Can we be bigger than our political beliefs and find common ground? My interview with a Trump supporter and what it taught me!

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Woo boy. A Centrist, feminist, LGBT member and a Conservative Trump supporter in one place? How will we co-exist? Turns out, rather easily is how we do it. My interview this time is with one of our members here and one of my good friends, @exitseven (X7)

We are both fully aware of each others political beliefs and, yes, we have debated on many topics against one another and yet we still check on one another and care for each other as friends. So how is it possible, given our deep political differences, that we are able to still able to coexist as friends? Well, the simplest answer is that we are both adults and understand open debate done in a civil matter is key to maintaining any healthy relationship. That was no different in our interview. I went in with the idea I would be writing about the Republicans take on women's issues considering their support of Trump and his sexual assault accusations, their push to limit women's choices when it comes to their own bodies, and what appears to be a severe push back against feminism (not to be confused with radical feminism thank you). What the interview became was so much more and today I would like to share this with you.

Bri - According to the polls, Trump lost male voters between the 2016 and 2020 elections, but although Biden won women voters, the same as Clinton did in 2016, he didn't massively increase on her work.Yet, despite his admitted sexual assault issues and the policies being enacted by republicans in general when it comes to women's rights, why do you think it is that so many women vote against their own self interests?

X7 - Trump was not elected because he was a choirboy. He had a platform of jobs, opportunity, strength and security. It is hard to argue that he did not deliver on most of his promises and some were works in progress. People both male and female care more about that than those claims. If by women's rights you are talking about abortion I think that the pro choice position has gone too far allowing partial birth abortions. To abort a baby at that stage of life is murder. In many cases the only alternative is to ban abortions completely. There has to be a viable plan to satisfy both sides of the issue.

Hey, look, I don't disagree that abortion is wrong for me, but that's not my choice to make for others. My take has always been that if a baby can survive outside the womb without the mothers body keeping it alive, then you are too late (save a medical emergency). Prior to that, if the embryo cannot survive, then the mother has full say. That puts us around 22 weeks or so. I'd be willing to slightly amend that down, but certainly not to the ridiculous 6 weeks Texas put in place and certainly not abolishing it altogether. As for women in general and supporting all the things Trump has been credibly accused of and self admitted? Well, that is disappointing to say the least.

"You grabbed her by the WHAT?! Well...you did bring back jobs so you get a pass this time."

So, was it just about the money and jobs? Seems like a republican thing to look out for. What did X7 think about it?

Bri - I have seen a lot of changes from the times of Reagan through today in how the Republican party has treated both women and persons of color. It seemed for a while that the main political driving force for that was the color green, money. It was a party that preached fiscal responsibility and family values, but it appears from my end that the party has shifted from that message and appears to be heavily focused less about family values and more about political radicalism. Every party uses a "boogeyman" to scare their voters into showing up to the polls, but have you noticed any particular changes that have made you uncomfortable in the rhetoric being used?

X7 - The Republican party was always perceived as the party of the rich. Reagan and Bush catered to big business and believed in "Trickle Down " economics. As more people have ended upon welfare it has now created a situation pitting the people, mostly middle class taxpayers , against people who collect some form of welfare assistance.

It is easy for democrats to pander to specific groups. Empty promises of better benefits are designed to keep them in power. In reality it was Republican leadership that produced record unemployment and rises in wages across all demographics. This was accomplished by creating opportunities instead of a handout. President Trump got the biggest percentage of the black and hispanic vote of any other Republican candidate.

(I'm assuming he meant record low unemployment, not record unemployment, but X7 feel free to correct me if I was wrong.)

The last statement is his take specifically about the 2020 election. For the record, Trump did not receive the highest in history. He was beat by several other republican candidates throughout history.

To counter his unemployment numbers though, I provided these statistics:

During Trump’s first three years in office the unemployment rate declined from 4.7 percent to 3.5 percent — a 1.2 percentage point decline — quite satisfactory but nothing earth-shaking as his administration would like you to believe. If you look at the chart, 2017-2019 is an extension of the same downward trend (momentum) in the unemployment rate that began in 2010. Moreover, the slope flattens a bit during Trump’s tenure implying that the job creation rate was a bit slower under his tenure. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 6.6 million non-farm jobs were created during Trump’s three years ending 2019, while 8.1 million jobs were created during Obama’s preceding three years.

Grab them by the pie chart.

So it was there I decided to put back the pressure of people voting against their own self interests again. If the money and jobs that non rich republicans thought they were getting wasn't real, then again, why vote against self interests?

Bri - Why would men or women vote against their own self interests so often? For example, republicans have tried to limit gay rights, they have tried to do away with transgender rights especially lately, and they vote against pro choice. All of these are options for people to control what happens with their own bodies and yet a majority of republican anti vaxxers have polled saying they dont even trust their own doctors. Why two sides of the same coin? Why support people being limited in choices for their bodies, but then also fight regulations against vaccines? For example, the House of Representatives passed a sweeping nondiscrimination bill that would enhance protections for LGBTQ Americans, in a 236-173 vote. The vote was mostly along party lines, and all the no votes were from Republicans.

The bill, named The Equality Act, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in housing, employment, education, federal programs, jury service, public accommodations, and credit and lending. This bill also includes protections against discrimination in public spaces and services like retail stores, transportation services, banks, and legal services.

In April, Republican House members compared requiring doctors to treat LGBTQ people to asking an Orthodox Jewish doctor whose grandparent was killed in the Holocaust to treat a Nazi patient

X7 - "I never heard of this and wonder what else was tacked onto this bill. I never heard of any Republicans campaigning for doctors to refuse to treat gay patients. I am sure if it really happened it would be all over the fake news."

Bri - You know I am married to another woman, do you agree with that stance that a doctor being asked to treat me for something like a cold is akin to me being a Nazi?

X7 - Of course I do not agree with that stance. Everyone has the basic right to be treated.

