Yes, there is always Facebook frenzy over one fad or another.
Recently, I have seen where people are listing the number of friends they have that are supporting either Trump or Clinton, based on the likes on the candidate's page. Many are gleefully reporting numbers like Trump 500 Clinton 12. Now, you ask me, that is one scary a-- group of friends.
But you know me (well, many of my more constant readers do). I can't just do it part way. So I looked up my numbers for all the major candidates, even those who have dropped out.
Remember, I really believe most people are too apolitical to "like" candidate Facebook pages. Some just want to be private, but I think most have checked out of the process. And let me be clear - privacy I understand, checking out of the process I do not. If you are truly dismissing what so many fought so hard for you to have, well, honestly, I have little respect for that. You are part of the problem, not the cure.
Taking the rear are four of the more mainstream Republican candidates (mainstream only by Republican standards - still batcrap crazy by any other standard) - Jeb Bush 0, Chris Christie and John Kasich 1 each, and Marco Rubio a whopping 2. Wow. What does it say when the least insane candidates of an insane party generate so little support? What a huge, huge mistake it was for the elites to put so much money and resources behind Jeb Bush, someone for whom it was quite clear early on that the Republican base was never going to support.
Next came Ted Cruz with 4. It is a tribute to how nasty and unsuited Cruz was that even my Christian right wing friends failed to rally behind him.
Next was Mike Huckabee with 10. Thanks, Christian right, for the likes. Of course, it don't mean doodly squat IF YOU DON'T VOTE FOR HIM. Some of those likes may actually be hangovers from 2012. Who knows?
Then comes Trump with 14. Many, many more than I am happy seeing, but at least it isn't the monstrous domination he has with some other people. Those people must get tired of my constant barrage of anti-Trump stories on my feed, but too bad, so sad. There is too much at stake for me to back off.
And then there's my Republican "like" leader, Dr. Ben Carson, carting off 17 likes. Again, that's not reflected in the local vote. Here, Trump was number One, Cruz fairly close at Number Two, and everyone else very far behind. Although Dr. Ben Carson can be an amiable guy, I found him particularly unsuited and unqualified to be the President of the United States. But for those who liked him, thought he was the balm, why didn't you vote for him? To be blunt, why did so many of you betray your faith and vote for a despicable narcissistic fascist clown like Trump, clearly the most anti-Christian candidate we've had in many, many a year?
And now the Democrats show up! Leading all Republicans is Hillary Clinton with a mammoth...19 likes. Okay, given that Democrats are generally more comfortable being my friend than Republicans, that is not a very dominating number. But it is what it is. They may be few in number but they can be very vocal....wasting their time and effort blasting Bernie voters. Why is this a waste and an error trashing the Bernie people?
Well, at least on my feed. that is because Bernie is King! 42 likes! Far and away, my friend leader! FEEL THE BERN! Yes, Bernie is not going to be the nominee. He is likely to endorse Clinton next week. Why? Because TRUMP MUST BE STOPPED!
In 1932, you had the aging Hindenburg facing the angry, hate`spewing Hitler. Hitler didn't win, but he gained enough to get a foothold into power, enough to claw his way to control. At 85, with the German economy failing, was the old bureaucrat a popular choice? No, but he was all that was stopping the madness of Hitler.
So I am begging all my Bernie friends. Don't dismiss Hillary because she is not what you want. Yes, she is a corporate Democrat with many flaws, but how do you want to be remembered? How do you want to explain to your children that you had a chance to stop the evil of Trump, but that you had a stick of perfection so far up your posterior that you couldn't see the bigger picture? Stop Trump. Vote for Hindenburg, whether you like it or not. The future favors Bernie-style progressives. The election of 2020 is ours for the taking. Let's concentrate on down ballot and building that bridge to a progressive future. Warren/Gabbard 2020!
This is not a normal election. Every friend I have that leans toward Trump breaks my heart. Especially when they come from my own progressive church, or from the cast of The Dairy of Anne Frank (all of whom should KNOW BETTER). He should be a fringe candidate candidate pulling no more than 3 to 5% vote, most from the hard core racists and bigots.
So no, my few Trump fans. I am not going to stop. I will do everything I can to change your mind. If you can't stand it, you'll have to unfriend or unfollow. I'm not stopping. Too much is at stake.
P. S,
For those wondering why I'm not addressing the horrible tragedies that happened this week, and the importance of Black Lives Matter, I refer you to my other blog story, We All Matter.
I'm tired, Tom. I'm trying to hang in there, but I want to just cut Facebook from my life. I'm tired of being called stupid and naive for denouncing trump. I defend Hillary Clinton only to be yelled at (bold type). I use every rhetorical argument style possible, and it falls on deaf ears and is returned with insults and foolish what-if questions that have no basis for facts. I'm tired and anxious. I'm afraid for my children and their futures. I'm tired of being looked down upon because I encouraged my children to pursue fields in the arts, which apparently does not warrant or allow me to complain about student debt. I'm anxious for my children because we don't own guns, and apparently that makes them targets for criminals. (So I've been told!) I've unfriended or defriended people I thought were good, but couldn't take their dialogue about the second amendment when I know their interpretation is uneducated and repeated from faux news.
ReplyDeleteAs for Trump, when my brother, and you know how he can be, denounces trump and has said he would write in ya ya panda before voting for him, you can take it to the bank that trump is bad for this country. When my brother cannot vote for a republican, there is something very wrong. My brother is a good measure of why we cannot let trump win because if HE thinks trump is evil, then trump is even worse than we thought.
I needed to read your post today because it reminded me that I cannot take the luxury of quitting the fight. I must see this to the end. No trump through and through. I'm going to toughen up, take my pen back out of the holster, and stand to my ideals. Thanks, I needed that.
Thank you for comments. I appreciate them very much. And yes, it is a difficult election for many of us. I have Republican friends as well who cannot stand Trump, but they freeze up when I suggest they need to choose country over party and vote for Clinton. That's ok for right now. At least we got them thinking.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Hillary and Bernie people, of which I am Team Bernie all the way, I'm trying to get them to come together. The Hillary people have GOT to stop attacking Bernie people as stubborn, immature millennials, and the Bernie people have to think to the future and for right now, swallow hard and stop Trump.
It's not even so much as if Hillary can beat him. For the sake of the country, she has to WALLOP him. This can't be close. It has to be decisive and clear. Every vote for Trump is a blow to our continued democracy and our basic human decency.
So, yeah, there is no quitting this time around. Whether they absorb it or not, they have got to know they've taken a step too far. Unlike Pokemon, we cannot catch 'em all, but we've got to try to rescue as many as possible from the demoralizing clutches of that narcissistic fascist con man.
Just read this post...and it is very scary to think Trump could win! I do stay quiet when it comes to controversial subjects on FB. BUT! I admire that you are able to express you thoughts and feelings through your writings. Hang tough and thank you for being a voice for many. We do listen and vote! Go Clinton!
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