ELECTION 2020- PEOPLE
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SHY TRUMPERSCHARACTERISTICS ○ Trump supporters who are hesitant to share their politics with pollsters,
colleagues, and friendsIn2016,Trump’sdataanalystspositeda groupofvoterswholikedhimandintendedtovoteforhim,butweretooembarrassedto
admittheirpreferencetopollsters.Trumpdid,indeed,overperformrelativetopollsin2016.Wasit becauseof“ShyTrumpers”?
There’sdebateaboutwhetherShyTrumpersstillexist—oreverdid.Somepeoplethinktheyweretherein 2016 butvanished,
becausewhateversocialpenaltyappliedtosupportingTrumpdisappearedoncetheRepublicanPartyembracedhim.Othersthink
theShyTrumpereffectwastheresultofbadpollingthat’ssincebeencorrected.Stillothers,includingtheTrumpcampaign,think
thesebashfulsupporters endure. If that’s true, they could once again tip a close race.�Fola Akinnibi, Amanda Albright, and
Kelsey ButlerNARESH VISSA ○ 31 ←○ FLORIDA ○ real estate and
business owner“Therearesomanypeoplewho
feelsoshamed,orthattheydon’tbelong,
orareafraidtosharetheirviews,because
theothersidehascomeoutandsaid,
‘You’renotallowedtothinklikethat,
you’renotallowedtosaythat,you’renot
allowedtovoteforthisperson.’It’sthat
typeoflanguage.I’veseenit a lotoverthe
pastthreemonthswithpoliticizingthe
virus,politicizingmedicine, and Black
Lives Matterandpolice.
“I’velosta friend.WhenBrexit
washappening,hestartedcomplaining
andsaidthevoteshavetoberiggedand
thiscan’tbereal.I said,‘Foryoutobe
inthisboxandtoignoreotherpeople’s
views,it justshowshowblinda liberalyou
are,’andhegotveryoffendedthatI called
hima blindliberalandunfriendedme
everywhere.I haven’ttalkedtohimsince.
“Ibelieveinworkinghardand
earninga living.WhatI dolikeabout
Trumpis thathe’sfiscallyconservative,
inthesensethatif youworkhardand
youmakeyourmoney,youshouldkeep
mostofthatmoney.Butit’snotjustabout
money.I grewupinTexas,andI would
hearallthetimeaboutillegalimmigrants.
Whyaretheyhere?Shouldn’ttheycome
here howmyparentscamehere,legally?
“Youcanpushbackwith
yourmouthandyoucanpushback
withyourvote.I’mnotallowedtosay
anythinganymore.I’mnotallowedto
sharemyviews,sharemythoughts.I
thinkthat’sa reallysadstate of affairs
that we’re in.”�F.A.ANNA POWELL (age withheld) �○ NORTH CAROLINA ○ graduate
student“Iampro-America,I’mpro-
capitalism.I donotbelieveinbig
government,norsocialism.I donot
believeina cultureofgovernment
dependency,butI dobelieveinhelping
thoselessfortunate,especiallyin
timesofneed.Withthat,I dobelieve
inthefreemarket,andI believeit’s
historicallybeenproventopromote
prosperity.I plantovoteforTrump,
becauseI believeheis thebest
candidatetoprovideandsetus up for a
prosperous future.”�A.A.JIM (last name withheld) ○ 43 �○ ILLINOIS ○ communications
professional“WhenI wasyounger,I worked
inanindustrywhereI wasthelone
conservativewitha bunchofmore
liberal-leaningpeople.Andeverydaywe
wouldtalkpoliticalstuff,andit wasso
muchfun.Thatwasbackwhenyoucould
talkpoliticswithpeopleandactually
disagree,andwestilllovedeachother.
Andthat’snotthecasenow.There’sa
reallygoodfamilyfriendofours,thatif
I toldhimI wasa Trumpsupporter,he
wouldstopbeingour friend, and that
hurts me.”�K.B.