And there it was. Common ground. We knew that these radicalized statements were wrong, because in the end, it's a small minority of people trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. This holds true for radicalized politics, feminism, MGTOW, favorite sports team, basically anything. We have got to stop lumping everyone into a single category and learn to talk to one another.

X7 and I may not stand on the same side of the fence, but we know when wrong is wrong. More importantly we were able to talk through the some very heated points of contention for most people in a completely civilized way. I am hoping we can all find a way to do this one another here on this site and in life in general.

And if not, mom will find common ground for you.

I look forward to hearing from you all in the comments just please keep it civil. As usual, I will give X7 the final words today.

X7 - This was a great essay on many levels ( I let him read it before I posted this. I always do for anyone I interview). I appreciate your respect and fairness and even though we do not agree on some things, we have a lot more in common than we have differences. We obviously have different life experiences and as a result have different viewpoints and priorities. Thank you for including me in your MyTake X-7

[Curmudgeon]

OK, let's see what common ground we may have:

"what appears to be a severe push back against feminism (not to be confused with radical feminism thank you)."

Sorry, you may fancy yourself moderate, but your leaders are foaming at the mouth femi (commu) nists. We are now in an age where men can have their lives ruined by utterly proven false accusations, and where men who are not the biological parents can be shaken down for child support when the cheating ex's child is not even theirs. And the radical left femi (commu) nists brought us there.

Ditto for the utterly demented biological mutiliation agenda of the "trans" people. You are a lesbian? So be it. (Bummer as you are rather cute, I kid, I kid, but that's your business and not mine.) But thankfully you are not mutilating yourself and then demanding I recognize the legitimacy of, let alone pay for, the mutilation.

But I will give you this: Corporate Power has grown arrogant. It is time to rein them in.

And these very same big corporations were *more than happy* to throw the Republican base under the proverbial bus, in order to pander to the "woke" (sic) agendas of the Left, in exchange for preferential treatment from those very same Left leaders. And some of these corporations have become monopolies and not regulated at all. CEOs like Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Zuckerberg of Facebook testify before Congress, about how their platforms now squelch freedom of speech, rather than promote it as they originally promised, and both men show an arrogance that not even John Rockefeller showed in his Standard Oil heyday.

These same corporation elites promote open borders and drive down wages and employment opportunities, just so they can have ever cheaper hired help. Trump closed the borders - and African American unemployment fell to a record low. Yes, those two issues are linked. After all, why would an employer take a chance on offering an entry level job to someone with perhaps not the best background and possibly substance abuse problems, when that employer can get an utterly compliant illegal alien day laborer for less?

So Ez-Bri-Z, want to do some anti-trust with us? I would work with your side on that.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

You start your debate with insults. Not exactly finding a common ground there, but from my end I'll make a more honest attempt

I dont have leaders, unless you include my wife who thinks she is my boss (and in a moment of honesty probably is).

Yes, there are a small number of men who have false accusations against them that PALE in comparison to both men and women who actually were sexually assaulted/raped that were silenced for one reason or another or who did report it and were never believed. Even the ones that make it to trial less than 10% of those men will ever be sentenced. Let that sink in the next time you want to attack credible victims coming out with their story.

Why do transgender people bother you? They aren't asking you to "mutilate yourself". I mean, if you are allowed to get a tattoo or let yourself go to a diet strictly made of fast food, how is that any different in mutilating yourself?

Government and corporate power has grown too much. We need to reign both in somehow.

Business serve only one master, the bottom line. They don't care who makes the laws for them, they just want profit. We as workers are expendable assets as are the politicians they pay off.

Freedom of speech is not guaranteed by social media. It's a business the same as how you can't walk into a grocery store and start shouting racial slurs and not expect to be removed.

In the end, one thing we ALL have to remember is that corporate ANYWHERE not just America is all about one color, green. We need to stop fighting over our skin color and whatever other distractions they throw at us to keep us compliant to take back our rights as a person and not a drone otherwise when AI becomes more useful, we will ALL be replaced, illegal or not.

[Curmudgeon]

OK, apologies if I came across as harsh. I meant "your leaders" in the same way that I mean *my leaders*, that is, the Establishment people running Team Republican, like the Bush dynasty and their advisors like Karl Rove, with whom I have become greatly disillusioned.

(By the way to understand the Trump phenomenon, you must understand how disillusioned the Rank And File were with the GOP elites, who were telling us to go fight and possibly die to protect Iraq's borders, but NOT our own, and who sold us a "globalist" bill of goods which seems to always shortchange the American worker and the American small business owner. Trump not only ran against the Left, he ran against the ruling Bush dynasty within the GOP. Happy voters do not turn to a bombastic guy with a checkered past like Donald Trump. Desperate voters, tired of not being heard, or worse, smeared when they do speak up, DO turn to a guy like him.)

But to be more specific:

"Even the ones that make it to trial less than 10% of those men will ever be sentenced. Let that sink in the next time you want to attack credible victims coming out with their story."

Form where does that statistic come from? I am reminded of femi-leftist dishonesty about a "pay gap" that does not honestly compare the actual occupations, that is comparing apples to apples rather than to oranges. And someone like Christine Blasey Ford had NO credibility at all. A real rape victim would know exactly when and where it happened, down to what the carpet on the floor looked like (if it was in a home).

As for the transgendered, YES, they are asking me to recognize and even affirm them, and even to pay for it, via health insurance plans, for something that frankly isn't healthy at all.

[Curmudgeon]

"Freedom of speech is not guaranteed by social media."

And yet, the social media companies want to have it both ways. They want to be treated as content makers, who can choose what they publish and do not but are subject to libel laws, in one area, but then they want to be treated as neutral content "platforms", which are not subject to being regulated for what someone else does on their platforms, on others. The traditional laws treat them as one or the other, private publisher or public utility.

The Net Neutrality people had a point after all, although the technology is still changing too fast for anything they proposed as of now I still think.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Sorry, I didn't get a notification of response.

Well, in that case I still don't have leaders. I'm not democrat or republican. I just have things I like from both sides and defend those points.

