Holy crap, you cracked the code! Trying to figure these people out has been so incredibly confusing, frustrating, and infuriating. As long as they can watch football wearing a golf shirt nothing else matters - it's so simple.
This is similar to experiences I had when I used to play sports. Nice people but sometimes the talk was just banal bullshit.
Here’s an example dumbass take: stating that the new Captain Marvel movie was dumb/unrealistic because the main character was a “girl”. Yeah, the absorption of powers from alien tech, the existence of aliens at all, and a non-swearing Sam Jackson are perfectly reasonable enough to suspend reality for two hours but a girl with powers??!!
This is honestly the most accurate representation I have read about Trump supporters - the ones who aren't completely off the deep end, anyhow.
Working in sales, in the insurance industry I am surrounded by these guys. I really like them as people. They are helpful and fun and generally kind. Even smart.
But they are sooo uninformed about the world. They don't read books. They don't understand science or statistics or critical thinking. They love golf and sports and drinking and winning. And they seem to love the Trumpian comradery.
How on earth do you get through to them? To help them understand that an autocratic economy is good for no one, or that their wives and daughters will suffer? That their neighborhoods will not be safer and their children's educations will not get better by eliminating the Dept of Ed? Or that climate change is a much bigger risk than illegal aliens?
As I was reading, I kept hoping to hear more about the connection between their poor poker instincts and their political acumen. Do you think any of the weaknesses that let you and other skilled poker players fleece them translate into strategic political weaknesses? Especially if we assume some of these same bros are the grifters running MAGA PACs, GOTV operations, media, etc?
For one example: the recent gloomy mood for Harris’s odds seems to have been catalyzed by a sudden plunge in her odds a few weeks ago on the crypto betting site polymarket (which is linked to Peter Thiel). This shift was abrupt, large in magnitude, and didn’t seem connected to any real news. It seems to be linked to ~$30 million in bets from a few “whale” accounts.
People suspect that this was designed to demoralize democrats and lead to bad news cycles and possibly prepare the ground for post election claims of fraud and legal challenges (I agree). But what if this was a terrible strategy and backfires? Democrats viewing themselves as underdogs may re-double their efforts to vote and improve turnout in a mirror image reverse of overconfident liberals in 2016. Some people who might have done a protest vote for Stein or write-in might reconsider. A (small) portion of lazy MAGA bros may figure it’s in the bag and stay home.
Sometimes these people we assume are playing 12-dimensional chess are just…not very good at regular chess…
I liked this one. It's true that it's not malevolence that allows such a blowhard (Trump) to rise, but laziness, indifference, and as lack of curiosity about the world and people that are unlike themselves. I love that you play poker. It's such a character quirk for a guy like you. I'd be interested in hearing some of the philosophy you attribute to, or have gleaned from, poker playing.
This is my step father in law exactly. Boy was he pissed when I won the first poker tournament he invited me to at his favorite casino. He couldn’t believe a girl could win! He is a good guy but it doesn’t mean I am not going to engage him and try to get him to think about his point of view. If not at least for his granddaughters’ sakes. I would say, I get that you are tired of talking about Trump and that not every interaction needs to be proselytizing to Trumpers. But sometimes, maybe more often than not, it’s worth it to try. To come at them sideways, respectfully, to try to bring forth a little cognitive dissonance. Especially because honestly, they are way more likely to take you seriously. More than a little lady who got lucky at poker.
This is such a great, vivid description. 15-20 years ago, I was very active in very small-stakes local games and tournaments. The guys there weren’t golfers or boaters; they were blue-collar dreamers who never imagined that a president would one day mouth all of their worst thoughts. I stopped playing only when I moved. The gang knew I was definitely not one of them in many significant ways. Yet, when I announced one night that I was leaving the area, I said goodbye with hugs and well wishes. I think what you are observing is what has always been possible, but is increasingly rare due to social media and extreme media outlets. At a distance, I can easily despise 98% of humanity. Up close, I am quickly reminded how each of us shares, even if we respond to those shared experiences differently. Those Obama hating poker players I left behind near the beginning of his presidency, who smoked a ton and drank Jager shots like they were frat brothers, were decent and rational in more ways than not. I struggle to remember this sometimes, because stereotyping based on political viewpoints is so much easier.
