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[Joel Was Right]

OUNT GILEAD, Ohio — The challenge Annette Cottrell pondered was how to grade President Trump's stormy first full week on the job. A trade war bubbling up with Mexico. A divisive border wall. A ban on refugees from war-torn countries. Brawls with the news media and national parks.

”I'd give him an A-plus," Ms. Cottrell, 38, said from her salon, Mane Attraction, on Main Street here in the seat of a conservative Ohio county of pastures and maple groves where Mr. Trump won 70 percent of the vote. ”He's doing what he said he was going to be doing."

So, about that head-spinning week. Mr. Trump drew a torrent of criticism after pressing a series of falsehoods about voter fraud, the size of the crowd at his inauguration and his attacks on the intelligence community. His rapid-fire executive actions reversing years of policy on immigration, abortion and the environment left his critics seething and fearful and liberal opponents preparing a volley of legal challenges to blunt them.


”Honestly, he sometimes needs to shut up," said Joshua Wade, 24, of Ann Arbor, Mich., a state that had not supported a Republican for president since George Bush in 1988. ”Just do what we elected you to do. We won. Drop the inauguration stuff. It's fine."

Gun rights top Mr. Wade's wish list for the new administration. He wants Supreme Court nominees friendly to gun owners and laws that extend concealed-carry rights across state lines. He said he had been encouraged that Mr. Trump took swift action on some campaign promises during his early days in office.

”There's no doubt: He's good at showmanship," said Mr. Wade, a registered Republican. ”But I think this first week is proving he's capable of following through on that with real action."

But what appeals to supporters may be turning off independents. A Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday gave Mr. Trump only a 36 percent job approval rating and found that majorities of people surveyed said he was neither honest nor levelheaded.

Still, Trump voters interviewed said they cared little if the president spouted off on Twitter because he was issuing the kind of executive actions many had long craved — freezing federal grant money for environmental research, banning foreign aid for groups that give abortion counseling and cutting off immigration from several Muslim-majority nations.

”Trump's done more in five days than Obama did in eight years," said Doug Cooperrider, 58, who works in construction repairing bridges and roads around central Ohio.

The bar at Boondocks, where Mr. Cooperrider dug into a B.L.T. sandwich on a sleety morning, sits about 1,900 miles from the Arizona deserts where sections of the multibillion-dollar border wall may rise. The Hispanic population is tiny in this overwhelmingly white county of 35,000, and it has grown only 0.3 percent in the past five years.

Still, people here said they felt as if immigration had undercut wages for construction workers in the area. One man said he was uneasy about the longstanding Somali community in Columbus, about an hour's drive south. Several embraced Mr. Trump's directives that limited new refugees, ordered up the border wall and cut off federal grant money to cities labeled sanctuaries for immigrants.

”I'm 100 percent behind the wall," said Ms. Cottrell, the salon owner. ”If he asked me to lay the first brick, I'd sign up. I'm tired of them being here illegally and cutthroating the rest of us."

Mr. Cottrell said he had wanted Mr. Trump to gut the high-ranking staff of the V.A. and was disappointed when he instead kept on an Obama administration official to oversee the agency. But he said that did not affect his support for Mr. Trump. ”I have never seen someone make promises and immediately start keeping them," he said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/trump-backers-like-his-first-draft-of-a-new-america.html

I would also encourage readers to check out the comments on the article.

 

[Forkball]

Well, he is definitely doing what he said he would be doing.

 

[Derwind]

I hope they all enjoy their fascist xenophobic regime, they deserve each other.

 

[blazinglord]

I wonder how many people who voted for him to 'send a message' and 'shake up the establishment' while secretly believing that he wouldn't carry out his promises regret their vote now.

 

[Blackthorn]

Makes sense. He's doing exactly what he said he would and he's been entirely consistent with the dreadful person he was before the election.

"Both sides" cowards, turncoat liberals and whipped Repiblicans are the only ones who deluded themselves into thinking he would change when he became president. He's told everyone exactly who he was from day one.

 

[kmax]

It's harder to build something up than tearing everything apart.

That's the difference between Obama and Trump.

 

[The Technomancer]

So...It's about racism

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Dont give him too much credit. He lied his ass off about how he was going to take America back from wall street. He literally hired wallstreet CEOs to run the country.

 

[Neo C.]

They will always double down, it's a lot easier to admit making a mistake. And since Trump is so erratic, they can easily cherry pick the things they like.

 

[Joni]

I'd be more interested in seeing how many people regret not voting.