They voted for Trump because he felt like someone who was bucking the trend of usual politics and he is a cult of personality. In the end, he wasn't much different than most politicians. He went there to personally benefit himself.

I don't even remember what my attacker looks like nor do I remember a thing about him. My mom had to fill in the gaps. So no, not all rape/sexual assault victims remember. Remember, kids can be victims too. Minds can block out traumatic events as well.

So what if you have to acknowledge them? You are already using the same pronouns in most cases anyway. He, she, them. As for all the other ones... look.. they confuse me too and sometimes I feel they go a little too far. I'll do my best, but no promises.

[GlassTop]

Stop mentioning Trump. You will get along with conservatives just fine. The people who hate Trump are infatuated with him as a character. Conservatives are more interested in his policies, which he DID deliver. We don’t care about him grabbing pussies or calling covid china virus. We wanted less taxes, less government, stronger boarder security, no war, less gas prices, more jobs. We got exactly the opposite with Biden. The gender pronoun game and abortion are not Trump issues. That’s a country issue.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

So you are cool with sexual assault and racism as long as you get extra money. That's selling out and that's why so many people have a problem with him and his supporters. Don't justify his deficiencies like that and maybe more people would be willing to talk.

[GlassTop]

It’s non of my business what people do in their personal life. Nobody cares about Biden segregating blacks and calling people N-word, preventing gay marriage and everything else democrats stood for up until 2012. It’s all on YouTube that biden is exactly or worse than Trump. Yet Trump gets hate as if he’s hitler. What matters is that we aren’t paying $5 a gallon of gas at the pump, have money to spend on holidays, and are safe from crime and war.

[zagor]

And Trump is the only one who could push those issues?

[fjb2021]

@GlassTop Thing is people do care about Biden, not very nice talking about people like that, that's like saying the country was stupid as to vote the bastard in.

[jimjim41]

Exactly this. I don't need to like someone for them to be president, they just need to make a positive change to my life. I hear far worse in the clinic out of nurses and MA's mouths than "grab her by the pussy" and the whole racism thing is a load of bullshit, all stemming from one partial quote.

[CrazyGirl2]

What a wonderful piece. Kudos! I believe most thinking people understand that the radicals are the ones making the most noise, the typical twitter mob, on the left. Ditto the right, the loudest 1% making the most noise, getting the most attention. I come from a multi-generational lifelong liberal family. (Literally on Dad’s side, they are British and all members of the Liberal party,? I don’t know much about British politics) on Mom’s side everyone is a registered Dem, and when I registered to vote in Dec, 2020, I naturally registered Democrat. My dad would often say “the republicans are crazy, they literally think Dems are out to get Trump!” But when Pelosi allowed a vote on a SECOND impeachment! My father was incensed, “holy shit! They really ARE just out to get him! He lost, & in a month he’ll be history, and they are impeaching him? I’m out!” He registered Independent the next day! My mom agreed and did the same, as did I! We’ve all been independent’s ever since! I may be young, but in my life I’ve seen Dems move away from free speech advocacy & push big tech to ban/de-platform someone over something they said TEN YEARS AGO! This is not the Democratic Party of the Free Speech mvmt. Now even Berkeley bans speakers it disagrees with? Ok my last point. When did the Dems become such pussies? If someone says “kill all gays” that’s obviously hate speech, and I’ll stand next to anyone to protest THAT. But if someone said “I don’t think that baker should have been forced to make his art for something he disagreed with based on his faith” I’ll disagree with it, but it’s that person’s opinion and it is far from hate speech. As I’m close to 2k characters I need to stop. But I truly believe the democrat party has gone TOO far Left, and many republicans… they’ve done the same but on the right! Getting together and just talking w/ each other is best for everyone, it could def open up a dialogue, and set the foundation for future agreement! Let’s do that instead hey?

[Ez-Bri-Z]

This is why I recognize myself as a centrist. I pick and choose what I like from all sides. I tend to back women's choices for their body and lgbt causes from the left and from the right im pro military, less government interference and limiting our social programs for free money handouts.

Generally one side sees me commenting my feelings for one of those and think I'm automatically for the other side and never give me a chance to explain. If more people talked instead of just assumed, we'd all be better off.

[CrazyGirl2]

No, I think you did an excellent job of explaining your centrist viewpoint. Heck! That’s the reason I wrote what I did, I thought explaining how I came to be an independent when my family was lifelong democrat in both sides, until the last days of the last administration, would make for an interesting read! I too fall heavily on the side of women's rights (especially bodily autonomy), LGBT rights (although I am against transitioning children!) and I am for a strong military, limited government, and obviously less handouts. Thank you for writing that. It was truly an awesome read!

[GlassTop]

What’s the point of calling yourself independent if you are still going to vote democratic? You need to change your voting, not your party. Party shouldn’t matter. Policies should. Trump had great policies. Biden has destroyed America in just one year. I can barely afford food and gas. People actually voted for this crap. The middle class is being destroyed thanks to Democrats.

[CrazyGirl2]

@GlassTop First, would you kindly copy and paste WHERE I said HOW I VOTE, or who I vote for? I believe in entertaining ALL points of view, that way the best ideas get elevated, and the bad ideas land on the dustheap of history. But I will NOT TOLERATE people who put words in my mouth, or criticize me for something I DID NOT SAY! So we can have a very friendly, courteous, and civilized talk when you either show me where I wrote that “Im an independent but I’m still voting Democrat”, or you apologize for grossly mischaracterizing what I wrote.
Second, this entire country is “democratic” the process of electing any politician, regardless of party affiliation is the DEMOCRATIC process! The name of the political party you don’t like is “The Democrat Party” NOT “The Democratic Party”. That is actually a really important distinction. Because by you calling the Democrats “the Democratic party”, you are de facto calling the Republicans “the Undemocratic party”, and I’m sure you don’t want to do that.

[GlassTop]

You literally said you registered as Democrat and your family is all democrat. Then you changed to “independent” AFTER the election. It’s fair to assume you voted for Biden. As for democracy, yes voting is a democratic process, but the majority do not make the decision on elections, that would be the electorate. Thus Trump winning 2016 even though he lost the popular vote (California votes).

