• People’s opinion on individual issues and on candidates are pretty disconnected. For candidates, unfortunately, it feels like some people picking a sports team and rooting for them no matter what. There’s also the bias they get from rooting for a team that they distrust those who don’t root for the same team.

          But generally most people do agree a lot more than it may seem. For example, if you ask questions about the individual policies for “Obamacare”, Republicans are in favor of almost everything… Except they originally thought it needed a public option so it’s not just handouts for corporations. Why do you think right wing media hammered on that issue for long and hard? They were trying to train their followers.

          How to get beyond this blind team worship is beyond me. But I’ve noticed the same disconnect with my mom, whom repeats talking goings from the likes of Limbaugh (when he was alive), but her takes are pro-universal health care… She just frames in talking points from right wing pundits somehow. Granted, she’s a bit alienated by the Republican party because of LGB issues (T left off intentionally… She tries not to be transphobic, but she’s not great at it), so she generally won’t vote for them. If it weren’t for social wedge issues, she’d be voting for them. I think there’s some room to work with people if they already trust you personally though.