I am what my friends are now calling the "un-republican" delegate to my state's Republican convention to help pick who will be the unbound (not promised to anyone) delegates to the Republican National Convention. (In my previous posts, I explain I am not a Republican or a Democrat, but registered as one to vote against Trump and I have been following this process through from the caucus to the state level, almost the national level.... every time telling everyone I am not a Republican, but here to vote against Trump, and proceeding to nervously explain some of my reasons why. I tell them very personally what a Donald Trump candidacy means for me. I could have spoken about the world, the US.... but I wanted to make it really real and personal for the people in the room. I wanted them to be confronted with what this man's promises would do to change my life, in very horrible ways, if he was given the power of the presidency. I wanted it to be in their faces.
I'm told a some people were persuaded away from Trump, and of all the people who won delegate positions, each time, I have gotten the most votes of anyone in the room. It's not because they are voting for me. But because I think people are beginning to really get what a danger Trump is and that he is not the solution to all our problems.
It's has been very powerful to see rooms of people stand up or raise their hands up and vote for me to be the delegate because of my never Trump position.
Trump may or may not win... but it's the rooms of people standing up to use their power, their voice, to try to keep Trump from getting power - this is what will sustain us through whatever comes.
At the county level, there was a 19 year old college student from my very progressive town running for a delegate position. He stood up and told the reasons why he thought Trump would save our country. He told us how he would fight in any war Trump would start (!!!) and he was very passionate. He told everyone how scared he was and how the republican party has betrayed the people.... something most everyone seems to agree with. This is why he supported Trump, and not everyone agreed with him. We were among the people running for the same delegate position.
Before the votes were taken, as we were both sitting next to each other, watching the speeches, my heart broke. I'm not that old, but I am past college. He was so hooked on Trump. During a break between the speeches, I held out my hand and introduced myself. We knew each other's positions - We both knew the man he believes would save the country, is the same man I am willing to go through a lot to stand up against. We talked for a short while, and it was really interesting. Neither of us changed our minds, but I told him, "I am glad you are here, and I am glad you had the courage to stand up and share your viewpoint."
He looked at me like I had lost my mind. He said, "Really?... Why?"
"Because this is how we solve problems. Talking to each other and trying to find common ground. Remembering that the other side is not the other side, but our neighbors, and trying to find a way to work together to solve the very real problems we are facing. This is how we solve problems. Not by voting for a strongman."
I felt like an idealistic fool saying that. Eh, but I said it anyhow.
At the end, after he lost, he said he would have voted for me if he wasn't running himself. This time, I was the one who was very stunned. I thought he thought I was full of sh*t... and wait, what? I thought he would die for the man. I asked him about it more, and he said he still supported Trump, but he supported me as a person as well.
So yeah. I'm confused but somehow heartened that his Trump trance began to break down a little.
....anyhow, that's just one of the many things I have experienced during this chapter of my strange journey into the depths of American democracy. Most of it is like watching sausage being made. It makes me nauseated, and I really don't want to eat...er... vote... ever again.
But I will be voting yet again, next at the state convention, against Trump.