[CrazyGirl2]

@GlassTop Well, as “Fair” as YOU think it MAY be, to say I voted for Biden, before my 18th birthday, you would be 100% WRONG! Especially as I clearly wrote that I first registered to vote in December (which is after the November election)! How the hell did I register to vote when I didn’t turn 18 until December, which again is AFTER the Biden v. Trump election? I also NEVER “literally” said I registered Independent after the election. What I DID “literally” write was “But when Pelosi allowed a vote on a SECOND impeachment! My father was incensed, “holy shit! They really ARE just out to get him! He lost, & in a less than a month he’ll be history, and they are impeaching him? I’m out!” He registered Independent the next day! My mom agreed and did the same, as did I!” You have now deliberately misquoted me MULTIPLE times, so I have to assume it is deliberate, and you are acting in bad faith! Holy crap, after I very clearly write that we left the party AFTER the second impeachment (which happened on Jan 13) You read that and write “You literally said you registered as Democrat and your family is all democrat. Then you changed to “independent” AFTER the election. It’s fair to assume you voted for Biden.” WTF? First, it is as if no matter what I write, you just claim I wrote the opposite and get pissed off at your own made-up “facts”? What’s wrong with you? Second, you REALLY need to learn what “literally” means. Literally comes from the exact same root-word as Literature, and Literacy. Two things I fear that are tragically lacking in your life.

[CrazyGirl2]

ALSO: “The Electorate” ARE the regular people who vote… ALL of them as a block are referred to as the electorate…. What you were referring to (based on your “popular vote” comment) is the ELECTORAL COLLEGE. I mean all you had to do was Google it!

[SecretsofKB]

Another great take!!!

Honestly, it feels good to be able to respectfully disagree with with someone and not be yelled at or insulted. Such a simple, mature concept that everyone needs to learn.

Thank you @ez-bri-z!! And thank you @exitseven!!

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Thank you so much!

[exitseven]

@SecretsofKB Glad you liked it.

[ChrisMaster69]

A really good MyTake and respect to you both.

As a Brit I do find the US fascination with politics fairly amazing.

Not that many people both with politics in the UK, there are a few diehard Labour, Conservative etc people, however the vast majority bounce between parties. For example in a local election someone might vote Labour but then vote conservative in national.

When we go out socialising, we tend not to discuss Politics nor religion.

Also as a country that does have very left wing politicians and parties, the Republican v Democrat argument that goes on appears more like UKIP arguing with the Conservatives.

We also have Labour passing more conservative policies and the Conservatives passing more Labour / Socialist policies.

I think most people accept that MPs are a bunch of self serving twats and no matter the party they often suck. That no matter the party they vote for not much changes.

Our biggest Political issues, is the North South divide, which is not helped by a lot of Labour being London orientated.

For the record, I vote Conservative as I do have a lot of more right of centre views, however having been born in a poverty area, I do have a lot of more socialist views on society at large.

Just because people view things in life differently does not mean they cannot sit down and enjoy a pint together.

I believe in accepting others views (as long as not too extreme or simply bigoted).

Well done to @exitseven and @ez-bri-z a very good MyTake and a nice change for a political post on GaG.

[BluishGaze]

I lean conservative, but I do have several Liberal values.

It is my belief that NO ONE is 100% Liberal or 100% Conservative... unless they are involved in a cult. It is important that we remind ourselves of this, or we'll ALWAYS be fighting each other. Liberals and Conservatives are not supposed to be "enemies," but they are not necessarily meant to be "allies," either. They're supposed to coexist in a way to keep each other in check... because both sides can clearly go too far.

Just to be clear, being Conservative does not mean I have to like Donald Trump. I have my own personal issues with the man. The one positive thing he has done for me was bringing my attention to mainstream media bias. Before his presidency, I was pretty much apolitical. It was until his face was plastered all over the news that things started to agitate me.

If there's anything we should have in common, it's that our politicians are NOT to be trusted. NONE OF THEM. Democrat, Republican, whatever. In fact, the MEDIA is far WORSE than they are. On the one hand, you had FOX News kissing Donald Trump's ass, no matter what he said or did... Then, on the other hand, you have CNN, which cannot go a SINGLE DAY without talking about much they think Trump is Satan. They're STILL talking about him!

Do you ever wonder why these shady politicians always seem to be charged with some kind of heinous "crimes" but are NEVER and WILL NEVER be convicted? Ever wonder why major news headlines often include the words "alleged," "reportedly," or "anonymous sources?"

It's all a game... but we're all too busy fighting amongst ourselves.

[Datboi65]

What I also think is hilarious, depending on what news agency you follow you can get COMPLETELY different news. Only in America..

[Datboi65]

I think I'm qualified to answer this question as an independent. There are certain things I don't agree with on both ends of the spectrum and there are other things with both parties that I agree with, but it's the toxicity that keeps me from associating with either side.

I will give you an example. I am pro-life, anti-feminist and a capitalist, but I also believe in saving the environment, racial equity and gun control. Does that put me on any side? Not really. You would have leftists calling me a misogynist and right-wingers calling me a Marxist BLMer. You cannot make this shit up people. More than anything, my beliefs are not influenced by that of my family, but are solely mine and they can change if presented with better data. I believe that's how people should be, rather than blindly follow a party that doesn't give a damn about them.

The talk of identity politics is a waste of time, because your experiences are important for your agenda. I'm a man who has come accused the toxicity of feminism and seen what it has done to society, but I'm also Black, so I know what my people have gone through. Republicans who complain about "identity politics" are hypocrites themselves, because they also vote based on their experiences. They are doing so to persuade minority voters to join their side without having anything in common. Democrats on the other hand lie to minority voters and give them the false promise of change, but would be forget about them after the election for another 4 years until the next one. It's a game these 2 are playing, a game I don't want to be a part of. Americans would benefit more if they start listening more with an open mind, rather than argue or find a reason to be offended, and that goes for right-wingers and leftists.

