Why Have Empathy For Those People Who Will Cut Your Throat?

[TheMastersNemesis]

I have been often criticized for not caring about or not having empathy for the very people who would gladly cut your throat. Sure I understand that "we don't want to be like them". And that position is understandable. But their has to be a limit.

People who voted for Trump and today's Republicans are over joyed that they now might be able to screw others, injure them and even kill them with their cruel policies. GOPHERS did not want to fund help for Sandy victims because there were too many Democrats in the area. GOP governors were willing to let people suffer and die by not expanding Medicaid, they cut unemployment benefits & food stamps, they are trying to eliminate birth control, etc etc etc.

Their voters keep them in power. So why would I care if they suffer disaster, get hurt, or get killed. Why would I help them when they want to harm me and my family. A lot of these natural disasters hurt Dems and Republicans. I feel sad for the Democrats and I could care less how Republicans suffer and I really do not want to help them in any way really. Why would I want to even save them in a pinch when they say to me that I am not a fellow American. They are determined to silence me. They want to eliminate me. They want to make me suffer because I am a Democrat or a progressive or a black or brown minority or a LGBT person.

I don't see any Republicans really renouncing a neoNazi or racist or bigot really. Now we have a white supremacist in the White House and they love it.

I know we want to be able to say we are better than them, but it is little solace when your head is on the block and they are gladly wielding the ax.

[exboyfil]

1. Not necessarily empathy

but understanding and how to get to 270 for the next election (not to mention House and Senate in 2018). There is a very good chance of a Senate blow out for the Democrats in 2018 (12 out of 15 competitive Senate races have Democratic incumbents and one Independent who caucuses with the Democrats).

[vi5]

5. All it would have required was better campaign strategy.....

I live in solidly blue NJ and I saw ad after ad after ad. We had calls upon calls, and door knocks after door knocks and canvassing and all of that.


My parents live in PA and didn't get half of that.


And on top of that to hear that the campaign was spending money in places like Utah?

A solid win wouldn't have required putting on overalls and shovelling coal in West Virginia. All it probably would have required was a little better allocation of time and money and resources from a campaign that we were repeatedly told was a well oiled machine that knew how to win elections.

Of course that won't be the lesson that the Democratic establishment pulls from all of this. Instead they'll believe the ridiculous media narrative that Dems need to out "y'all" Republicans and pander to lowest common denominator racial resentment.

[RegexReader]

2. given the empathy for rural America shown here today,

if that carries over to the rest of the election. Then kiss 2018 good bye too.

[treestar]

3. And their own

because they are that stupid.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

4. I feel the same way brother

Have for a very long time. As my late dear ole Dad used to say, "I wouldn't piss in their faces if their hair was on fire."

[Bad Dog]

6. There's a difference between empathising with bigots.

And understanding the legitimate concerns who feel left out by globalisation. Those people who are holding down two or three jobs and using foodbanks since their main source of work was shipped overseas have understandable reasons for wanting to change the status quo. Unfortunately they believed Trump's lies and they will be the first ones he betrays.

If the left does not have an answer to their legitimate grievances then they won't get their vote.

Having said that you've every right to feel contempt for the alt right fascists.

[smirkymonkey]

7. Yeah, I am pretty much over it. It has never gotten us anywhere.

In fact, it has only harmed us. They sense weakness in us and go in for the kill.