If this is how ordinary people really think maybe things aren't as bad as they seem

NPR does a running story where they talk to ordinary people about their political views and how it is shaping how they will vote next this election cycle.

To day they spoke with a Democrat who has decided to put down the partisan cool aid ... it was refreshing to hear from her in the current "take no prisoners" political climate. Hope her way of thinking is more in line with the silent majority than what we are seeing from both sides in the news.

www.npr.org...

Back ground on the person being interviewed: Alexa Gruman

Today we'll hear from a young woman named Alexa Gruman. She's 24 years old from a family of Democrats in Minnesota, and a recent job is changing her political identity.

GRUMAN: Yeah. I almost feel guilt that I no longer align with some of my previous ideas. And I think that's part of the problem, is that it seems like if you want to appear as a liberal in society, you either have to believe everything on the table or you're out. You're out of the group. And there's so much going on, but I feel like I can't speak up because you're just asking for people to come after you.

GRUMAN: [growing up] We talked a lot about politics. (Laughter). I was fortunate that my whole family lives nearby. We would go to my grandma's house every Sunday. And, you know, the kids would go play, but I liked to sit and listen to, you know, my parents and my aunts and uncles talk. And it was generally about, you know, politics, social issues. We were always encouraged to voice our thoughts. And, growing up in Minnesota, which is pretty blue, pretty Democratic, that's what I grew up hearing.

She started to question the political dogma from her side when she met with and talked to people from the other side; in this case ICE agents. She came to find out that they are not Evil people... just people with a different point of view.

GRUMAN: [on changing her political views] Sure. It was after the 2016 election. I felt, man, I need to get more involved. And that's what led me to working in immigration because I saw all these families who were being deported, and it broke my heart. And I got a great opportunity to help a lot of people, but everything that I had been hearing about ICE and conservatives in the news is they are these evil people who don't care about these families and they don't want people coming to our country.

And some of the most enlightening moments I had were when I did work with ICE, when I would go pay bond or go down to the government center. And what I saw is - and it sounds kind of silly now saying it out loud, but they're not evil people. They are people who are looking at the same problem as me and believing that there's another solution, that there's a different solution.

So I guess it gave me a lot more compassion towards the right that I hadn't had before in my personal development. Yes, I still feel like I have my roots in liberalism, but I feel like we should be listening to each other a little bit more 'cause I had thought before that I had been listening, and I found out that I hadn't been.

She also did not approve of the way the Kavanaugh sexual harassment allegations where handled. Believing Ford, but also believing in "presumption of innocence until guilt is proven" ... Kavanaugh's guilt was not proven so she can not put that guilt on him.

GRUMAN: It's an issue that hits very close to home. I have personally experienced sexual assault. People in my life who are very close to me have been raped. So it's not something that I take lightly whatsoever. I believe Dr. Ford, and I believe that she experienced what she says she experienced, but I don't know that I believe that it was Kavanaugh. And there was just not quite enough evidence brought forward for me to fully believe that, yes, this man committed this crime. So I don't know who to believe, but I don't think that we should put this guilt on someone when we just don't know.

So how has all of this affected her political beliefs?

GRUMAN: It's made me uncertain. I think the way that the liberal party, at least from what I've seen in the media, has been handling it with, you know, chasing after people in restaurants and yelling at people. And it just seems like a lot of bullying, and I guess some people would disagree with me and say that, no, that's activism. But I think with everybody just yelling at each other, we're not really getting anywhere.

MARTIN: So you are still considering your choices, but what I hear you saying is that you would perhaps vote for Republicans for the first time, despite President Trump.

GRUMAN: Correct, and because it's more than that. It's, I would rather look at things issue by issue and decide based on that rather than based on strictly party lines and rather than, you know, going out and filling out all of the Democratic checkboxes. I want to feel like I've done my due diligence and at least gone through and considered the other side. So yes, I would consider voting for a Republican in the coming elections.

Again its refreshing to hear from people like this in the news these days.

a reply to: DanDanDat

I think the left and right in America have more in common with each other than they realize. The polarization in recent years has shut us off to each other. My only hope is that the next generation will get tired of the "us and them" mentality before it comes to a head. I believe in civil discourse, I'd just like to see more of it from both sides.

a reply to: DanDanDat

When she got out of her bubble she realized the world was a little bit bigger. Similar happened to me.

