The television was set to Fox News as the plumber worked quietly in the background to fix the kitchen sink. Suddenly, I heard him softly mutter while turning a pipe. “What’s that?” I asked, thinking it was a plumbing issue. “I was listening to what they were saying on TV. Apparently, someone stole campaign signs from a Trump supporter’s yard.” I responded, “Are you a Trump supporter?” He answered, “Yes, but I avoid talking politics with my customers. Everyone is so sensitive these days.” I nodded and replied, “You’re in safe company here.” With that the plumber talked freely of his hopes for his small business, Trump’s America, and freedom. I was grateful for the conversation and that he didn’t drain my wallet.
Living in a Democratic city provides interesting insight. On neighborhood network sites such as NextDoor, political topics often pop-up and quickly erupt into debates sometimes ending with a Democrat saying, “You must be a Trump supporter,” as if to insult the Republican. Way back in 1874, cartoonist Thomas Nast featured a political elephant in Harper’s Weekly. This, of course, became a symbol of the Republican party. The donkey, representing the Democratic party, was also popularized in cartoons by Nast. Rumor has it that the elephant can charge hard, the donkey can kick hard, but neither can balance a budget to save their lives.
In our city where Democrats outweigh Republicans, it’s easy to feel outnumbered. It is inadvisable to hang a pro-Trump sign up or you could find your house graffitied by someone who takes offense. Meanwhile, many Democrats display Biden/Harris signs up without fear of repercussion. There are a few signs that leave me dumbfounded, such as the pro-America, pro-liberty, pro-defense, pro-Constitution, pro-family sign – then it reads Anti-Trump. What? I guess they are not pro-research. Another sign I find particularly hilarious is the pro-Biden “Trump Makes America Great Again” sign with the T and the P crossed out of Trump. As if they expect us to conclude – Ah, they’ve been drinking so now the Biden sign makes sense! The “You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out” sign makes me believe – we did it in 2016 and can do it again. And the “I’m ridin with Biden” makes me whisper “off into the sunset.” A few favorites are “Friends don’t let friend’s vote Democrat,” “Toilet Paper for President 2020,” and the ever so Freudian “Kamala Harris President 2020.”
Political polls can drive you mad. 9 out of 10 people agree that they are misleading. That’s because the pollsters can be wrong. I heard they left Toilet Paper for President off the voter preference poll. Sadly, it ended his roll in politics. When Trump was elected in 2016, it was remarkable to watch jaws hit the floor during the outcome of the election – as it was widely predicted that Hillary Clinton would be our next president. Polls still show that 78% of floors have yet to recover. Right now, in the Biden vs. Trump polls a few months shy of the presidential election, Biden is polling ahead of Trump in key battleground states, though the lead has been narrowing in some states. But can the accuracy of the polls be trusted? The only accurate poll I’ve seen is the one showing that 9 out of 10 people have never had Steak Tartare. One can conclude that it is quite rare. But have you ever wondered if some Trump supporters are holding back on voicing their opinions for mistrust of the media, polling organizations, and for fear of the consequences? I’m not trying to dis polls. I love them. In fact, I took a poll the other day. 99% of the people were furious when the tent collapsed.