Dear Arianna,
May I start by saying that I'm a huge admirer? While I'm not usually the fangirl type, I can't help but see you as a role model to young women like myself. Simply put, you are the portrait of a good, powerful feminist.
That said, being a good feminist who promises to call out Donald Trump's racism, sexism and xenophobia, as you did in your recent letter, "A Note On Trump: We Are No Longer Entertained," will not beat him. In fact, invoking anything with an "-ist" or "-ism" at the end will not help. This approach will only add kindling to the fire of Trump's disgusting talking points that dismiss all and every "ism."
You see, where I come from in Western Pennsylvania farm country, some people unironically support Donald Trump because they legitimately hate what they perceive as a "declining America" and what they call a disgusting "culture of political correctness." I may make some unscientific generalizations now, but I speak from the vantage point of an upbringing in Red Country.
Many of the people who support Trump feel intensely insecure about their situation in America. There is little confidence in our country. Rightly or wrongly, some feel victimized for their lifestyle and their sense of victimization is very real to them. Indeed, the Trump supporters where I come from live in a rural area where economic opportunity is waning, heroin addiction is on the rise, veterans live without support and education is shoddy at best. There is pain and many don't know what to do with it.
Call it poor education, anti-intellectualism, or upholding tradition, but many Trump supporters feel alienated by movements like "Black Lives Matter" or "Feminism." Some Trump supporters are far from privileged and seeing someone asking for something "special" seems like an affront to their own situation where they have been told to "suck it up and deal." They assume there is some modicum of equality guaranteed by law and the rest is just the cruelty and injustice of life (and government).
Needless to say, I also acknowledge there are many a middle class, moderately educated, liberal, conservative and moderate voter who supports Trump because they are fed up with everyone else in Washington. That support exists and they feel that the "political correctness" and liberal policies of an Obama presidency have ultimately led America to sh*t.
"Finally!" They think, "A man who sounds like me! Who is willing to tell it like it is!"
These are voters who don't care if you call Trump a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe. They care as much as Trump does about you calling him xenophobic. In fact, you prove their point that you don't "get it." To them, you are part of the problem.
These voters are not beyond persuasion, however.
I recently read something on Moral Foundations Theory by social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt. This theory posits that morality is composed of 6 different foundations, like taste on morality's tongue. While liberals speak to three (care, fairness and liberty), conservatives speak to all six (+ sanctity, authority and loyalty). These voters are simply not going to be motivated by words like xenophobia or sexism. They don't mind Trump's bullying. They have many buttons to push, and Trump is pushing them all.
What they would mind is if Trump somehow seemed unpatriotic (without loyalty), didn't respect the constitution (no love for authority) and somehow defiled the sanctity of certain American symbols (can we find a picture of him burning a flag? ...I jest) or put a toupee on a Jesus in a nativity set (again, I jest?). Maybe there is a report that he didn't pay his taxes (fairness) or didn't care for victims of a shooting (care)?
The language to sway and woo needs to change and be redirected, lest you find yourself speaking to an echo chamber. By no means am I asking you to entirely give up words I find sacred like "Feminist" or concepts like "xenophobia" and "racism" that tell it like it is. But there are many people who are already carrying that banner. There are fewer who are willing to address Trump supporters in their language.
I'm just asking to expand the vocabulary to bring others into a discussion of why Trump-ism is evil. (Evil, there is a good word). From what I know, you have some experience speaking with conservatives, albeit in another era.
Let's push new buttons with our rhetoric. Would you or someone you know like to take the lead?
Yours,
Danielle