I am told I am racist and hate immigrants by some on ATS. My wife is a non-white non-citizen first generation immigrant.

I am told I am a rightwing nut job. I actually want a proper single payer healthcare bill.

I am told I am a blind Republican Trumpeter. I did not vote for Trump and have never voted a single Republican in my entire life.

Believe the hysteria and you will become hysterical.

NPR.... not a level playing field. I can only take about 10-15 minutes of it's la la programing, hosts and guests.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04

Believe the hysteria and you will become hysterical.

That's a very simple but very true statement... seems like we are believing the hysteria and becoming more hysterical ... time to pull back.

originally posted by: Plotus
NPR.... not a level playing field. I can only take about 10-15 minutes of it's la la programing, hosts and guests.

I have several news and AM stations programmed in my car. There aren't any good music stations where I live so I bounce around talk, switching every time there is a commercial... NPR has few commercials so I stick with them more.

Their reporting is ok; they get very partisan during an election so it does get annoying.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Bless her heart. My own daughters were raised quite liberally. They are now in fields working for the state(government) in fulfilling their dreams of helping the unfortunate. They admitted to me that reality is not what media or Hollywood displays.

I thought that they were just being rebellious against me as a parent...but they shared the sad private facts with their Mom that they nor I could ignore.

Life is funny. We all have personal bias perspectives based on experience. It can be misleading. My daughters had opened my eyes that my own personal emotions clouded the real reality.

I still have emotions and want to help others...but admit that I have learned to focus that locally...and outwardly, use more logic. Our country is too varied idealogically, emotionally and economically. My personal perspective is best served locally.

I can still dream...but logic says...it is best to dream smaller and allow time for my dreams to grow. Thus, to my liberal friends, family and hubby's disbelief... I voted for Trump in 2016. the world didn't go to # and ww3 did not happen.

I actually began to fully realize that the proproganda had me totally living in a virtual reality. I began speaking to those who actually have experience. Missionaries, law enforcement, state workers, child protective services, etc....they were not demons...they were folks who had their eyes opened to reality. Sigh.

The big problem I have is that most people who lean left want easy solutions to complicated problems.

They seem to buy the idea that we can have big government-run programs and all pay in our taxes for them, and magically, it will work out beautifully for everyone. They don't want to get into the details about any of it. They just want to believe it will work out.

The problem is the a collectivized solution almost never works as easily as it seems like it will.

a reply to: DanDanDat

yes this is what I've been saying to everyone who will listen

we are not so different

people are people, and the stereotypes that are foisted on us from the media are bunk

the us and them is not fruitful, we are one people, find the commonalities, see the other sides point of view, try to understand why they see things the way they do

originally posted by: CynConcepts
a reply to: DanDanDat

I still have emotions and want to help others...but admit that I have learned to focus that locally...and outwardly, use more logic. Our country is too varied idealogically, emotionally and economically. My personal perspective is best served locally.

How does that saying go ... think globally act locally? I agree with you that it might be a good idea if we all took a more local approach to things. In the day and age of information overflow it seems a lot of people are preoccupied with news and events that dont realy affect their daily lives and all but neglect the local issues that affect them every day. It's good to be globally and nationally informed; but is it really helpful to protest a president every weekend? Vote him or her out of office if you find you doing like them; but save that energy used for national protests to make a difference locally. Enough of us do this locally then the nation and globe will naturally follow.

I can still dream...but logic says...it is best to dream smaller and allow time for my dreams to grow. Thus, to my liberal friends, family and hubby's disbelief... I voted for Trump in 2016. the world didn't go to # and ww3 did not happen.

I actually began to fully realize that the proproganda had me totally living in a virtual reality. I began speaking to those who actually have experience. Missionaries, law enforcement, state workers, child protective services, etc....they were not demons...they were folks who had their eyes opened to reality. Sigh.

I'm not liberally minded; I'm a centrist. But I do live in a liberal area of the country, most friends and family are liberally minded. The run up to the 2016 elections brought up some very heated conversations. I found I had to talk down people who are ordinarily quite intelligent from the idea that the world would end if Trump won the presidency.

a reply to: DanDanDat

I’m guessing her facebook and twitter were just shut down.

I was a (normal, not bat# crazy) supporter of the "second wave feminism" in my youth. Something I still regret because it was a disservice to women. It led to circumstances that we have today.

