In the past 8+ years, I have never heard ANYONE give a coherent answer about why they like TFG.

I wish they'd just admit that they love him because he hates the same people that they hate, and he gives them the freedom — encourages them, really — to be as vocally and publicly bigoted as he is.

I think there are a segment of people who feel like the government isn't responsive to or even aware of their problems and here's a guy who doesn't act like a politician, says things politicians would never say, and proposes big changes that will make their lives better. Here's someone who sees their issues and voting for him also gives a middle finger to all the politicians who have thrown them to the curb. Add that to giving validity to grievances against the other (doesn't really matter who) who they feel gets unearned advantages and attention denied to them and I can see some powerful appeal.

Also, the high prices of, well, everything are a big factor. Incumbents are more likely to lose when the economy sucks. And by "economy," I definitely do NOT mean "stock market." I mean groceries and gas and underpants and shoes for your kid.

I wish they'd just admit that they love him because he hates the same people that they hate, and he gives them the freedom — encourages them, really — to be as vocally and publicly bigoted as he is.

Except reluctantly, I don't think that's true for many of them, and I don't think we can fix what's wrong until we accept that. It's an easy answer, it's an answer for some of them, but it's sure as hell not an answer for all of them.

He saw shifts towards him in demographics I wouldn't have expected in 2020. I mean, I have First Nations cousins who live in the US right now (thankfully, not voters) who like him. What I keep reading from people who don't like him, but talk extensively to people who do, matches my experience listening to my rural, non-white cousins, which is that, for a significant number of people, they feel like he's talking to them, not down to him like they feel the Dems do, and while they may not agree with him on a lot of stuff (and they don't), they also don't feel like he's gaslighting them, which they feel like the Dems are doing on the economy, etc. And for some, he just seemed like the least bad option, given their lack of trust in the government. You'd think that 2017-2020 would be evidence enough, but people have short memories, and a hell of a lot of people feel like they're being sold bullshit and being told that it's chocolate.

We deny this at our peril.

I had this uncomfortable epiphany a while back when I realized that there are a lot of things that the especially hyper-progressive Dems who are overwhelmingly in power locally believe that I, a generally Dem voter, find morally repellant. I think most of them are antisemitic (it's finally to the point that I actually can no longer stomach voting for Jayapal, for example) and, even if they aren't, few of them are willing to call out their fellow progressives on it. But I still, generally, vote for them. Not because I find their cowardice in the face of antisemitic bullshit acceptable: I just find them less unacceptable than the alternative.

(LOL, and in the time it took me to type that, Gud basically summed it up.)

Also, the high prices of, well, everything are a big factor. Incumbents are more likely to lose when the economy sucks. And by "economy," I definitely do NOT mean "stock market." I mean groceries and gas and underpants and shoes for your kid.

I think that was the biggest factor in the election. The economy is not good for most people; it's harder to made ends meet. I don't think the Harris campaign was really out there trying to tell people the economy is actually good, but it seemed like it was in the air nonetheless.

The parking-ma was actually pretty good. It really helped that the Actual Program Leaders were both on hand to get residents de-bused in record time (including two people on the lift with walkers) and then for the pickup, charm a nearby cop into clearing a semi-legal space for me to swoop in.

(For those who know the Square, this was right. in. front. of the old Out of Town News kiosk. You can't get more IN the square than that.)

In the meantime, the staff had a pre-holiday potluck lunch, and since so many of the workers come from the Caribbean and other places where the home-cooking is flavorful, it was amazing delicious, so even though I didn't get to Go Out To Lunch, I still had a fabulous food experience.

Other portions of my life may have their problems, but at least work isn't one of them.

Other portions of my life may have their problems, but at least work isn't one of them.

This is so important when you consider the percentage of your time is spent at work. I know it wasn't the path you expected, but it has been rewarding and meaningful for the residents and you!

Good news/bad news: my friend is supposed to have her surgery the day after Thanksgiving so still will plan to be in Palm Springs and recover poolside! Bad news is that they told her they want to do weekly chemo for 8 weeks and then every three weeks for a year. Dang. Our trip in January is definitely off, but I’m not too fussed about that, especially if we can get airline credits back (fingers crossed).