[Datboi65]

Edit: *across not "accused"

[fjb2021]

Question is, did you simply not vote? Or did you pick a side. Pretty simple.

[Datboi65]

@fjb2021 I simply didn't vote.

[fjb2021]

That is smart, at least you don't merely pick a potato head over a cheetoh just for the hell of it, because it's a fiery hot cheetoh, just a dull potato that needs a miss potato head to wipe his butt.

[Datboi65]

@fjb2021 Well, there's already a libertarian party that exists, it's just not that popular unfortunately 😕

[fjb2021]

Libertarians don't want gun control, that's a promise.

[Datboi65]

@fjb2021 My bad, I confused "centrism" with "libertarianism". Basic rookie mistake. I can tell you my views, and then you can judge:

A) I'm a capitalist and I believe in a free market economy.

B) I believe global warming is definitely a huge issue.

C) I don't support radical feminism and the agenda that there are many different genders.

D) I support racial equity not just against police brutality, but at work as well, and I believe the full extent of history should be taught in schools. The good, bad and the ugly.

E) I'm for gun control. When I say gun control, I'm talking about fully automatic weapons (which are legal if they are from the year 1986 or older), or semiautomatic weapons. Handguns and hunting rifles should totally be allowed, but I believe there should be a federal licensing process rather than each state having its own licensing requirements.

F) I'm pro-life. I believe that abortion is murder, unless it endangers the mother, or the child is conceived as the result of rape. If it was just due to a casual sexual encounter, then it's murder.

I can go on and on, but those are some of my views.

[fjb2021]

Constitutionally a person can own a nuke, maybe that should be amended. Fully automatic is difficult to get, but to say you want to ban semi autos yet support guns otherwise, hmmm. I don't own any handguns that aren't semi auto. To ban everything else, means bolt action only, and that ain't happening.

[fjb2021]

Climate Change is a farce. There will be a gnarly volcanic eruption which will make all that talk useless. CC is just another democratic lie. Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore like to spout of their mouths, why? For thee and not for me they say, and retards eat it up.

[Datboi65]

@fjb2021 I didn't ask what you think about my views, I asked where you would rank them overall in the political spectrum. I do consider myself a centrist. I noticed interesting differences between parties though. Republicans are more herd-like, so they think similarly for the most part, while Democrats are more divided. They have a different meaning of "freedom", one is absolute (Republicans) and the other is more realistic as long as it doesn't affect other people (Democrats).

[Datboi65]

@fjb2021 1) Reason as to why is those can be used to murder multiple people at an instant. Mass shootings are very common in the United States, and that's one way to reduce the risk. Can they be done with handguns too? Yes, but less people are going to get hurt as a result. By making the licensing process federal, we have basically ensured that the standards are the same across all 50 states, so the minute a crime committed, it's much easier to identify the owner of the gun and arrest them. Also, the licensing process ensures that more people are trained on how to use guns effectively, which increases gun safety.

2) I believe in adjustments to the 2nd ammendment. Yes, I said it. Constitutionally you can own a nuke, but should you? The United States is the only Western country were mass shootings are that common. I'm not saying we should act like Canada and the UK and ban all types if guns as that's extreme, but something needs to be done. Rather than teaching children how to deal with school shooters, wouldn't it make more sense to make those guns less accessible? Assuming that people are going to get them from the black market since that's another argument I hear often, I think Homeland Security should be especially alert for any smuggling operations that involve firearms crossing the US border, and intercept those immediately, which probably means we need to increase their budget.

[Datboi65]

@fjb2021 3) Any person you ask knows that volcanic eruptions cause a cooling effect. Climate change prevents that from happening.

[fjb2021]

Consider yourself what you want. Centrist as a nice term for being half way conservative and half libtard in this instance. Who cares.

[Datboi65]

@fjb2021 Can't have a discussion without insults? This is exactly why I never voted Republican.

[girlsdontasktheytell]

There is no way to get along with the Marxist left.
-You agree with torturing Jan.6 political prisoners, a black women Trump supporter being beaten to death and another veteran woman being shot dead. Yet you cheer on the burning of our cities, dozens of murders, the desecration of our anthem and flag, billions in damage, skyrocketing crime rates in dem cities (per usual) by BLM and Antifa
-You agree with murdering babies in the womb, nearly 30 million of them black, and don't care that the founder of planned parenthood, Margaret Sanger, was a eugenicist who murdered black and handicapped babies in the womb. PP has silently removed her
-You think you are champions of women's rights, yet are fine with biological men setting records in women's sports, raping kids in bathrooms, and an incredibly high suicide rate
-You agree with Uyghur slavery and love China for it
-You believe the Russia collusion narrative, despite it being proven Hillary's campaign paid for the fake dossier that was used to obtain a FISA warrant to spy on Trump's campaign (not a Trump supporter, but also not an idiot). No collusion whatsoever
-You are against free speech and for mass censorship, then act as though you are the intelligent majority because there is no one left to "debate" you
-You agree with Biden leaving thousands of Americans to die in the middle east, and far too much to list, which is why his approval rating is so hilariously low by your own polls
-You started the KKK, and fought against black rights for centuries. You still are, by subjugating the black race in dem run cities. The tactic has simply changed. You call every black man/women republican a "white supremacist", which is INCREDIBLY racist for both sides.
-You agree with forced "vaccinations", that don't stop the spread of the virus, per the CDC, who literally changed the definition of a vaccine multiple times
-You believe Ivermectin is horse paste, despite it saving BILLIONS of lives in the tropics for decades and winning the nobel peace prize for it
-You agree with countless Americans losing their jobs for not getting the vaccine, which again doesn't stop the spread of the virus
-You refuse to acknowledge the virus was created and spread from China
-You believe in "climate change", yet cheer on super rich celebrities who fly around in private jets and have 50+ times the carbon footprint everyone else does. Most of you live in cities, which are the biggest killers of the environment, with few trees to soak up the C02, you are solely responsible for over 10 billion masks in our oceans, you believe that brush clearing is against the environment, which has lead to millions of trees, plants, and animals dying in forest fires, many more here
-You are metoo, except that all the men you are fighting are democrats (heads of social media, magazines, MSM/CNN, hollywood, most of big business, etc.). Don't even know that among the 600 girls who were captured in Africa, there were over 4,000 boys raped, burned, beaten and murdered. What ever happened to those girls by the way? Yet you somehow blame republicans for this.
-50% of marriage ends in divorce, 80% initiated by women, 97% of all marital court decisions (custody, alimony, child support) go to women, while women enjoy 1/10th the sentences of men for the same crimes. You care about "equity" not "equality"
-You don't know who Alinsky was, have no idea that Hitler was a democratic socialist who believed most of the same things you do
-You are against 2A because of mass shootings/murder, despite the fact that the vast majority of mass shootings and murder (crime in general) is committed by dems

