A whole swath of GOP voters appears firmly committed to not voting for Trump in November.

Donald Trump has a problem no matter what happens in New Hampshire on Tuesday night: There’s a whole swath of the Republican electorate and a good chunk of independents who appear firmly committed to not voting for him in November if he becomes the nominee.

It’s an issue that became starkly apparent in polling ahead of the Iowa caucuses, when an NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of voters in that state found that fully 43 percent of Nikki Haley supporters said they would back President Joe Biden over Trump. And it’s a dynamic that has been on vivid display as the campaign shifted this week to New Hampshire.

“I can’t vote for Trump. He’s a crook. He’s too corrupt,” said Scott Simeone, 64, an independent voter from Amherst, who backed Trump in 2016 and 2020. “I voted for him, and I didn’t realize he’s as corrupt as he is.”

  • Ashyr@sh.itjust.works
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    9 months ago

    There’s a lot of stupid people in these interviews:

    “I can’t vote for Trump. He’s a crook. He’s too corrupt,” said Scott Simeone, 64, an independent voter from Amherst, who backed Trump in 2016 and 2020. “I voted for him, and I didn’t realize he’s as corrupt as he is.”

    You voted for him in 2016 I might grant ignorance then, but in 2020?

    Then there’s democrats on the other side turning up their noses at the idea of voting for Biden as the lesser of two evils. This is an existential fight for democracy and people are getting persnickety with fascism at the gates?

    • RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zip
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      9 months ago

      I can forgive some Trump voters in 16. A lot of them were just following the time honored script of republicans good, democrats bad, go team. I knew a few that eventually saw it for what it is and had enough character to admit they were wrong.

      But that’s pretty damn limited. We knew who he was in 16. There were no surprises for most of us during his presidency. If you then voted for him in 2020 you had excuse. You were just a fucking idiot.

      If you vote for him in 24. You’re not only an idiot you particularly hate America and you’re a joke.

      • june@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Shit, there was a second where even I thought that Trump might make a good president. I was disavowed of that thought very quickly, but it existed in this progressive’s head for a second. I can forgive 2016 for a lot of people, but I cannot for 2020 or 2024.

    • 😈MedicPig🐷BabySaver😈@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I voted for him in '16. Mostly to thumb my nose at establishment and how much I hate Hillary. I honestly thought the power houses in D.C. were going to wrangle him and keep him on a short leash.

      Wow, did that turn into a nightmare. (For the record, he lost big in my state, MA.) And obviously I did not vote for the Cheeto chimp in '20.

      • Optional@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Had no idea he was a demented fraud and rapist, eh. Yeah sometimes things are just confusing.

      • Kyre@kbin.social
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        9 months ago

        I voted third party for the same reason. I thought Trump would do so many stupid things that the courts would actually put up guard rails and we would see some limits to the expanded power that the executive branch has been creeping into over the past few decades.

    • BritishDuffer@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Remember that he didn’t actually try to overthrow democracy until after the 2020 election. There are plenty of other reasons not to vote for him, but I can understand how for some people that could be the last straw.

      • Kyre@kbin.social
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        9 months ago

        Would you like to know which state has the most number of registered republicans? It’s California. California just happens to be the most populous state with only 25% of it’s populous being Republican. Voting absolutely matters and despite California being predominantly Democrat controlled, if regular people don’t vote, these racist country destroying inbred fucks will.

        • AlwaysNowNeverNotMe@kbin.social
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          9 months ago

          Oh I vote. I vote in every election on every position. I have a buddy and we research everyone on the ballot separately and then discuss as we fill them out. But I always vote 3rd party for president. I do this because I know how California will vote federally. I believe a third party can succeed in this country, but it will take lots of incremental steps by people willing to do it, and do it with no hope of winning but just pushing that percentage up bit by bit, it happened to the whig’s, it can happen to the modern parties. I don’t even agree with most of the 3rd party candidates I vote for. But I know if we spread the owner class enough they can’t just buy every side of every position.

      • mibo80@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        Yeah, proud Californian here whose last Republican vote went to Schwarzenegger. Never another Republican ever again. I refuse to let this state become a complete shit hole in allowing Republicans and Christian Fascists to settle here safely. Your vote is never going to be worth it. Just leave.