Perfectly summarized, Mike. So true. I play low stakes poker like you every week, and that's exactly what most of the players at the table represent, in manner, politics, and uninformed op-ed about what's really going on in the American leadership. Because they're middle-class entitled, poorer members of a still sufficiently accessible ruling class to them, because they're white middle aged guys who've benefited from their ancestry. LOL, I gotta say, I'd hope most folks recognize you from The State. Geez.
I used to play poker quite a bit. I don't as much these days, what with work, family, and the fact that the game has evolved a lot and I'm not as smart as I used to be. Whoopsy, here comes a big tangent:
Another factor is transitioning. There are a lot of places that used to be comfortable for me that are just scary for me now, a year into transitioning. I have the "fortune" of being 6'6", so even if I were a cisgender woman, I'd probably get regularly accused of being trans. But even without that, I'm far from passing, and card rooms feel like an invitation for a bad time. I mean, I expect I'd be *physically* safe, but there's so much more to it than that.
Taking care of myself mentally is very challenging at the moment. Whether or not there are actually any active threats in my daily life, there are perceived threats everywhere. People make their small remarks, give looks, etc., and one never knows when somebody is going to get up the gumption to escalate into more of a confrontation. Perhaps that's where my height comes in handy, it may be a bit of a deterrent. Even though I'm a confusing mix of secondary gender characteristics, I'm a very tall confusing mix, and nobody wants to get beat up by some crazy tranny.
Clara!! I read the comment before I saw the name and I was like "why does this sound like someone I know?" 🫶 You've always been so transparent about your transition and everything in between that your voice has become recognizable to me.
Always happy to help you feel as safe as you should and have your back that I don't even reach, and have likely never even seen.
Ya—those guys. sigh
You’re so right.
Holy crap, you cracked the code! Trying to figure these people out has been so incredibly confusing, frustrating, and infuriating. As long as they can watch football wearing a golf shirt nothing else matters - it's so simple.
dear michael,
excellent piece as always.
this is a funny and resonant sentence: "I’ve never heard a Black dude defend Trump at the poker table"
thanks for sharing!
love
myq
This is similar to experiences I had when I used to play sports. Nice people but sometimes the talk was just banal bullshit.
Here’s an example dumbass take: stating that the new Captain Marvel movie was dumb/unrealistic because the main character was a “girl”. Yeah, the absorption of powers from alien tech, the existence of aliens at all, and a non-swearing Sam Jackson are perfectly reasonable enough to suspend reality for two hours but a girl with powers??!!
I liked this piece a lot. Your experiences are like nothing in my life but I find your humor real.
This is honestly the most accurate representation I have read about Trump supporters - the ones who aren't completely off the deep end, anyhow.
Working in sales, in the insurance industry I am surrounded by these guys. I really like them as people. They are helpful and fun and generally kind. Even smart.
But they are sooo uninformed about the world. They don't read books. They don't understand science or statistics or critical thinking. They love golf and sports and drinking and winning. And they seem to love the Trumpian comradery.
How on earth do you get through to them? To help them understand that an autocratic economy is good for no one, or that their wives and daughters will suffer? That their neighborhoods will not be safer and their children's educations will not get better by eliminating the Dept of Ed? Or that climate change is a much bigger risk than illegal aliens?
Dammit!! Now I’ve got The Gambler stuck on play in my brain jukebox. Aaauuggghh!!!
As I was reading, I kept hoping to hear more about the connection between their poor poker instincts and their political acumen. Do you think any of the weaknesses that let you and other skilled poker players fleece them translate into strategic political weaknesses? Especially if we assume some of these same bros are the grifters running MAGA PACs, GOTV operations, media, etc?
For one example: the recent gloomy mood for Harris’s odds seems to have been catalyzed by a sudden plunge in her odds a few weeks ago on the crypto betting site polymarket (which is linked to Peter Thiel). This shift was abrupt, large in magnitude, and didn’t seem connected to any real news. It seems to be linked to ~$30 million in bets from a few “whale” accounts.
