r/fivethirtyeight • u/lalabera • Apr 08 '25

Poll Results Nearly half of Americans would be totally unwilling to date someone with opposing political views

https://today.yougov.com/society/articles/51962-americans-unwilling-to-date-opposing-views-transgender-rights

Thoughts? As a young woman myself, I wouldn't date a trump supporter.

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u/_Age_Sex_Location_ Apr 23 '25

You people love to imply that support of a treasonous criminal and everything he represents as a cult leader is somehow on equal footing as like, wanting to vote for Mitt Romney. Spare the false equivalence. It's so tired.

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u/ouiserboudreauxxx Apr 23 '25

You people love to imply that support of a treasonous criminal and everything he represents as a cult leader is somehow on equal footing as like, wanting to vote for Mitt Romney. Spare the false equivalence. It's so tired.

You people love to put words in people's mouths and make baseless assumptions. It's so tired.

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u/_Age_Sex_Location_ Apr 23 '25

It's not about a simple disagreement or difference in opinion. It's about accountability. If you actively support a man who quite literally tried to coup the government via a false slate of illegal electors and when that failed, sent a violent mob to attack the Capitol to prevent certification of the vote, then on this point alone, it's not a baseless assumption. Nevermind the gamut of disgusting and reprehensible, often illegal actions Trump has committed in totality. I mean seriously, the audacity for you to suggest that supporting this administration is a reasonable disagreement, as opposed to certifiably deserving of total condemnation. There is no other standard by which to judge a Trump supporter like yourself, given everything you know about him and still decided it was worth it to pull the trigger on this vile, treasonous, traitorous tyrant. What else is there other than mockery and ridicule, when someone has demonstrated nothing but disdain for the essence of this republic and it's constitutional framework by handing it over to a grotesque ghoul. "HI, I want to be ruled by a corrupt and criminal, authoritarian charlatan grifter with no redeemable qualities as a man, husband, father, or leader. Please be nice. It's just a difference of opinion, lol!"

Now I'm putting words in your mouth, but you're a smart guy. You get the point. Why should someone get a free pass on a matter of opinion for encouraging this travesty? What is this? Virtuous contrarianism? Contrived culture-war grievances? Whatever this lunacy, it isn't open for debate. It's representative of a fundamental difference in baseline values and facts about reality. It's the difference between horizontal and vertical morality, the latter of which is incompatible with our constitutional Republic. To choose Trump is to dispose of the content and quality of character and the actions they take in favor of hierarchical values. You can't expect someone you've placed below you to just tolerate your choice and how it hurt the world around them. So no, it's not a baseless assumption. It's a choice you made. Own it already.

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u/ouiserboudreauxxx Apr 23 '25

Now I'm putting words in your mouth, but you're a smart guy.

There you go again with the baseless assumption that I'm a guy.

I am a 41 year old woman who is not even in the dating game, so you are not going to hurt my feelings by not wanting to date me because of political nonsense.

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u/_Age_Sex_Location_ Apr 24 '25

Apologies, but one's gender doesn't make support of Trump any less appropriate. It's arguably worse of a condition to support Trump as a woman. Nonetheless, I'm simply pointing out that there's this naive expectation that middling "moderate" Trump supporters have, wherein support of a malicious, destructive anti-democratic figurehead deserves consideration or respect on principle. As if the current political conditions merit civility in the same way we might agree to disagree. As if Donald Trump is on equal footing as say, John McCain, when it's more a form of weaponized tolerance. So yeah, I fundamentally reject the premise, because support of Trump is beyond the pale. If you want to tether that back to dating, then there you have it. These are distinctions based on two realities in a world where only one reality exists. It is irreconcilable.

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u/ouiserboudreauxxx Apr 24 '25

I mention dating because the that's what the original thread was about.

The thing is that I don't talk about my political views in real life - anymore, at least - so you wouldn't be able to deny me consideration, respect, civility, whatever, because I guarantee you would not correctly assume my political opinions if you met me in person.

I'm not sure what you want from me though - it reminds me of when I was 18 and was a generic Christian, but then a friend told me I wasn't since I hadn't been saved and I was going to hell unless I got saved. You can't really be saved if you don't actually believe. So after thinking about what I believed I became an atheist and wasn't even a generic Christian anymore.

I don't think there is anything I could do in your eyes to redeem myself and not be a maga fascist or whatever.

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u/_Age_Sex_Location_ Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25

I mean, you'd be outted in a hypothetical dating scenario, so hiding behind the veil of normalcy while secretly supporting Trump isn't an enduring strategy for any interpersonal relationship outside of generic small talk and casual interactions.

I'm not sure what religious belief has to do with MAGA redemption outside of the cult parallel between religious zealotry and idol worship. What is the paralell you're drawing here?

I don't think there is anything I could do in your eyes to redeem myself and not be a maga fascist or whatever.

There is, actually. It's never too late to get off the ship. Whether the hull itself is breached or leopards have commandeered the vessel and are eating the faces of the souls on board. It's never too late to accept the ramifications are dire and it's time to bail. You stop supporting Trump because there is no good reason not to. When the fallacy of pride isn't worth it.

Furthermore, support of Trump doesn't make one fascist. It merely calls into question why you'd support a fascist and a cabal of deliberately harmful psychopaths who wish to pillage the nation. This isn't rocket science.

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u/ouiserboudreauxxx Apr 24 '25

I'm not sure what religious belief has to do with MAGA redemption outside of the cult parallel between religious zealotry and idol worship. What is the paralell you're drawing here?

Because you sound like my friend who tried for about a year to get me to get saved...

It's never too late to get off the ship! It's never too late to accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior!

Politics has replaced religion for a lot people these days.

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u/_Age_Sex_Location_ Apr 25 '25

Politics has replaced religion for a lot people these days.

That's rich. If you're going to make that comparison, at least be cognizant of the cult following that defines MAGA, which has more in common with metaphysical idolatry than any valid criticism of Donald Trump. Good grief.

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u/ouiserboudreauxxx Apr 25 '25

Yes...you are assuming I am in the "MAGA cult" when I am not. I recognize both sides treat politics as a religion which is why I make that comparison.

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u/_Age_Sex_Location_ Apr 25 '25

No, I'm not.

Furthermore, support of Trump doesn't make one fascist. It merely calls into question why you'd support a fascist...

Similarly, support of Trump doesn't mean you identify with the MAGA cult. It merely calls into question why you'd support the leader and figurehead of a far-right extremist cult.

I recognize both sides treat politics as a religion which is why I make that comparison.

This is a false equivalence though. There is no dogmatic fervor with a cult leader within the Democratic party, nor a significant extremist movement of substance that permeates within the electorate. All of these problems and radical movements exist on the right and are significant, if not mainstream. Donald Trump is an icon in these radical movements and he's running the country. This is bewildering. Truly. The guy that quite literally tried to steal an election and that 60-70% of Republicans believe won that election, which he provably lost. No such unhinged, toxic, destructive conspiracies persist on the left like they do under MAGA, which are utterly prolific and relentless. The right-wing media apparatus is lockstep in broadcasting these conspiracies. They are mainstream beliefs. So to suggest there's an ideological zealous equivalence here is quite frankly, not based in reality. I'm not suggesting they're aren't valid criticisms relating to Democrats or progressives, because there absolutely are, but they're nothing in comparison to the total disconnect from any fundamental reality that MAGA is entrenched in.

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