 

[JordanN]

Gun rights top Mr. Wade’s wish list for the new administration. He wants Supreme Court nominees friendly to gun owners and laws that extend concealed-carry rights across state lines.

Ugh, the worship of the gun is so disgusting to me.

You already get to own your weapon of death, now you care how "friendly" the courts see you?

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

Progressives should get america back in 2018. Obstruct every move he makes.

 

[jakonovski]

Ugh, the worship of the gun is so disgusting to me.

You already get to own your weapon of death, now you care how "friendly" the courts see you?

The end goal is to be able to shoot brown people without consequence. 100%.

 

[cdyhybrid]

Ohio deserves the Browns

 

[Unknown One]

These idiots are dragging us down.

 

[jett]

But we should open a dialogue with these people, right?

 

[JordanN]

The end goal is to be able to shoot brown people without consequence. 100%.

In a way, it's ironic how some gun owners see themselves as victims requiring special attention.

Meanwhile, women's rights or minorities rights are seen as less of a priority despite having those same issues represent them.

 

[BocoDragon]

I don't really consider this article surprising or alarming. So Trump voters like the first week in which Trump made strong gestures towards fulfilling his promises.

It doesn't even come with data. For all we know, many Trump voters may be "cautiously optimistic", emphasis on cautiously.

Let's see how it looks when it sinks in that Trump's plan to make Mexico pay for the wall is non-existent. Maybe it won't reach them... maybe the wall issue doesn't ultimately matter... but we're already seeing the seeds of a President who was promising the moon and doesn't have any realistic tactic to grab it.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Fuck every single one of these people. And Trump.

 

[von Stroheim]

What this country needs in some kind of Winston Churchill. You know, somebody with balls who will never surrender to the eeeeeevil.

What we have is spineless Democrats. Barf.

 

[Juice]

I've lived in Columbus for a decade and the Somali population is relatively small and generally great. I have literally no idea why anyone would be bothered by it--least of all someone an hour away--other than by racism.

 

[Dehnus]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/trump-backers-like-his-first-draft-of-a-new-america.html

— freezing federal grant money for environmental research,

I"m seriously angry at Republicans/Conservatives and Libertarians to make it seem like scientists get millions a person for research.. when often they live close to or under the poverty line.. and thus it is a calling rather than a profession.

Something Politics SHOULD BE, but has become a "get rich quick scheme" by going populist. I hope that eventually we can put all of these climate criminals to trial and in jail for their betrayal against human kind. The Earth will continue to exist, but it is humankind that will die out .

 

[Chichikov]

What this country needs in some kind of Winston Churchill. You know, somebody with balls who will never surrender to the eeeeeevil.

What we have is spineless Democrats. Barf.

Winston Churchill?
You mean a racist blowhard who is mostly good at making headlines?
I think we're good on that front.

 

[Dehnus]

I wonder how many people who voted for him to 'send a message' and 'shake up the establishment' while secretly believing that he wouldn't carry out his promises regret their vote now.

How about 0, most knew what they voted for and just used excuses to justify it when they were called out. Say about the Alt Reich what you want, at least they are honest about that part. They want to do a genocide and a race war, and admit it. These people lie about it, and still are just as racist.

There might be a few that were swayed into a protest vote or feel fearful of "terrorists!" but mots of them were just plain old racist "I GOT MINE LOL! SO FUCK YOU!" people.

 

[Anticol]

So...It's about racism

No, Americans are not racists.

 

[Dehnus]

Winston Churchill?
You mean a racist blowhard who is mostly good at making headlines?
I think we're good on that front.

Yup, what the world needs is another Roosevelt. Sure he made mistakes (like how he refused Jewish Refugees), but at least he fought. He kept two very unlikely allies ( Stalin and Churchill) talking and doing it all while being very sick. The man was a hero!

 

[cilonen]

It's easier to build something up than tearing everything apart.

That's the difference between Obama and Trump.

I don"t get what you're saying. Are you saying Obama had it easy and now Trump is doing the hard work of tearing things down?

 

[von Stroheim]

Winston Churchill?
You mean a racist blowhard who is mostly good at making headlines?
I think we're good on that front.

Well, obviously I only meant the good part about standing up to the Narzees.

 

[The Last Wizard]

A bunch of ignorant, racist and uneducated people.

This shit only gonna get worse smh.

 

[Branduil]

I hope every one of them suffers as much as they've made others suffer. I hope the rest of their lives are miserable and lonely, and they die as the sad and pathetic people that they are.