People suspect that this was designed to demoralize democrats and lead to bad news cycles and possibly prepare the ground for post election claims of fraud and legal challenges (I agree). But what if this was a terrible strategy and backfires? Democrats viewing themselves as underdogs may re-double their efforts to vote and improve turnout in a mirror image reverse of overconfident liberals in 2016. Some people who might have done a protest vote for Stein or write-in might reconsider. A (small) portion of lazy MAGA bros may figure it’s in the bag and stay home.
Sometimes these people we assume are playing 12-dimensional chess are just…not very good at regular chess…
I liked this one. It's true that it's not malevolence that allows such a blowhard (Trump) to rise, but laziness, indifference, and as lack of curiosity about the world and people that are unlike themselves. I love that you play poker. It's such a character quirk for a guy like you. I'd be interested in hearing some of the philosophy you attribute to, or have gleaned from, poker playing.
This is my step father in law exactly. Boy was he pissed when I won the first poker tournament he invited me to at his favorite casino. He couldn’t believe a girl could win! He is a good guy but it doesn’t mean I am not going to engage him and try to get him to think about his point of view. If not at least for his granddaughters’ sakes. I would say, I get that you are tired of talking about Trump and that not every interaction needs to be proselytizing to Trumpers. But sometimes, maybe more often than not, it’s worth it to try. To come at them sideways, respectfully, to try to bring forth a little cognitive dissonance. Especially because honestly, they are way more likely to take you seriously. More than a little lady who got lucky at poker.
This is such a great, vivid description. 15-20 years ago, I was very active in very small-stakes local games and tournaments. The guys there weren’t golfers or boaters; they were blue-collar dreamers who never imagined that a president would one day mouth all of their worst thoughts. I stopped playing only when I moved. The gang knew I was definitely not one of them in many significant ways. Yet, when I announced one night that I was leaving the area, I said goodbye with hugs and well wishes. I think what you are observing is what has always been possible, but is increasingly rare due to social media and extreme media outlets. At a distance, I can easily despise 98% of humanity. Up close, I am quickly reminded how each of us shares, even if we respond to those shared experiences differently. Those Obama hating poker players I left behind near the beginning of his presidency, who smoked a ton and drank Jager shots like they were frat brothers, were decent and rational in more ways than not. I struggle to remember this sometimes, because stereotyping based on political viewpoints is so much easier.
So good. Spot on. Thanks for writing good stuff!
Perfectly summarized, Mike. So true. I play low stakes poker like you every week, and that's exactly what most of the players at the table represent, in manner, politics, and uninformed op-ed about what's really going on in the American leadership. Because they're middle-class entitled, poorer members of a still sufficiently accessible ruling class to them, because they're white middle aged guys who've benefited from their ancestry. LOL, I gotta say, I'd hope most folks recognize you from The State. Geez.
Your show is awesome! You are awesome, along with Roy Wood, Jr. and Amber Ruffin!
A nuanced view, right on the $$$, thanks for sharing!
I used to play poker quite a bit. I don't as much these days, what with work, family, and the fact that the game has evolved a lot and I'm not as smart as I used to be. Whoopsy, here comes a big tangent:
Another factor is transitioning. There are a lot of places that used to be comfortable for me that are just scary for me now, a year into transitioning. I have the "fortune" of being 6'6", so even if I were a cisgender woman, I'd probably get regularly accused of being trans. But even without that, I'm far from passing, and card rooms feel like an invitation for a bad time. I mean, I expect I'd be *physically* safe, but there's so much more to it than that.
Taking care of myself mentally is very challenging at the moment. Whether or not there are actually any active threats in my daily life, there are perceived threats everywhere. People make their small remarks, give looks, etc., and one never knows when somebody is going to get up the gumption to escalate into more of a confrontation. Perhaps that's where my height comes in handy, it may be a bit of a deterrent. Even though I'm a confusing mix of secondary gender characteristics, I'm a very tall confusing mix, and nobody wants to get beat up by some crazy tranny.
If it helps, I'd be honored to get beat up by you.
I'd rather beat you at poker.
Clara!! I read the comment before I saw the name and I was like "why does this sound like someone I know?" 🫶 You've always been so transparent about your transition and everything in between that your voice has become recognizable to me.
Always happy to help you feel as safe as you should and have your back that I don't even reach, and have likely never even seen.
Doxxing myself in my efforts to find a story worth telling.