A whole swath of GOP voters appears firmly committed to not voting for Trump in November.
Donald Trump has a problem no matter what happens in New Hampshire on Tuesday night: There’s a whole swath of the Republican electorate and a good chunk of independents who appear firmly committed to not voting for him in November if he becomes the nominee.
It’s an issue that became starkly apparent in polling ahead of the Iowa caucuses, when an NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of voters in that state found that fully 43 percent of Nikki Haley supporters said they would back President Joe Biden over Trump. And it’s a dynamic that has been on vivid display as the campaign shifted this week to New Hampshire.
“I can’t vote for Trump. He’s a crook. He’s too corrupt,” said Scott Simeone, 64, an independent voter from Amherst, who backed Trump in 2016 and 2020. “I voted for him, and I didn’t realize he’s as corrupt as he is.”
I can forgive some Trump voters in 16. A lot of them were just following the time honored script of republicans good, democrats bad, go team. I knew a few that eventually saw it for what it is and had enough character to admit they were wrong.
But that’s pretty damn limited. We knew who he was in 16. There were no surprises for most of us during his presidency. If you then voted for him in 2020 you had excuse. You were just a fucking idiot.
If you vote for him in 24. You’re not only an idiot you particularly hate America and you’re a joke.
Shit, there was a second where even I thought that Trump might make a good president. I was disavowed of that thought very quickly, but it existed in this progressive’s head for a second. I can forgive 2016 for a lot of people, but I cannot for 2020 or 2024.