayo!” when I read your post. The look on Trumps face shows me Exactly how he wants to assimilate refugees into his growth and development. > **[Trump Tweeted a Photo of Himself Eating a Taco Salad. The Internet Lost It](https://www.newser.com/story/224683/trump-attempts-latino-outreach-with-taco-bowl.html)** > > "I love Hispanics!" ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/9 "2016-05-06T00:33:09Z")
I chased down some numbers for the “8 kids worth of payments makes you rich” bit: > [@](#): > > Payments to parents of children is covered under the TANF program which provides block grants to the states, and each state then determines how much to pay. If you have 5 kids, your TOTAL payment for ALL children in the state of Florida is $487 for 5 kids. You can see the table in the document below on page 23 (data is from 2012). > > [https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43634.pdf](https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43634.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/10 "2016-05-06T01:39:21Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, if the refugees are allowed to stay and get assimilated, they too will contribute “to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years”, so what’s the big deal? > > This is one of those “penny wise, pound total fucking moron” cases, except they’re not even penny wise. The USA has plenty of people waiting to be productive like the people who lost their jobs at Carrier in Indiana but they’ve been tossed to the side by elitists limousine liberals who look down anyone with a tool belt. They can be productive in Syria or Mexico or Venezuela the shining example of socialist values. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/11 "2016-05-06T01:39:54Z")
I can refute parts of this claim: > [@](#): > > If the Illegal Immigrant is over 65, they can apply for SSI and Medicaid and get more than a woman on Social Security, who worked from 1944 until 2004. It is interesting that the Federal Government provides a single refugee… For starters, SSA benefits require 40 quarters of participation, or basically 10 years. The minimum earning to get that are relatively low, about $4000 per year, but it’s not like you show up and get showered with money from day 1. Do people who have worked here for 10 years deserve a retirement? Seems reasonable to me… I’m not sure about the hypothetical woman except to point out that she is described as working from age 20 to age 80, which seems like an unusual case right there. The SSA only factors your 35 highest earning years into the calculation. And the quoted text does say it’s a catch-22 based on a date of birth in 1924. So it has cherry-picked a highly unusual example, and I’d question whether that particular result applies to the other 99.9% of people. Benefits for illegal aliens is false: [SSI Spotlight on SSI Benefits for Noncitizens | Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | SSA](https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-non-citizens.htm) discusses numerous ways for legal immigrants to get benefits. However, you may also note that there’s a switch-up in terminology in that paragraph: It starts by saying “illegal alien” and then says “single refugee.” Yes, a lawfully present single refugee could get SSA benefits, but an illegal alien would not. The argument makes it sound like refugees and illegals are the same, but obviously they’re not. The rest of the complaint then focuses on refugees throughout and is basically just good old-fashioned bigotry. Remember, the Syrian refugees could get it too! Heaven forbid, because what we really want are some good old-fashioned English refugees. Anyway, refugee status is not like an anchor baby. You don’t sneak into the US and demand your refugee pension. The government chooses who it grants refugee status to, and I’m sure it turns away far too many of them. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/12 "2016-05-06T02:43:53Z")
> [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](#): > > The USA has plenty of people waiting to be productive like the people who lost their jobs at Carrier in Indiana but they’ve been tossed to the side by elitists limousine liberals who look down anyone with a tool belt. They can be productive in Syria or Mexico or Venezuela the shining example of socialist values. Then vote for Bernie Sanders to restore the rightful place of the working people in the Democratic Party. Those elitist limousine liberals are not real liberals and I respect your average TRUMP voter much more then those traitors who deserve to be purged from our ranks. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/13 "2016-05-06T12:38:43Z")
**Why People Vote for Trump** > [@](#): > > Now I must say and sadly admit: WE ARE the dumbest people on earth They’re remarkably candid, though… ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/14 "2016-05-06T13:08:07Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Then vote for Bernie Sanders to restore the rightful place of the working people in the Democratic Party. Those elitist limousine liberals are not real liberals and I respect your average TRUMP voter much more then those traitors who deserve to be purged from our ranks. Unlike Trump, Bernie Sanders never really took on the establishment. What sold me on Trump was his condemnation of George Bush and the Iraq war. Sanders never really pounded Clinton over her Wall Street speeches and her email server. He never took on crony capitalists like Warren Buffett. He never criticized Ford for moving a plant to Mexico. He has never condemned Obama for a lack luster economy. It’s been a tepid campaign that’s driven more by his supporters than Sanders himself. Even now he could be screaming that election primary is rigged like Trump has and force a contested convention but he is too fearful. I can’t even remember what state Clinton last won. It seems like Sanders has won most of the primaries and keeps falling behind. No, Sanders is more of the same. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/15 "2016-05-06T13:42:23Z")
> [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](#): > > Unlike Trump, Bernie Sanders never really took on the establishment. … > . Or the minorities, or women, or the disabled. Someone who isn’t smart enough not to alienate over 50% of the voters before getting the party nod really has very little chance of winning anything in November. ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/16 "2016-05-06T14:32:39Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Or the minorities, or women, or the disabled. > > Someone who isn’t smart enough not to alienate over 50% of the voters before getting the party nod really has very little chance of winning anything in November. I’m a minority and nothing Trump has said has alienated me. Liberals and Progressives think they can control minorities by screaming racism at everything the opposition says and they’ve had some success. But when you are truly confident in yourself, you don’t respond to demagoguery. People hear what they want to hear. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/17 "2016-05-06T14:36:32Z")
> [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](#): > > I’m a minority and nothing Trump has said has alienated me. Liberals and Progressives think they can control minorities by screaming racism at everything the opposition says and they’ve had some success. **But when you are truly confident in yourself, you don’t respond to demagoguery. People hear what they want to hear.** (bolding mine) Note to self-Get **PCP** mirror for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/18 "2016-05-06T15:00:16Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > (bolding mine) > Note to self-Get **PCP** mirror for Christmas. Thanks! It’s a great view.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Valteron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f17d59/32.png) [@Valteron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valteron)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/19 "2016-05-07T20:17:36Z")
The OP is right in saying that something like this started in Canada. The Canadian version contrasted how much a refugee gets versus the Canadian Old Age pension. I first came across it about 4 years ago. It has obviously crossed the border and morphed into an American version. But for what it is worth, here is my answer. The trouble is, as Trump well knows, ignorance is a powerful weapon. It is much easier to yell that a refugee gets more than an old age pensioner than it is to examine the detailed reasons for the different amounts. Leaving aside for a second whether the figures are right (they usually are NOT) let’s just ask why the amounts available to a refugee should be identical to the old age pension anway.??? Refugees arrive in Canada (or the US) with literally the clothes on their backs, usually warm weather clothing. A year ago, they probably never suspected they would have to leave their country and suddenly they find themslves smack dab in a Canadian winter. They may have had to sacrifice their life savings just to get out of their country, or may have had their bank accounts seized by the new government back home. They may not even have toothbrushes with them. In other words, their needs are immense, immediate and up front. But as soon as they can get winter clothing, an apartment, a change or underwear, their kids in school, etc.etc., their immense needs will rapidly decline and as soon as they get jobs they can start supporting themselves, contributing and paying taxes. Old age pensioners (like me) have a completely different set of needs. For starters, I have known for 50 or 55 years that I would be getting an old age pension at 65. Besides, the OA pension is far from being my only source of retirement income. Like most Canadians, I have a pension from the contributory Canada Pension Plan as well as the pension plan from the place I worked in before retirement. Unlike refugees, people who turn 65 don’t suddenly find themslves with nothing in the space of a few weeks. You still have clothes, furnitutre, a house or apartment, etc. These things don’t disappear just because you turn 65. You probably have savings in the bank and the government is not going to seize your funds. So in other words, old age pensioners have a completely different set of needs. Perhaps they will receive less than the refugee who has just landed at the airport, but they will receive this amount for 20 or 30 years, until they die. While the refugee can and probably will get off public assistance once he gets on his feet, the elderly will be needing more and more support programs as they get weaker and more vulnerable. So why compare aid to refugees and old age pensions at all? ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027/20 "2016-05-08T09:49:41Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Then vote for Bernie Sanders to restore the rightful place of the working people in the Democratic Party. Bernie will make everyone poor. That is the goal of all socialists. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-people-vote-for-trump-help/754027.md?page=2)