because in her mind Abortion is the only thing she is "supposed to care about" as a proper Baptist woman

Her interest is her abortion stance, she values it more than anything else.

Life is subjective. Not my place to judge conservatives for their values and more than it I should just someone for being a vegetarian or some other belief that makes zero sense to me.

As you say, it is her Christian community. She chose it, because she agrees with them.

I assume most here would not. Then why criticize her for not wanting to vote for someone she disagrees with?

I know many people that honestly feel that abortion is the killing of a human life, and it isn’t always based in religion, but they feel that IS their “best interest”.

I also cringe every single time someone says that someone votes against their best interest, especially when it comes to minorities that might vote Republican. To me it sounds like we don’t see minorities as individuals, but instead prejudge what we think is best for them. I find it extremely condescending. They are certainly not monolithic in their way of thinking, so why do we treat them as such?

I'll judge the "values" of people who separate families who are here hoping for safety from intolerable conditions in their home countries. I'll judge the "values" of putting those children in cages while sending their parents back to where they came from. I'll judge the values of denying those imprisoned children flu shots.

She has interests that are obviously more important to her than those you cite.

Voting Democratic often goes against some of my personal financial interests - but I have other interests more important to me than my own personal prosperity, so I happily vote for the things I care about most.

She is voting her interests. You are appalled by those interests.

there are confused voters. I’ve seen people say that it’s the Democrats who want to take away pre-existing conditions coverage and expanded Medicaid. Then they go and vote Republican. That’s voting against their best interests.

and while I'd agree that getting through to them is unlikely for many, in general, I do agree with Frank.

Republican voters, especially rural voters have been hoodwinked and conditioned to vote against their interests. Take rural farmers as but one example. They tend to vote from tradition as everyone in their family and everyone they know has always voted R. Maybe some of those they voted for were even somewhat "good" on the local level, but obviously, that doesn't translate to the national level.

However, in the era of Trump, those who stick with him are of another level altogether. Their support is nothing less than cult behavior. How do we deprogram an entire population? I have no idea.

as that means those who are "unworthy" don't get more or similar benefits. And if that pisses people like you and me off? Even better!

Don't you think his policies make many of their lives worse? HUD, food stamps and health care, all help low income voters, a big part of his base.

That’s their interests.

stronger than there survival instincts 😳

I know a guy who is only alive today because of the ACA. He HATES trump. He doesn't care about the abortion thing. And depends on food stamps.

But... he votes Republican every. Single. Time. And he knows they're the ones trying to do away with all of the benefits he needs to survive.

Why? When I ask him he just shrugs and moves on...

Or maybe a I-am-going-to-win-the-lottery-someday-soon-and-I-won't-want-to-pay-a-higher-marginal-tax-rate-even-though-I-don't-understand-marginal-tax-rates shrug?

Repugs promise them the opposite of what they get

They vote in what they think are their interests.

But if they'd pay a little more attention, they'd see they were making a mistake.

Except for the racism. In that case, they are voting in their (despicable) interest.

actions of those they vote for are likely to vote against their own interests.

their own interests, that's not the sane as not voting against their interests.

And they “simplify” it for voters who don’t have the ability or desire to wade through muck by coming up with derisive characterizations that stick. This is what I’d see going door to door and when registering voters.

The GOP requires that their supporters believe things which are simply untrue, and vote for things which will harm them.

That is the problem

And the person on your left offers to call the fire brigade, while the person on your right offers to hunt for a unicorn to sacrifice to the fire gods - These are not equivalent solutions.

which I do,

you have to accept the fact that a lot of voters do things that I think are bad for them.

Over and over and over again.

They do not think they are voting against their interests. Both of these statements can be true because what you think are their motivating interests and what they think are their motivating interests are different.

Stop with the mental gymnastics

People vote against their own best interests. They do it because they've been lied to, they're prejudiced, they've been taught to fear the wrong things, and because they're plain ignorant.

Their views on various issues shouldn't be given the same weight as views based on unbiased, factual, studied information. This isn't rocket surgery.

That's rather authoritarian to say the least and does that kind of thinking belong here? Should we be told what we should be saying and what we should stop expressing in that way.

You can paint things with the broadest brush you can find and that happens. To me, terms like nobody, everybody, always, never, are some of the most inaccurate, (demonstrably so) words that can be used. They usually are utilized in a hyperbolic way to simply exaggerate the point being made. I think EVERYBODY knows that and I hear it ALL the time. Nobody ever fails to see it.

I have yet to find anything that is always everything all the time and even normal is a quantitative fiction of a statistical nature.

That said, you are correct in that some people vote their interests explicitly and with full knowledge. However, I think you are making an erroneous assumption that people who vote against their own interests are aware of the contradictions in the first place. If they are being deceived about an issue or distracted from the facts, how would they no they are voting for their interests?

If someone buys a used car and is assured that it has been well maintained and is in good running condition and it starts breaking down and falling apart not long afterwards, did they make a purchase against their own interests? Do people generally buy anything if they know it is defective, unreliable or already broken?

In that case, I would suggest that yes, it is very possible for people to vote against their own interests and that it does happen and there are some states where we can see that happening. There may be several factors involved, as well.

My suggestion is that maybe we should refrain from firing off biased assumptions and presenting them as a means to prohibit language or narrow our perspective or range of discussion. I bet we could pull in some good evidence and debate all this, which might be more productive.

You think the average American understands economic policy, tax policy, foreign policy, etc... and how that impacts them?

*snort*

their own interests...it's understanding what their interests even are, and what they are voting for...beyond the buzz words. Figuring out ballot measures still stymies me, even though I read about them before I go to vote. The language is intentionally obtuse. This country has never been big on educating the public about politics, but now it's just a shouting match, with favorite phrases. Forget about the branches of government, or how laws are made. Just scream about how bad the other side is. It works.

You could not be more wrong than you are here.

In addition to that, why are you insisting that Democrats have to "watch what they say"?
I personally don't give a rat's ass about the deplorables and winning them over.

they are hoodwinked into think tax cuts for the rich will mean better jobs for them. Or that deregulation won't destroy their environment. Or that getting rid of the ACA or stopping MFA will mean they get better health care.
I have seen too many people on the news ask why something happened without connecting that they voted for the idiots that did it.
Poor people in States that refused Medicaid expansion for instance. Some can't put two and two together.