The list is MUCH longer, but I don't have all year to sit here. You are brainwashed by a mostly democrat-owned media. Many are finally waking up and taking action, however many communist leftists aren't sadly. All we can hope for is that those people keep taking experimental gene therapy we won't have to worry about you anymore in a few years.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Not asking, just telling. I'm not a leftist. This feels like a lot of ranting for no reason

[girlsdontasktheytell]

There is no such thing as a "centrist, feminist, LGBT", you're a democrat, a far-left one pretending to be even-keeled. That's why all of your "questions" were about Republican actions and not democrat ones. If you were a centrist, you'd pick from both sides with an unbiased viewpoint. You only found common ground when they agreed at least partly with your position. Why not ask about Andrew Cuomo's sexual abuse allegations or the many other democrats who seem to get away with it every time? Or even one of the many things I listed above? Or do you believe only Trump and/or Republicans are capable of this terrible act? I mean, a man who puts covid-positive patients into nursing homes killing tens of thousands and covering it up, would probably be more likely to cover up his sexual abuse too no? Probably a question you could have added. This is a condescending, backhanded article masquerading as "common ground". And I know you're just telling, hence the name.

[VanillaSalt]

I hate all people it’s not based off political beliefs but people and who they are…


You know well enough what I think. People these days are selfish and don’t care about me. That’s more then just a belief I’ve seen situations to prove it. Name one other time in American history where nobody will help a woman being raped in public. I’ve got 2 separate stories within a few years. Today people don’t care about strangers. And if you don’t care about me then idc about you.


Let’s be clear about feminism. We don’t hear from people like you bri. We hear from the pink haired pussy-hat wearing abortion-as-contraception libertards that hate men and desire everything female. As a woman and as a feminist you should be drowning out these fuckers with real speak. Men and women have never been more divided because we’re not together. Dating is an app with thousands of faces where we rarely look at the bio or name until we find a pretty face… the good sensible women are either already taken or wondering why men won’t date them… meanwhile for men they see the fem-speak everywhere, they see that a woman hits him he can’t fight back or he’ll be in jail, they see they have no rights to their children, they see they aren’t cared for by society, they see women will get special treatment already but their arguing for MORE “equality”, they see the quality of women dropping precipitously, they see the law and society standing by women while standing on men… we’ve taken all the reasons for men and women to come together in the public eye… and maybe many of these are untrue… but perception many times effects behavior more then truth.


Imagine all that except between all people. Conservatives want to better society for the people and liberals want to better people for society. Meanwhile both think it comes from a place of ignorance, stupidity, or callousness… the fact is… fuck people. Stay to our own people and life is better and easier.

[Anonymous]

I'm not going to get into much of a discussion with you on Trump's, ahem, "successes". Your assumptions about his platforms are incorrect - he made illusionary promises, not platforms. As a con man, he panders to the crowd as he always has, and he's good at it. For God's sake, he's a game show host.

He took credit for much of the financial recovery started by Obama's risky, but ultimate effective programs. And so on. He was, and is, single handedly responsible for more divisiveness in the USA than anyone in the last 50 years, save for Newt Gringrich.

I don't know where you're getting your unemployment numbers, but these are what I've found:
U. S. unemployment rate for 2020 was 8.31%, a 4.64% increase from 2019.
U. S. unemployment rate for 2019 was 3.67%, a 0.23% decline from 2018.
U. S. unemployment rate for 2018 was 3.90%, a 0.46% decline from 2017.
U. S. unemployment rate for 2017 was 4.36%, a 0.51% decline from 2016

At the end of 2016, the unemployment rate was 4.7%. It went down 1.03% by 2019, and most of the jobs created were entry level, minimum wage positions. You know this by looking at the median wage income from those years. By 2020 and the onset of Covid, the numbers went through the roof, so we can't count them.

One thing is certain, "trump-o-nomics" didn't produce anything significant for the middle class, but it increased the tax breaks for the wealthy. Even Warren Buffett said he didn't need another $10,000 tax break - what was the point? The "good" that Trump did is so deeply darkened by the bad. He's a criminal, and will get what's coming to him.

[JustinXWK]

Say what you will about Trump but at least he never started a war and made peace it the middle unlike Obama who let Americans die in Benghazi and Biden, who let Americans die in Afghanistan

Face it, your Precious Obama is also a fuck up that could just talk well but showed nothing in return ultimately

[Opinion Owner]

@JustinXWK Obviously, you can't help but bring up a strawman who isn't part of the conversation. Your teenie widdle brain assumes that anyone who despises Trump must have loved Obama. Typical of your cadre. Trump didn't do shit for peace in the Middle East except put on a stage show that has no teeth today. His idiotic trust in the word of the Taliban did indeed cost Americans, and their supporters in Afghanistan, their lives.

[JustinXWK]

So you’re saying it’s Trumps fault? He was out of office for 7 months after Biden took over and then war in Afghanistan broke out so bad that even the UK officials couldn’t understand why we waited nearly a month to get people out after our Allies did. Oh, don’t forget about the possibility that we may enter a Russia-Ukraine war that Biden inadvertently started by shutting down the KeyStone pipeline

Again name one war that the US has entered under Trump because if there was one, no news outlets I could find reported it like CNN, Fox, ABC, Newmax or even the radio

[legalboxers]

The Gentleman above asked "can't we all just get along"..
Yeah... NO...

