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I Was A Trump Troll: (Original Post) Kingofalldems Aug 2018 OP
1 down....60 million to go. n/t jaysunb Aug 2018 #1
As cliche as it is, even the longest journeys start with a single step. mythology Aug 2018 #2
Whatever helped to give him the ability to differ reality from lies BigmanPigman Aug 2018 #3
It was Sarah Silverman on Twitter who started his journey towards the light. catbyte Aug 2018 #7
"... Yet, unlike with Clinton, I looked only at Trump's accomplishments........" pangaia Aug 2018 #9
alleged accomplishments, i guess. unblock Aug 2018 #16
Sarah helped another tRump troll too. BigmanPigman Aug 2018 #10
Wish I didn't feel that there's something off-plumb about this miraculous conversion. VOX Aug 2018 #4
Sarah Silverman. See my reply to BigmanPigman catbyte Aug 2018 #8
Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but madamesilverspurs Aug 2018 #11
I suspect that he's painting himself worse than he really was FakeNoose Aug 2018 #12
Why are we so forgiving? I promised I would never forgive those people, but in this case I do. C Moon Aug 2018 #5
I hear ya. But I do think this last time was different. Honeycombe8 Aug 2018 #17
Check under the bed oberliner Aug 2018 #6
Well, I'm glad he finally woke up and left the cult, but the damage is done Snake Plissken Aug 2018 #13
Many were victimized by propaganda/misinformation, it's good he's noticing how it happened to him. JHan Aug 2018 #14
It takes a big person to admit he was wrong. Not many can, or will, do that. Honeycombe8 Aug 2018 #15
 

mythology

(9,527 posts)
2. As cliche as it is, even the longest journeys start with a single step.
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 03:51 PM
Aug 2018

We didn't get to a place where people would vote for Trump overnight. We aren't going to pull back from it overnight either.

catbyte

(34,404 posts)
7. It was Sarah Silverman on Twitter who started his journey towards the light.
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 05:10 PM
Aug 2018
I Used To Be A Trump Troll — Until Sarah Silverman Engaged With Me

I used to be That Guy. I always voted Republican. I watched Fox News. I read clickbait articles on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I echoed these slanted talking points when I was a Radio show guest prior to the 2016 Presidential General Election. In one sense, I was just your average, conservative, pro-Israel Jewish American. Yet, I was also a full-fledged, unapologetic, red-hat wearing Trumper.

When the General Election came and it was between Trump and Clinton, my choice was easy. I did not even think to research any of Clinton’s accomplishments as First Lady, Senator, or Secretary of State — like most conservatives, I just focused on her seemingly never ending “scandals.” I was part of the “LOCK HER UP” chorus, even though she was thoroughly investigated and cleared by the FBI. I did, and perhaps still do, feel Clinton’s leadership was lacking during and after the Benghazi attack, but many among the MAGA crowd blamed her personally for the resultant deaths, and I joined in. Trump, on the other hand, was hailed as a friend of Israel and the Jewish people. Yet, unlike with Clinton, I looked only at Trump’s accomplishments, ignored his failures and defended or even celebrated his bad behavior. Consequently, I put all my efforts into helping elect him.

While aboard the “Trump Train,” I met many Trump supporters who felt stigmatized or ignored on Twitter. They introduced me to specific Direct Message (DM) groups where they felt their voice could be heard without judgement from “RINOs” or “Liberals.” These DM groups also served as a sort of amplifier, where one would submit their tweets to get many followers and retweets. A top MAGA Twitter account would quote someone they didn’t like, Trump supporters would then swarm in and malign that individual for dissenting thought. At the time, I didn’t think about how vile many of these tweets were, even while sending them out myself. I felt at home, as these Twitter accounts were supposedly conservative, pro-God, pro-guns, pro-flag, and pro-secure borders. For those foolish enough to critique any of those values, there was a Twitter mob eagerly waiting to attack. I was part of that mob.