 

[Dehnus]

Progressives should get america back in 2018. Obstruct every move he makes.

I can assure you, you wont. The Republicans will have gerymandered and "voterid'd " you into submission by then. On top of that they'll run propaganda about "Spendocrats" and "flag burning haters of America" so that people will just keep voting for them. The voters memory span is shorter than that of a Hamster.

 

[Foffy]

When he fails on the restoration campaigns for manufacturing and coal, these dudes are going to do the hardest turn one can imagine.

No person could fix this issue, as it's only poised to get worse via automation and AI in the labor force. The first casualties -- manufacturing, particularly -- will come back?

Yeah, that'll happen when I am able to produce 17 pennies from various parts of my body, at once and at will.

Keep settling with that lemon, fam. Soon you will be soured.

 

[El Topo]

I don"t get what you're saying. Are you saying Obama had it easy and now Trump is doing the hard work of tearing things down?

I think he accidentally switched 'harder' and 'easier'.

 

[Machina]

"Cutthroating the rest of us"

Yep, the rhetoric works. Far easier than it has any business to.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

This is one of the major problems I see.

Yeah, there is outrage about what Trump is doing now, but he is doing exactly what he said he would do and thats what he was elected for.
The more complicated issues like trade, diplomacy etc. don't even register with most people anyway, because nobody understands them anyway.

People think this development can be stopped by reason.
I think thats wrong.

Just look at this comment I received recently on Youtube:

My DC attorney friend, side to the White House, has the real numbers. Under Obama, the consistent unemployment numbers are little over 11%....and have been since 2011. Obama has won the award for 4th WORST President for ECONOMIC growth in American history. It took 43 Presidents, COMBINED, to achieve an $8 trillion dollar deficit. It took Obama, all by himself, to surpass that to almost $20 trillion dollars. Obama is an admitted Muslim. He & Hillary illegally Arms Dealt to terrorists with the payoffs laundered through the Clinton Foundation. Since Obama, highest amount of Americans on Food Stamps in history, highest home foreclosure rate in history, worst educational system in the world, the poor are poorer. ObamaCare premiums increased 300% with extreme deductibles....then he punished people who can't afford his healthcare scam by "garnishing" some of their tax return money, yearly. THAT is extortion, at it's best. And Obama took 124 vacations, in 8 years costing American taxpayers over $100 million dollars.....and you think that's okay?
Obama IS a proven, colossal failure and a proven non-American, Muslim domestic terrorist. Obama had his law license REVOKED in the State of Illinois, for unethical and illegal law practices, it is public record.
NO TRUE AMERICAN should base their vote just because they think we, as a nation, should have the "first black" or the "first woman" President. Leading this country should have been done by someone who had a true love for this nation and her citizens. Obama has displayed a complete disregard and disrespect for America, overtly. Obama WILL be tried and found guilty of treason, aiding terrorism, fraud, aiding & abetting the Clintons in their illegal foundations activities, selling classified military info, costing our military to be weakened and soldiers to be murdered. AND Obama pardoned 5 of Bin Laden's main terrorists of 9/11...and you are okay with this?
Obama has had more scandals then any President in history....Fast & Furious, Solyndra, illegal arms dealing...just to name a few. THEN have himself a medal....lol. wow. I guess, when one lives with their head up their butt, they can't see much and can't smell a rat, but their own crap that comes out of an unpatriotic, America hating, terrorist loving, racial dividing fool.
American hasn't see this much racial division in 60+ years, our law enforcement murders are highest EVER since Obama, Obama opened our borders so he could get kickback payoffs from the drug cartels....plus he needed his fix too. This country, my beloved country, that my daddy served in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars, for....went to being a worldwide joke under Obama's evil, weak, narcissistic tyranny. And America would be extremely better off, WITHOUT California. Let them and the "skillethead" become part of Mexico. That's where it belongs, anyway. God bless America! And thank GOD for President Trump. PRESIDENT TRUMP did more for this country, even before he took office, in 2 months, then Obama did in 8 years. Putin respects Trump, Israel respects Trump. Hmmmmm, I guess having a Muslim terrorist for a President is WHY Obama turned his back on Israel, in the first place. Now....he and his "shemale" wife, Michael, can disappear, and America WILL be great again! PRAISE THE LORD!

Now, many may say that thats just Youtube and not representative, but with every day going by I start to think more and more that this might be representative of a significant chunk of the countries mindset. Significant enough to elect a president.

