People's nerves are frayed, so I haven't gone around talking about the election. But if they say something, I listen.
Some examples: One of our sons indicated he was going to take a break from the news cycle, for mental health sake. Other son said, "Trump should not have been allowed to run after his convictions" (I agree!). But he didn't like Harris either, and "it is what it is". My sisters and I were never Trump, Harris voters. We were bummed, kind of analyzing where things went off the track. I said it was social issues that did the Dems in. One sister said no, it was inflation and the economy. We all said if you remember 1980s inflation, they have no idea what they're talking about. Actually I think it was everything added up. Then we got to talking about the past, like 10 million years ago. Because that's the age of the meter-wide petrified sea turtle that UNL paleontologists recently dug out of the lake bed near our hometown. Some parish friends said "Trump was the biggest jerk to ever run for president, but you don't get to be a king in this country. The government is way bigger than one person, and maybe the state governments actually affect people more than the federal." I haven't talked to my brothers yet. Think I will avoid the election topic with them. So far I haven't heard any gloating from the winning side, or people wanting to jump off a bridge from the losing one.
How have the conversations been going in your areas?
Harris refused to engage the large bloc of Arab-American voters in Michigan, and that did not help her. More African-Americans stayed home in Detroit than in the previous two elections. Our female governor is cordially despised in Detroit, and Harris buddying up to her may not have helped her. White rural voters, who tend not to be college-educated and who live or die on ag or tourism turned out en masse for Trump. We already have repro rights in the state constitution, so carping about that just didn't gin up much support (or ire, except with the local priest who has been castigating Catholics in the bulletin since 2022 for helping put the constitutional amendment thru). Walz was good with labor at rallies, but a lot of rank and file voted Trump anyway because gas and groceries are expensive. What people think the pres can do about high prices is beyond me. Men here LOVE Trump because he talks tough, puts down women (common complaint from Raber: all the doctors are women now!), and will not mess with their guns. Harris as a gun owner who wants to curtail guns comes off as hugely elitist and hypocritical here.
ReplyDeleteThe "elitist" irony gets to me. The ones who disdain elites just elected a pair who are Ivy League grads. Even though Trump probably got into Wharton because his dad gave a big donation and not because of his stellar transcript. JD Vance has a degree from Yale Law. Trump was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But sure, they're just common good ol' boys.
DeleteIt's the double standard, don't you think? Well-dressed college-educated women who speak good English and act dignified are ALL snooty elitists in TrumpWorld. Saw this with my students. First generation white boys in college hated my English teacher guts the first two weeks in class until they saw some value in what I was trying to teach. Fortunately I was raised around these guys and know they are the most frightened and angry people on the planet, terrified somebody will make them look stupid. Vance established his good ol' boy creds by having a Meemaw, and Trump by swillin' junk burgers and talkin' dirty.
DeleteI do think misogyny played a part in the way this election turned out. Not the sole cause, but added on to the other factors.
DeleteThe only people I’ve discussed the election with are online - those here, a few strangers at the America site, and via text messages with my sons and daughters in law who are definitely not trumpers. I don’t see people very often other than medical appointments and at the store. Occasionally chat with neighbors outside but not politics. Most of the active groups at our former EC are now online, totally MIA at one of our former RC parishes ( not even coffee and doughnuts anymore). I’m going to try to find a in- person group at our second RC parish - it’s farther away. But I assume by the time I show up to test out some groups the political talk will have died down.
ReplyDeleteIt was very different in our neighborhood this year. Almost no political signs at all. I counted 3 for trump and 3 for Harris. Usually it’s a lot of signs with at least 75% for whoever the Dem is. One of the Harris houses was apparently trying to reclaim the flag by attaching one to the sign - Sending a message to the trumpers I guess that the flag doesn’t belong to them. The polls were deserted when I voted on Election Day. But I had seen lines in front of the early voting locations.i guess everyone voted early around here.
A parishioner came up to me after mass tonight and told me it had been a rough week because of the election. She just took it for granted that I am anti-Trump and proceeded to unload her frustration (in a very nice way). I don't ever talk about my political affiliation in homilies (and on the infrequent occasions I mention anything that can be construed as political, I think I sort of give mixed signals about my personal views), so I must just have that vibe or aura about me. Anyway, I listened as sympathetically as I could.
ReplyDelete