When wasn't America Great? It wasn't great because of this:

A BLACK DEMOCRAT... in a WHITE HOUSE? Because the Cult Leader 45 said

and you assholes believe this shit and follow him like a lost fucking puppy? Thats a hard no for me. I know a place where they built an effigy of him when they found he had covid. And PRAYED TO HIM.. They would rather go to a Trump Rally - than Church on a Sunday for those who claimed to be of the Faith...

I can't break bread or set aside differences when they keep banging the same drum day after day, repeating THE BIG LIE.

[JustinXWK]

I don’t think Trump was bad, just like I don’t think Obama was inherently good. Both did good things for the country but in my view, Obama, Hillary and other Democrats wiretapped his microphone to start this whole Russian Collusion debate.

Look, I’ll let you all fight amongst yourselves on this topic but you gotta give Trump some credit since a war has never erupted under his presidency that we as Americans entered but the same isn’t true for Biden or Obama.

Did you know that Kamala Harris said Trump’s Capital siege on January 6 2021 that only lasted 2 hours would go down in history among WW2 and 9/11 as the deadliest in history? So she effectively compared a tiny siege-that took only 2 hours and took months to actually identify those who died even though the Capital should’ve had top of the line video with thousands of Police and FBI agents-to that of Peale Harbor that made us enter a deadly 4 year World War and September 11, 2001 where it changed flying forever.

yea sorry what she said made me lose all respect for her and Biden since it’s insensitive to those who lost a loved one during those times..

also Democrats dropped a bomb on the Capital in 1987 so..

[Mister_Hangry]

That last sentence... YES!!! Unfortunately, my communitah is too far gone to realize they've been bamboozled by liberal communists. It's too far gone to save.

[Bel88]

"I went in with the idea I would be writing about the Republicans take on women's issues considering their support of Trump and his sexual assault accusations, their push to limit women's choices when it comes to their own bodies, and what appears to be a severe push back against feminism (not to be confused with radical feminism thank you)." - end quote
Judging from this segment alone, it's clear that you are not fair and impartial. An interviewer isn't supposed to ask loaded questions, and should refrain from judging the person (or, in this case, people) they're interviewing.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Never claimed i was. He knew exactly what kind of article I was writing. I always tell them ahead of time. During the interview I saw a better article to write. X7 was informed and he read it before I published it.

[supercutebutt]

X7 believes Trump's lies that the election was stolen and he supported the violence on January 6th. That is inexcusable. Run from him. How do you find middle ground with total bullshit that led to beating cops with Trump flagpoles until they died? These people want to end democracy and install a dictator. Hang Mike Pence? Seriously? This isn't a "political" debate. There is NOTHING political about spreading dangerous propaganda to stroke Trump's narcissistic ego. We aren't talking about a tax debate. It is a madman ranting to a sane person about the justification of murder. People in cults are a lost cause.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Whether we agree or disagree, we can do it civilly and while those who don't support Trump think its a cult, those who do support him think we are the ones in the wrong. How are we supposed to help those on the opposite side of the debate if we don't talk?

Nobody is a lost cause just a product of a lack of desire to help. You call them cultists, then cool, people have broken away from cults before. Offer help to see the truth.

[supercutebutt]

If a person agrees with the murder of people and destruction of the Capitol on 1/6 over an obvious lie, they are a lost cause. It isn't a political debate. It's sane vs. insane. OK? We can have debates about taxes or a woman's right to choose or civil rights. That's legit. We can't debate about basic human decency. Sociopaths cannot be reasoned with. And being a sociopath isn't the same as being conservative.

[Bel88]

"... beating cops with flagpoles until they died"
Wow, what a liar you are.
"It's sane vs. insane"
Yes, and you're clearly in the latter group of people. Trump Derangement Syndrome really has a hold on you.

[Sabretooth]

@Bel88 www.cnbc.com/.../...to-be-beaten-by-flag-pole.html

[Bel88]

@Sabretooth Note the claim that Ms. Supercutebutt made. She said that they were beaten "until they died". Died. Beaten to death. No one was beaten to death on that day. People were carrying flagpoles, and there was a lot of chaos, but no one was beaten to death. One woman was, however, shot - by a policeman.

[Sabretooth]

@Bel88 who was warned. he did his job.

[supercutebutt]

@Bel88 These cops were all beaten by your psychopathic heroes. They all died. And hundreds of others are living with severe injuries...
Officer Brian D. Sicknick of the Capitol Police, who was attacked by the mob, died on Jan. 7.

Officer Jeffrey Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department killed himself after the attack.

Officer Howard S. Liebengood of the Capitol Police also died by suicide four days afterward.

The Capitol Police had previously said that Officer Sicknick died from injuries sustained “while physically engaging with protesters.” The Washington medical examiner later ruled that he had died of natural causes: multiple strokes that occurred hours after Officer Sicknick’s confrontation with the mob. The medical examiner added, however, that “all that transpired played a role in his condition.”

[Bel88]

You do know there's a big difference between being beaten to death by someone, and committing suicide, don't you? You are such a liar. Have you no shame at all? I would be too embarrassed to write the rubbish you've written here.

[Sabretooth]

@Bel88 they died as a result of that day--directly or indirectly. the capital rioters wanted to kill them.

[jimjim41]

the only people who died on Jan 6th from unnatural causes were Trump supporters. Did you have the same opinion as cities across our country burned during the BLM riots? Amazing how quick democrats forget about four years of Trump stealing the election with the assistance of Russia. You guys don't think, you just regurgitate what you here on TV

[Sabretooth]

@jimjim41 just. like. you.

[jimjim41]

@Sabretooth you dont have to like what I said. But its all true, and I know that kinda grates.

