[Publius]

Originally Posted by Kitsune9tails

Fair enough. But how do your conversations with Trump supporters usually begin?

Who approaches who(m)?

I am very extroverted. I don't usually initiate the conversation per se, but if someone near me makes a comment, I can easily turn it into banter that becomes a conversation.

An example might be if I am sitting near someone in a social environment such as a bar. We might not know each other, but we're all there in a social place. If the person sitting next to me makes a comment about something political, I might comment which turns into an invitation to speak.

Specifically a recent event happened like this:

The guy came in and sat down next to me at the bar. He said something to the bartender and followed it up with "not to be political."

He said it with some level of frustration in his voice, so I looked over and said, "Yeah, God forbid free citizens argue the merits of democracy in public."

And so it began.

That's usually how they start. I also appear to be a very conservative person, and I am in a very conservative part of town. Most people in this environment would presume I was a staunch Republican upon first meeting.

How does the subject of Trump support come up?

Well, I usually start with how important it is to share ideas, they agree, and at some point they make a comment or raise a question. Despite my comments above, I make it a point to agree wherever it's possible for me to ethically do so. I also make very certain that I ask more questions than give statements.

I do my best to be the counter-part I want to have at the bar.

Are people approaching you because of your bumper stickers?

No. I don't usually initiate political stuff. I don't wear hats or have any stickers on my car or belongings. All of my political stuff is at home.

Are they drunk?

No. Not usually. The guy in the example I gave above had just walked in. I do have drunken political conversations though, because I believe in democracy. But I try to be careful when talking to new people, even drunk. I don't get belligerent except with trusted friends who know me well.

Do they know you are not a Trump supporter before the conversation begins?

No. I look and act like a conservative, or so I have been told. I am a moderate, and I am actually probably more conservative than people who consider themselves conservative. What I mean by that is that conservatives will say that they believe in certain values. While I don't believe in as many of the values that they claim as they say they do, I actually fundamentally believe in them and act in the interest of those beliefs. In this way, I am probably much more conservative than the person who calls themselves one.

I am not a Trump supporter though.

I certainly do look like one. At times I can sound like a genuine conservative because some of my beliefs are genuinely and passionately conservative.

So to answer you directly, they might feel a bit betrayed to find out I do not think very highly of the President. There may be some shock, surprise and lashing out that happens there. But I don't think so, because I'm pretty forthright in my conversations.

Are you asking because you think it might be something in the way I approach people? How does this information help inform you? I'm curious.