[yolesaber]

Hillary was definitely an incredibly weak and flawed candidate. I'm of the opinion that Sanders would've walloped Trump. But I do have some input regarding the racial dimension of things...

>I have even seen tweets claiming all Trump's voters (60 million people) are sexist, racist etc. It could just be a simple fact that people value other things more than just sexism and racism.

I see a campaign that ran on hate and anger for the 'other'. A campaign that white nationalists have called a blessing. A candidate endorsed by the KKK. A candidate that tweeted out a picture of Hillary Clinton with a Star of David affixed to her.

Trump relied upon a lot of economic anxiety as well but much of that was codified in racial terms: that Obama was serving the interests of black folks more, that white people were being marginalized in the culture, that brown rapists are coming for their jobs and their daughters. How can a vote for Trump not be seen as sexist, racist, and xenophobic? I'm sick of this shit saying we need to understand the other side and find out why they are so angry. I think it's pretty clear why Trump supporters are so angry. I've been to Trump rallies, I've talked to supporters, and you know what most of it comes down to? They want 'their' America back. They say they want to end corruption and take down the political establishment, but they voted for a candidate who is stacking the whitehouse with slimeball careerists like Pence, Gingrich, and Christie. But that seems to be okay with them, because it's 'their' side i.e. white revanchists.

In a country with such charged racial history as the US, is it really unbelievable that millions have regressive views regarding race? Look at how awful Obama is treated by some of these people - that he's a muslim, he secretly hates America and funds ISIS. And even if the voters themselves aren't racist, they are complicit in voting for a man who undoubtedly is. Where does that leave them?

[ilolu]

But still you can't label 60 million people just because they voted for Trump. There will be few who are racist. But by labelling everyone, you are basically ignoring the reasons they voted for Trump and increasing the divide. Trump took advantage of the many people's anxiety.

What should be done is take steps for an inclusive growth including people who are anxious, dis-enchanted with establishment. But by labelling them, you are basically discriminating them and pushing them further away.

[yolesaber]

I've talked to plenty of people who voted for Trump. To be completely frank, many of their reasons boil down to emotional garbage like "he tells it like it is" / he "speaks for the common guy". But who is this common guy? In America, it's a white guy.

The people who voted for Trump voted for him despite the obvious and endlessly apparent evidence that he is sexist, racist, and generally an awful person. What can be said about that? Again, if these voters are so disenchanted with the establishment, why did they reelect so many incumbent senators and representatives? Why did they vote for a guy who is stacking his WH with careerists?

To be honest, I think this whole 'disenchanted with the establishment' narrative is missing the focus on the establishment it seems they really hate - the establishment of the first black president.

From whether it's saying things like "Oh Tim is so well spoken, not like his other black friends" or viewing any black male as a potential criminal, Americans, as a whole, are incredibly racist even if they don't "mean" to be. Trump's election is proof of that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/opinion/coates-the-good-ra...

[Omnius]

Trump's election != racist america. I voted Johnson because i couldn't stomach voting for trump and there was no way i was going to vote for Hillary. The Dems could have run literally ANYONE other then her and they would have had an easy win.

Same goes for the Rep's they could have run anyone (well maybe not cruz) other than Trump and had an easy win against Hillary.

Anecdotally i know many people that voted for Trump and not one of them was happy about doing it.

This election the majority of voters on both sides voted against the other candidate verse for their candidate.

[yolesaber]

>Anecdotally i know many people that voted for Trump and not one of them was happy about doing it.

But they still did it. They still voted for an outspoken racist and sexist. They voted for a man who wants to register every Muslim in a database. What does that say about them?

[DefaultUserHN]

>They voted for a man who wants to register every Muslim in a database.

But the NSA already registered every Americans in a database. It would be racist to exclude Muslims from it. We must be inclusive in our surveillance of U.S. citizens.

>They still voted for an outspoken racist and sexist.

Accusation without evidence. Not an argument.

[DefaultUserHN]

>But who is this common guy? In America, it's a white guy.

No. That's YOUR definition of the common man. Their definition of the common man is themselves, a person who have lost his job, because all the companies in his town have sent all the jobs oversea.

This election has nothing to do with racism. For many Trump supporters, having a job so you can feed your family is the most important issue. You're attributing too much to the racism stuff. Just because racism is an important issue for you doesn't mean Trump supporters cares about it.

They just wants their jobs back.

[k__]

The thing is, anxiety or dis-enchantment and racism and sexism aren't mutally exclusive.

If you vote for someone how is racist and sexist, then you are part of the problems that racism and sexism are. Sure you vote for diffrent reasons, but you effectivly say "It's okay to be a racist as long as you help me to feed my kids"

[choko]

Your reasoning works equally well when referring to Hillary Clinton.

If you vote for someone that only serves her own interests and uses disenfranchised minorities as a stepping stone for personal power and flaunts rules that the rest of us would be put on trial for breaking, then you are part of the problem that corruption, bribery, and dishonesty are. Sure, you vote for different reasons but you effectively say "It's okay to step on everyone in your path, lie, and cheat, as long as I get what I want."

It doesn't sound like a fair argument now, does it?

[k__]

Your reasoning implies there is only Client and Trump.

[DefaultUserHN]

You believe Hillary supporters are wrong and you are right.

Hillary supporters believe you are wrong and they are right.

That you see, is the problem.

[choko]

I didn't vote for either, so I'm well aware of the other options. Most people are not though.