'I never thought Trump would win': meet the Americans who chose not to vote

The Manchester Guardian ^ | November 18, 2016 | Sarah Marsh

[2ndDivisionVet]

---snip---

David, 31, New Jersey: ‘I regret not voting, I never thought Donald Trump would win’

I would have voted for Hillary Clinton, but I didn’t. I thought she would win the White House.

I feel heartbroken for those disenfranchised Americans who voted for Trump, not because of his divisive rhetoric, but in spite of it. Hillary is a genius diplomat, but she proved, once again, to be an ineffectual communicator. She could not reach those desperate to put food back on their table. I used to drive past the front-lawn Trump signs in my town and dismiss the homeowner as a lunatic, but my own liberal elitism has blown up in my face. They are not lunatics, they are people with a different experience to me, and that has swayed how they vote.

I hope we will begin to understand how Trump voters’ experiences, not their ignorance, led them to this position. But I am scared to death for our environment, for those among us who are in need of care and, most of all, for those who cast their vote for Trump. They thought he was their last chance for prosperity. For these middle-Americans, the past was greater than the present. They remember a time when they, and their entire extended family, had decent-paying jobs. When every storefront in their now-deserted town had a thriving local business.

There was a stark disparity of views in this election, and why was the result so unexpected? Because when the liberal establishment of this country drove by front-lawn Trump signs, they had the same response as I did....

[Yo-Yo]

The three Democratic snowflakes in this article who didn’t vote were from New Jersey, California, and Washington, D.C., all of which went for Hillary.

Their not voting had no effect on the outcome.

Poor reporting.

[silverleaf]

He’s from New Jersey
No need to vote, David
Hillary won New Jersey

[DaveA37]

At least you’re honest. Well David, we (Trumpers) all offer a “thank you” for not voting for Hitlary, it was just another opportunity for Trump to kick ass! To you from another “David”

[dead]

Hillary is a genius diplomat...

This guy should give lessons to other glaring dumbasses, teaching them how not to vote too.

We need more people like this not voting.

[Still Thinking]

What, he thinks she get extra electors if she wins NJ by 100 more votes or something? Further proof that libs are bad at math (and logic).

[freddy005]

For everyone of these HRC voters that didn’t vote there is one “Write In Ballot” RINO voter who wrote in “other” instead of voting for Trump! There are Senate and Congressional races to prove it...in certain States. There are also RINO voters who sat out because they didn’t think HRC was “that bad” if she had won! I am 100% convinced that if the Republican party had been united behind Trump the way they were W. Bush - that Trump would have surpassed 70 Million Votes and the end results would have been: 52% Trump, 47% Clinton 1% Johnson and “others”! No doubt in my mind!

[petercooper]

I stopped at - “I never thought Trump would win”

[Hugin]

Hillary is a genius diplomat,

Yeah, such a genius she gives the Russians a button labeled "overcharge". Must have been talking about her "speaking" fees.

[DariusBane]

But I am scared to death for our environment

A person who is hungry would never say that...

[Be Free]

Yawn.

Yet another angle from the “Hillary really won” delusional wing of the Socialist (Democrat) left.

First, they self-select a pro-Hillary set of respondents because, afterall, who REALLY reads the Guardian AND bothers to reply to anything they have to say? This is anything but a representative sampling.

Then, they presumably do what all good brown-shirts would do - select the responses that would support their preconceived narrative: Hillary really would have won if all the folks had voted, ergo Trump isn’t really the choice of Americans.

Then they stupidly pick respondents where the votes truly DIDN’T matter - because Hillary won those contests, and all of those electoral votes anyway.

I wonder how many pro-Trump “voters” didn’t bother, in states like California, Massachusetts, New York & Illinois, where their votes don’t count because of the huge Democrat machines that ensure they’re all deep blue?

Just more sour grapes from the losing left. We only have to worry about them again when they actually figure out why they lost.

[Boogieman]

Umm, if he lives in Jersey, his vote wouldn’t have mattered anyway.

[marktwain]

The Guardian is a far left outlet.

[pgkdan]

Gee David...if only you had voted Hillary might have taken your state. It would have been nice if she could only have won NJ...Oh wait. Never mind. I should just stick to destroying the environment and beating up immigrants and leave the commentary to others.

[Ciaphas Cain]

I had a cousin who witnessed that happen. He was six at the time.

[atc23]

I was convinced he'd win when I saw 30 thousand people waiting for him in Michigan a day or two before the Mrs Clinton "victory that never was"

When they called Florida for President Trump, i went to bed and slept like a baby.

[Lazamataz]

So... pollsters... how about how that bias worked out for ya!

LOLOLOLLLLOOLOLLOLLLLL

[sten]

David, 31, New Jersey: ‘I regret not voting, I never thought Donald Trump would win’

hey moron, new jersey went for hillary. your dem vote wouldn't have changed a thing.

why aren't people like this just ridiculed into submission for their abject stupidity??

[FredZarguna]

Of roughly 100 million who chose not to vote, they heard from a grand total of (not randomly selected) 100 of them.

What do we conclude, from this so thoughtful piece?

1. Nothing, because even if they had been randomly selected, there is no structure to the question, so there is no margin of error.
2. Nothing, because even if somehow structured, the MOE would have been around +/-12%, which in a country as evenly divided as this one, says nothing about the actual non-electorate.
3. Nothing, because the group was self selected. and may include (and almost certainly DOES include) a great many people who actually did vote and are simply lying.
4. Nothing, because of the 100 responses The Guardian decided which ones to use, rather than either using them all, or randomly selecting from the responses. So we have no idea what the answers reflect besides the bias of the article writer.
5. Nothing, because the opinions of people who cannot even bestir themselves to vote means nothing, and
6. Nothing, because people who did not vote in such a clear-cut, defining election are almost certainly not going to vote in the next one, or at any time in the future.

   Nothing, nothing, and a bunch more nothing.

   That is what you get from reading The Manchester Guardian.

[Twinkie]

ENOUGH with HITLER-Y CLINTON & BILLIOUS CLINTON . . NO
MORE CLINTONS!!! 30 YEARS OF CLINTONS IS ENOUGH!!

We VOTED for TRUMP and were ready to walk barefoot over
rough gravel, over river, thru woods to the polls to cast
our votes for DONALD JOHN TRUMP for President of the
United Statess of America.

Apparently, HILLARY & BILL did not excite this writer
sufficiently to even bother. Also, the MSM was SO SURE
HITLER-Y was going to win.

[Grampa Dave]

Billions and trillions cupcakes/snowflakes will cry out that they didn’t vote for the Criminal, Illiarily Clinton.

Including their dead ancestors, who didn’t vote this time.