Then came the moment that changed my life in politics and social media. I accused Sarah Silverman and liberals as a whole (since conservative pundits and media do this) of caring more about Illegals than American Veterans. To my surprise, Sarah Silverman replied, and the resulting dialogue was respectful. Months went by and we interacted more on Twitter on issues like gun reform, DACA, and abortion. Not only did I learn from her, but I learned from her followers who showed me why they fight for these rights. I discovered sources with journalistic integrity which debunked the lies and generalizations that conservative media often report. I slowly began reevaluating my principles.

snip

Read more: https://forward.com/scribe/402478/i-was-a-trump-troll/
---------------------------------

The rest of the article is worth reading--especially the part where MAGAts began attacking him personally. Then he saw the hate that really existed aboard The Trump Train.


pangaia

(24,324 posts)
9. "... Yet, unlike with Clinton, I looked only at Trump's accomplishments........"
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 05:24 PM
Aug 2018

Accomplishments? I wonder what those might be?

VOX

(22,976 posts)
4. Wish I didn't feel that there's something off-plumb about this miraculous conversion.
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 04:09 PM
Aug 2018

How does an ultra-right wing, pro-Gawd, pro-guns, pro-flag, and pro-border wall, full-on Trumpist do a complete 180-degree turn, eschewing all the things he so fervently believed in the past year?

Common sense dictates that you cannot just shed all those negative behaviors and extreme ideology as if it were a mere change of clothes.

He says he "engaged with" Sarah Silverman on Twitter, which got him to lean the other way, but I still don't comprehend how quickly someone positioned on the far right can claim to have dropped ALL vituperative, negative thoughts for Democrats/Liberals.

I'm a congenital skeptic, and Davis Weismann's narrative makes his warp-speed conversion all the more to head-scratching.




madamesilverspurs

(15,805 posts)
11. Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 06:14 PM
Aug 2018

I used to be a Republican. And there are those here on DU who have never forgiven me for that. Doesn't matter how many decades in the past that was, for them there is no forgiving. When I shared about my nonagenarian mother leaving the GOP after 70 years, a couple of those 'unforgivers' ripped her to shreds, too. Having been through that particular meat-grinder, I find it more useful to give the benefit of the doubt; if I'm wrong, it's on me, and the same applies if I'm right. I learned from my mistakes, why would I think others can't do likewise? Doesn't mean they become my new BFF, just means I'm willing to cut them a bit of slack.


.

FakeNoose

(32,645 posts)
12. I suspect that he's painting himself worse than he really was
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 06:18 PM
Aug 2018

If this guy can turn himself around, it suggests to me that he was never a lost cause to begin with. He has some intelligence and perspective now, but it means he had it before the election too. He just never paid attention before, and maybe there were other negative behaviors. Misogyny comes to mind, also wanting to connect with the bros, identifying with the Rush Limbaugh lovers, etc. If the hate-media had just toned down their racist-hateful messages during the campaign season, guys like this probably wouldn't have have been so caught up in it.

C Moon

(12,213 posts)
5. Why are we so forgiving? I promised I would never forgive those people, but in this case I do.
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 04:43 PM
Aug 2018

I think what I have issue with is that they do it time and time again. After Bush/Cheney almost sent us spiraling into another Great Depression (for which Obama was there for us—I remember: it was a dark few months), they admitted they were wrong. Then Trump came along, and they happily followed him. It will happen again.

Talking this through, I'm already getting bitter again.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
17. I hear ya. But I do think this last time was different.
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 06:31 PM
Aug 2018

Because of the issues about being a traitor, as well as the historically awful boasting about grabbing women, making fun of a disabled reporter and mocking him, and all the lies and the rest.

Why do we forgive? It's human nature, probably. But forgiving doesn't mean forgetting or not taking care to keep our eyes open.

Someone who is on the far right is not a liberal. He will reject the liberal goals sooner or later, because he doesn't believe in that. But for the time being, he is doing what he can to oust Trump. And for now, that's good enough.

Snake Plissken

(4,103 posts)
13. Well, I'm glad he finally woke up and left the cult, but the damage is done
Fri Aug 3, 2018, 06:20 PM
Aug 2018

We now have a Russian asset in the White House.

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