The answer to all this
Donald Trump left Marine One looking defeated. But he’s still got plenty of damage available to him before he’s voted out in November. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere and his followers are still defending their right to not mask in public.
After we won World War II, we went into Germany and began the de-Nazification process with a questionnaire, the Fragebogen, which every German POW had to fill out. If they lied, they were presented with a life of digging ditches. If they passed the de-Nazification questionnaire, they were considered Fragebogened and the Allies opened up to them.
We’re not suggesting that after the election, Trumpsters need to be Fragebogened but there is a process that needs to be considered in order to re-unite the country. Trump has definitely fueled a culture of hate that has hardened a lot of his followers. But more than that is the culture of “my money and only MY money.” Every Trumpster considers himself simply a temporarily embarrassed millionaire. Stock options and capital gains taxes are so far from most of his followers’ horizons they may as well be on the moon, but nonetheless, these folks love voting Republican because it’s the big money ticket and when they win the lottery, they want to keep as much of their money as possible.
The answer to this is not hatred. Nor is it socialism. Instead, it’s asking ever so gently, “How much are your children and grandchildrens’ lives really worth to you?” That’s the Fragebogen these folks need now. This fall seems to forebode a furious return of COVID-19. Prepare to reach out to Trump voters in such a way as they reassess their priorities. People aren’t all good or all bad (except maybe for Trump) so it’s important to realize that some good people get swayed by bad leaders.
TR Kenneth is the author of the thriller, A ROOM FULL OF NIGHT. You can read all about her at trkenneth.com and on Twitter