In Search of Obama-Trump Voters

[hopper]

I know three 2x Obama-Trump voters. One is a manager at the factory that I work at; he was won over based on trade+immigration issues and hadn't forgiven Hillary for her husband's signing of NAFTA. He voted for Obama in 2008 enthusiastically and in 2012 reluctantly. Another one is an elderly part-time security guard at the college I went to (he's from Eastern Iowa originally), who was a typical union Democrat from the rust belt who never voted GOP ever and revered Kennedy and Tom Harkin. His vote was primarily due to trade issues, and that Obama hadn't done enough to try and stop the hemorrhaging of jobs. The last one is the father of a friend, who is a big swing voter (Reagan 80-84, Bush 88, Clinton 92-96, Bush 00, Kerry 04, Obama 08-12, and now Trump 16) and who mostly votes on whoever he trusts more.

As an aside, I know far more non-voters, and voters who don't vote often, who voted for Trump.

I know only one, but - direct relative.   My cousin in Indiana. It's all very simple for him - absolute personal rejection of Clinton's personality. His words about her: "liar", "corrupt", "smug", "heartless". "cynical",  and so on. By his own words - he (and almost anyone around) was ready to vote for Sanders. But - not for her. I think such cases of personal rejection were rather frequent...

Your cousin is a Democrat or a "Democrat Leaner"?

[hopper]

Ta-Nehisi Coates had a great conversation with Ezra Klein on Ezra's podcast recently about the issue of race in America (among other topics) and specifically refuting the logic that an Obama-Trump voter by definition can't be racist since they voted for a black candidate.

His point on this issue was that there is no way that a black person who acts like Trump and had his past and record would have a prayer of being elected President. On the other hand, Obama had to have a spotless record of character to be elected.

In other words, you don't have to hate all black people to be racist. You simply have to hold blacks to different standards than whites.

By that definition, America is most definitely still a very racist country.

Here's the link to a partial transcript. http://www.vox.com/conversations/2016/12/19/13952578/ta-nehisi-coates-ezra-klein

I think there's no doubt this is true. The closest equivalent to a black Trump would be Al Sharpton, and look at how spectacularly Sharpton failed in his 2004 Presidential bid. He didn't even win the black vote, and obviously did pitifully among whites even in the Dem primary (imagine how badly he would have done in the general if he had somehow won the nomination).

Yeah but no way Trump gets elected in 2000 or 2004 per say. It was just his "time" to get elected President.

Obama didn't have a spotless record since he was in Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years.

[smoltchanov]

I know three 2x Obama-Trump voters. One is a manager at the factory that I work at; he was won over based on trade+immigration issues and hadn't forgiven Hillary for her husband's signing of NAFTA. He voted for Obama in 2008 enthusiastically and in 2012 reluctantly. Another one is an elderly part-time security guard at the college I went to (he's from Eastern Iowa originally), who was a typical union Democrat from the rust belt who never voted GOP ever and revered Kennedy and Tom Harkin. His vote was primarily due to trade issues, and that Obama hadn't done enough to try and stop the hemorrhaging of jobs. The last one is the father of a friend, who is a big swing voter (Reagan 80-84, Bush 88, Clinton 92-96, Bush 00, Kerry 04, Obama 08-12, and now Trump 16) and who mostly votes on whoever he trusts more.

As an aside, I know far more non-voters, and voters who don't vote often, who voted for Trump.

I know only one, but - direct relative.   My cousin in Indiana. It's all very simple for him - absolute personal rejection of Clinton's personality. His words about her: "liar", "corrupt", "smug", "heartless". "cynical",  and so on. By his own words - he (and almost anyone around) was ready to vote for Sanders. But - not for her. I think such cases of personal rejection were rather frequent...

Your cousin is a Democrat or a "Democrat Leaner"?

I suppose - leaner. He was an ethusiastic backer of Obama in 2008 and (may be somewhat less enthusiastically) voted for him in 2012. But this time he bolted... His son (my nephew) in California stuck to Hillary, bet $1000 on her win - and lost them.

[blacknwhiterose]

Worked with a middle-age white woman in my last job who I believe voted, or at least liked/admired Obama as an inspirational figure, and supported gay rights and religious tolerance (she's a non-religious/ex-churchgoer who still believes in God).  She was strongly opposed to the amnesty for illegals, DREAM act stuff, then came out BIG TIME for Donald Trump and absolutely despised Hillary.

 

[VPH]

My high school government teacher. Originally from a smaller town but moved to Wichita for university and stayed. Not particularly religious or anything and a lean-R swing voter. He and I talked about it for a while.

He voted:
1984: Reagan
1988: Bush
1992: Clinton
1996: Dole
2000: Bush
2004: Blank (didn't like the war but thought Kerry was elitist)
2008: Obama
2012: Romney
2016: Trump

[justfollowingtheelections]

My brother voted for Obama in 2008 because he opposed the war in Iraq, didn't vote in 2012 because he was turned off by the Democrats' focus on social justice issues, and supported Trump initially because he is a businessman, until I sent him a link to Trump's comments about Mexicans.  He still liked Trump more than Hillary, but he didn't vote and has very little interest in politics anymore.