[Sabretooth]

@jimjim41 watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh5giOewWIA&t=470s

[jimjim41]

@Sabretooth Not sure what this is meant to be showing me?

[Sabretooth]

@jimjim41 Fox Panel EXPLODES When Geraldo Blames Fox for Inciting Canadian Truckers. they tried the same talking points as you used--saying that he had no issue with the BLM riot... that failed--he did. an here's more-- most people who did that weren't really apart of that movement--they were just their to stir the pot or just for their own gain... not that Fox News would EVER tell you that. you're also overlooking the fact that those rioters went their with the intent to murder.

[jimjim41]

@Sabretooth Who was murdered? Using the BLM riots is not a talking point its a fact. Cities burned, people were injured and killed, peoples lives were disrupted and they were praised for it. You showed a video of Geraldo making a statement as well as the guy whos channel it is and neither backed it up with facts or sources. Just the same one rule for me but not for thee. The only people who "murdered" that day was Ashli Babbitt and Rosanne Boyland... one was unarmed and shot, the other was beat by police.

[Sabretooth]

@jimjim41 no one but we had people calling for the death of Pelosi and Pence and people threatening to murder cops it is a talking point to deflect. the ''burning cites'' were lies refuted by a fire chief from Portland: www.cnn.com/.../index.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChLoiStjaZc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWOPlNf8-JY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXS-DvhQSog ''Just the same one rule for me but not for thee. '' that is what you're saying.

[Jamie05rhs]

@supercutebutt I try really hard to listen to your point of view, but no one is going to take you seriously when you intentionally spread misinformation. Be better.

[KatanaSlice]

My biggest frustration with the political climate is the polarized identity politics that creates division and a lack of critical thinking. People need to look at issues on a case by case bases and objectively evaluate the situation rather than mindlessly choose an identity and mindlessly stand by it no matter what the stances are rather than carefully considering how you personally feel about it. Instead of looking anyone who has a different opinion as an evil enemy on the other side we should be looking at people as well meaning individuals who have the same goals but different ideas on how to get there and to debate and discuss civilly. We should all look at each issue on a case by case basis and discuss any differences in opinion from a place of trying to understand each other not undermine each other.

[bewilderedunfiltered]

I think that most people tend to agree on most things.
The divide between the average conversative and liberal isn't that great.
They are terms people use to create division.
Just in the same way we use race, gender, sexuality.

We ultimately draw the lines on the basis of those concepts, and then immediately go into fighting mode.

People just don't listen anymore, and they are not willing to have a discussion
If more people were open, we would have less division

However, it doesn't help that those in power thrive on the division.
Be it media, political figures, corporate powers.. etc
They make quite a bit of $$$ and power off it.
So they need the ball to continue rolling.

[Anonymous]

Good take, I'm always willing to put aside differences to find things we can agree and work on. This is what did with one of my college roommates who was a Trump supporter. He said too that just cause you don't have the same political views doesn't mean you can't be friends or like them as a person, they could have a good personality and you can have other common interests: sports, music, movies, animals etc. With that being said it's okay to disagree with me but if you are condescending, make personal attacks against me, or threaten me (which has happened, particularly on GAG), I will be condescending and defensive back. In conclusion, it all depends on the person's attitude about it not their views.

[Agape93]

This^^^
Well said, love. My beliefs are highly variant and some are arguably extreme. But I can and do get along with those of varying beliefs, religious, political and ideological.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Thank you!

Honestly its ok to be different. Different isn't wrong, its just different. People being able to talk things through only teaches us new perspectives and frankly yours is one I've always wanted to learn more about. I just haven't asked

[Agape93]

Honey you can always ask :) I don't mind sharing my thoughts.

But yeah exactly. Hell, even my girl and I agree on nothing regarding politics, religion or ideology. But we still have common ground and respect. Same with olderandwiser and I. I respect him despite a lot of differences. Echo chambers are not healthy for the mind, it'll just die in the darkness of ignorance.

[DonkeyDan]

Great MyTake, I'm a middle ground man I like to see things from both sides, and it just goes to show that regardless of political affiliation people are still people. Having different views doesn't make someone stipid or a bad person.
Well done Bri and Exitseven.

[Кураж]

Yeah, no.
I'm going to agree with supercutebutt here.
It's worthless to debate trumptards and cuntservatives.

They are people who are impervious to reason and keep on perpetuating unsubstantiated political narratives out of brainless, dogmatic adherence to a political ideology.
You will never find a common ground with them, because these people are simply either too stupid or too unwilling to let go of their ignorance.

[bamesjond0069]

Its not really possible to just "get along" sure on a personal level you can if you're just a wimp and not going to stand up for yourself. Why would one want to get along with people who want to destroy everything you have and stand for? Im certainly not going to be buddy buddy with a racist blm supporter. Nor a woman who kills her children. Nor someone who wants to tax me into oblivion to pay for nonsense things that not only dont benefit me but actually are bad for me. you're all wasting your time trying to split a baby. This is not minor debate points anymore.

[exitseven]

Good job with this. Your guest really made a lot of sense.😂😂😂

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Thank you my friend! He is a great guy for sure lol

[exitseven]

😎😎😎

[Kiran_Yagami]

Can we? Possibly. Should we? Debatable at best. What the left has done since 2019 is unforgivable, and they don't seem to be slowing down moving forward into 2022. What business do we have even considering what they say at this point? There are some words you can't take back and some actions there is no reconciliation for. You will have to answer for what you have done, and you might have to accept that the answer is force against force. You will have to match your might against ours and finally put your money where you mouth is. Then you can prove your ideals are worthy of surviving, or not.

[BCRanger10]

This is a good and interesting take. Thank you for sharing this. It would be great if we saw more stuff like this here.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Aww thank you! I will be doing more interviews in the future and have done a few others already.

[BCRanger10]

You're welcome. I'd be interested in contributing to this as well, if you wouldn't mind 😊

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Gosh I didn't get any notifications for anything on this topic with several conversations.

What did you have in mind?

[BCRanger10]

Interviews with people you disagree with. Like this one here 😊