I am fairly sure these opinions exist among a majority of Trump voters. They may not all voice them when they talk to people in person, but they still hold positions like these.

Of course they are happy with Trump. They are racist, so any discrimination, no matter how unconstitutional, is great in their book.
They don't believe in climate change. They don't believe in science. They hate scientists. They believe abortion is murder.
These people know no grey areas. The only know absolute evil and absolute good.
The believe in what they want to believe in and nothing can convince them otherwise.

Unless you figure out how to deal with these people, its going to be very hard to get the country back.

 

[El Topo]

Unless you figure out how to deal with these people, its going to be very hard to get the country back.

I mean, how *do* you deal with these people? I have honestly no idea.

 

[cilonen]

I think he accidentally switched 'harder' and 'easier'.

Ah, that makes more sense!

 

[Chichikov]

Yup, what the world needs is another Roosevelt. Sure he made mistakes (like how he refused Jewish Refugees), but at least he fought. He kept two very unlikely allies ( Stalin and Churchill) talking and doing it all while being very sick. The man was a hero!

But FDR was a corporatist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[darkace]

FDR was the closest thing the US has had to a dictator. His internment of the Japanese and attempting to stack the supreme court were unconscious-able.

Far closer to a totalitarian than Trump is.

 

[kmax]

I think he accidentally switched 'harder' and 'easier'.

Thanks, didn't notice my mistake. My bad.

 

[GrapeApes]

His people will be with him until Trump's actions start negatively impacting their lives. Right now Muslim Trump supporters probably looking back wondering how they could have been so stupid. There will be some in which all his policies are great but probably not enough for a winning coalition the next time around.

 

[Lifejumper]

8 years.

 

[Aaron Strife]

46% of voting Americans voted for fascism.

 

[HariKari]

It seems like a significant number of Americans don't understand the role of the President, or rather how "looking and acting Presidential" is a very large part of the job.

 

[cilonen]

Thanks, didn't notice my mistake. My bad.

No worries

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

I mean, how *do* you deal with these people? I have honestly no idea.

Face to face.
Many of my friends who live in the US tell me that they have family holding opinions like these, but they all say that they try to avoid discussing politics with them.
Thats wrong. I actually think that family members and friends are pretty much the only people who can reach them. They sure as hell won't listen to the media when it disagrees with their preconceived opinion.

I think its now every Americans duty to actively engage in political discussion with their friends and family.
Debunk their arguments. Provide them with better arguments. And most importantly, try to base your arguments on common ground, like the constitution(to argue anti-discrimination), or libertarian/small-government ideology(to argue pro-choice), christian values(to argue for a tighter social net), love of the country(to argue for environmental protection).

You can't change their underlying mindset, so you have to somehow derive your points of view from their mindset. Thats not always possible, but more often then not, it is.

Friends and family will listen to your arguments when you take them seriously and not immediately disengage when you hear outrageous opinions from them.
And many arguments can be tailored towards their underlying believes so that basically have no other option but to agree.


The thing is that many liberals often don't know why they believe in liberal ideology either. Thats just the point of view they have adapted from their social circle.
Its time for everyone to buckle up on some good data and arguments.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Ohio...I am ashamed of my state...

 

[Technosteve]

All those post election articles about the white working class and how we are not listening to them. If we listen to them we get Trump and the policy they are releasing on to the world.

The Trump working class wants a reversion of politics to the poltics 1886, which unleashed the chinese exclusion act. I can't wait for congress to pass the muslim exclusion act and maybe the Mexican exclusion act. Hey maybe we bring back slavery too! Anything for the white working class to feel good about their own national identity.

Fuck trump, fuck the republican party.

 

[The Last Wizard]

Unless you figure out how to deal with these people, its going to be very hard to get the country back.

I mean, how *do* you deal with these people? I have honestly no idea.

Easy, we put em on a spaceship and send em to a black hole. Knowing these clowns they'd probably be "afraid" of the black hole and want to go into a white hole willingly.

8 years.

It's looking more and more likely.

It seems like a significant number of Americans don't understand the role of the President, or rather how "looking and acting Presidential" is a very large part of the job.

Because it's barely taught in school, the education system is set up this way for a reason and this is it.

 

[Vicetrailia]

I work in Trumpland.

They are less informed than you could possibly imagine. Largely they don't know enough facts, or have enough information to have a legit opinion.

Also I've been listening to Fox News. They live in a different reality than the people on this forum live in. It's completely different.