Talking to Trumpers: The Reagan guy (MAGA encounter)

[talkingwithtrumpers]

The other day I was walking down the street and saw someone with a "Reagan / Bush 1984" T-shirt on. Guy looked like he was about 30, black glasses, short, neat hair.

I said
"Excuse me"

"Excuse me, sir"

He stopped and looked at me.

Me: "Was it the 1984 campaign that Reagan kicked off by dogwhistling to racists at Neshoba County? Or was that 1980? ...

Oh, it was 1980!!!"


Him: Wheeled around and started walking away.

Me: "...Your party created this president by stoking racism for votes."

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I'm not sure anyone was converted here, but that isn't the point. A ton of Republicans like to wear such Reagan shirts and think the man was a good guy. It's important to reinforce to Republicans that their party's actions -- stoking racism, dogwhistling to racists, white identity politics -- helped create this president.












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- This is one part of a series describing my often (but not always) successful efforts to discuss politics with Trumpers. Hope my experiences help others! Watch for more.

[elleng]

1. It may be important to discuss, but NOT to provoke negative reactions,

DISCUSS, evoke positive interchange, and understanding of history; doing otherwise will only result in negative hardening against the right way to do things, and Democrats.

[talkingwithtrumpers]

2. Depends. But I am a psychologist and I know authoritarian/Repub personalities

You have to realize that a lot of the people who are saying "DISCUSS and be positive" are Democrats and liberals.
And liberals and Democrats have different personality traits than Republicans.

Republicans have more authoritarian personality traits. Many of them actually want someone to tell them what to do.
They like anger and confrontation.

That's why Kavanaugh's screaming worked. Republicans often like anger.
That's why Tucker Carlson snarls. It's why Limbaugh snarls.
Many of their viewers think liberals are too soft.

That's why Joe Biden's act works well in working class GOP areas. He sounds forceful.

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So being forceful can work. This is forceful. I'm a psychologist and I understand persuasion. We need more forcefulness to persuade working class people.

Some can use positivity; that works for some Republicans. But we don't have enough confrontation and sometimes need to show anger. That's what this is about.

[elleng]

3. Thanks

[talkingwithtrumpers]

4. Thank you! Let a thousand flowers bloom of persuasion styles :)

[elleng]

5. ;-)

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. Reagan absolutely started us on the down slide

that got us to where we are now. Irresponsible tax cuts. More wars. Bullshit about welfare. Plus, like Trump he was clearly impaired by the beginning of his second term.