I don´t blame modern women for being stressed out. Job, Career and when they turn 30 they realize time runs out. All because they we´re told it´s bad to be a stay at home mother.

It´s okay to change believe, there´s nothing wrong with it. As time goes by, one learns and more information is collected. I cringe at myself. If I had a time machine and enough travels, I´d slap myself on the head say "you idiot" and leave.

The believing everything on the table by liberals is actually something I noticed about them. Strange, I never really evaluated their attitude that way, but the woman is correct. People who follow along with groups like that are not very intelligent, they can't think properly to completely process what they are hearing. They believe what others are believing without actually evaluating the information themselves, then parrot what they are told is real. I know many people who parrot without actually verifying if it is true, my oldest daughter has finally learned not to parrot things to me without checking them and is starting to wise up. Trouble is the rest of our local community has not wised up.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Donald Trump has a very specific persona. I don't blame people for not trusting it in the Oval Office. I had to keep telling myself that I only had to elect someone I felt could do the job, not someone I thought looked/acted the part of a politician because I didn't know anyone who didn't stop complaining about "typical politician" this or that all the time. If we all could agree that typical politicians were part of the problem and one of our options was probably one of the worst examples of that breed, then it was about being ready to pull the lever for something else ... and taking a chance.

I love it.

It is how most of us truly think but we tend to box ourselves in even here.
In real life when I'm with friends everything is great unless someone opens pandora's box on national politics.
So we have a tacit understand we just never bring that # up.
Works like a charm.

originally posted by: ketsuko
The big problem I have is that most people who lean left want easy solutions to complicated problems.

They seem to buy the idea that we can have big government-run programs and all pay in our taxes for them, and magically, it will work out beautifully for everyone. They don't want to get into the details about any of it. They just want to believe it will work out.

The problem is the a collectivized solution almost never works as easily as it seems like it will.

And yes, I understand I am quoting myself, but following on this, I think this desire for easy solutions stems from the desire we all have to just basically be left alone.

I think we really all do.

And I think they figure that if the easy solutions to problems were solved this way, then they can feel free to go about their personal business guilt free and secure because it's all being taken care of.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: DanDanDat

Donald Trump has a very specific persona. I don't blame people for not trusting it in the Oval Office. I had to keep telling myself that I only had to elect someone I felt could do the job, not someone I thought looked/acted the part of a politician because I didn't know anyone who didn't stop complaining about "typical politician" this or that all the time. If we all could agree that typical politicians were part of the problem and one of our options was probably one of the worst examples of that breed, then it was about being ready to pull the lever for something else ... and taking a chance.

I think that is a good observation; it was one of the arguments I made to people why I would be voting for Trump ... he was something different in a world where we have been complaining about the normal politsions we have been experiencing. To me 2016 was a choice between something different and the same old thing. I choose to go with different to see what would happen.

a reply to: DanDanDat

And whatever else is taking place with the presidency, I can't help but think of Maximus in the arena with his hands up screaming, "Are you not entertained?!" with half the antics Trump pulls on Twitter.

Look at this 14th Amendment stunt. Right now, I'm not sure that it's not a complete head fake. It's mostly taken the Fake Bomber out of the cycle entirely, we hear only cursory updates on the tragedy in Pittsburg, no debate on guns although they know that won't work in their favor, and the migrant caravan debate has shifted off the territory they desire, and very little outrage over troops moving to the border. He moved the Overton Window to a subject a lot of people have been a bit upset about for a while no matter how the press play it and that juxtaposes with the caravan something else people are upset over.

But he may just jumpstart true action to clarify this issue ... finally. Love it or hate it, it needs to happen.

a reply to: DanDanDat

My god, I hope they did not use her real name!


The crazed will track her down and harass the hell out of her and her family.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: DanDanDat

Donald Trump has a very specific persona. I don't blame people for not trusting it in the Oval Office. I had to keep telling myself that I only had to elect someone I felt could do the job, not someone I thought looked/acted the part of a politician because I didn't know anyone who didn't stop complaining about "typical politician" this or that all the time. If we all could agree that typical politicians were part of the problem and one of our options was probably one of the worst examples of that breed, then it was about being ready to pull the lever for something else ... and taking a chance.

That is actually a good post.