Yes, you read that headline right. Yes, I know it’s hard to believe.
It’s no secret that our pretty city leans to the left. There are no elected Republican officials in office, and there are 249,495 registered Democrats in the city and only 35,691 registered Republicans, some of whom are planning to support Donald Trump.
Having lived in Nevada, I know what it’s like to be an outsider (in my case, a Democrat surrounded by Republicans). So I can empathize with the feeling of voting against the majority. And while the very thought of Trump as the Republican nominee gives my bleeding liberal heart palpitations, I was keen to understand why these voters believe that Trump can “make America great again.”
Leadership
All the San Francisco Republican voters I spoke with saw Trump as a leader. They admire his patriotism and believed he has the ability to strengthen the economy and the military.
Motivated by social issues like abortion and marriage equality, Castro resident Alan Burradell has voted for Democrats in the two previous elections. He is now voting for Donald Trump. “Trump is going to lead,” Burradell said. “There will be no ‘go along to get along’ with the rest of the world if Trump is president. Trump projects strength, and I’m interested in the world seeing America’s strength again.”
North Waterfront (Telegraph Hill) resident Stewart Hume also has confidence in Trump’s ability to lead. “He is a very bright guy,” Hume said. “He’s a leader and a manager, and a president ought to be all of those things.”
Immigration, Military and the Economy
Trump’s stance on immigration is an important part of his campaign, and it’s an important issue for those who are supporting him.
Pacific Heights resident Marky Quayle strongly believes that illegal immigration is a national crisis and that Trump is the answer. “I believe he will absolutely stop illegal immigration, which is ruining our country.” Quayle said. “I’m all for immigration, I just want it to be legal immigration,” she elaborated. “If you want to lose a country, leave the borders open. It’s important to control who comes in and out of the country.”
As a general contractor, immigration is an important issue to Burradell. “I think that he is going to build a wall or something akin to it, and I’m OK with stopping people from entering illegally,” Burradell said. “I want there to be a better process for people to enter. And for those who are already here, I don’t think he’s actually going to send them back, and that’s fine with me.”
Military and the economy are also of top concern to Trump’s supporters.
“I like his tone on immigration and economy, and that he is not backing off,” Burradell said. “He comes right out and says what he wants to do. I think he understands the limits of what he can do and ultimately will be able to compromise.”
Hume likes Trump’s tax-reformation plan. “He came out with a tax plan that I thought was quite realistic,” he said. “I think we have to reduce corporate taxes, or we cannot compete with the rest of the world. He is strongly behind that as far as I know.”
Strengthening the nation’s military and the veterans’ administration is also important to Trump supporters. “He loves and respects our military,” said Pacific Heights resident Leo Quayle. “Trump has a lot of military support, and a strong military is important,” Hume said.
He’s Not a Career Politician
Many Trump supporters like the fact that he is a successful businessman who hasn’t made a career out of politics.
“It’s a clean house if he gets in,” Burradell explained. “If he is elected, it would turn Washington upside down, and it needs to be turned upside down.”
Quayle agrees, saying that she is tired of “bought and paid for” politicians. “Trump is funding his own campaign, and he is doing it as a selfless act of service because he cares about the country,” she said. “There is no one else running for office who’s not beholden to someone else. Trump is only beholden to the American people.”
Quayle has confidence in Trump because of his success. “He’s had an amazing career. He wants our country to survive. I believe no one else running for office can get it back on track,” Quayle explained. “All the rest are career politicians, and you’ve seen what happens with career politicians.”
Trump’s supporters believe that what he lacks in political experience he will supplement with a solid support system, once he’s elected.
“He will appoint some really good people,” Hume said. “I think he knows the right people, and he will use them in his administration.”
His Personality
It seems that those San Franciscans who love Trump really, really love him.
Burradell finds Trump’s antics authentic and refreshing and appreciates that he isn’t scripted. “I like that he doesn’t use a teleprompter. I would rather have him put his foot in his mouth than be plastic,” Burradell said. “Trump is focused on winning, and that is why he’s doing so well. I like that he will not let up. I think he’s authentic and real,” he added.
Quayle trusts Trump, plain and simple. “I believe he will fulfill his campaign promises,” Quayle said. “I think he is absolutely genuine and that he truly cares about our country and its people.”
Secretly Left on Social Issues
I must admit that I did not expect to have any political common ground to stand on with anyone voting for Trump. But some of these supporters surprised me when they shared the fact that they lean to the left when it comes to social issues and feel that Trump does too.
“I’ve always voted for social reasons, but this year is different because the economy is more important to me now,” Burradell explained.
Hume agrees. “I suspect he’s quite liberal socially,” he said. “But I doubt fanatically so.”
How Did This Happen?
The rise of Trump makes you wonder why our government is supposedly the pinnacle of democracy—something we believe so deeply that we wage wars and impose our system on other countries with hopes of bettering them.
Trump illustrates how our country is far from “indivisible” and the fact that some of us have lost sight of the true meaning of “with liberty and justice for all.” Trump’s supporters claim they like him because he isn’t a politician and because voting for him would upset the system. Yet the fact that a racist, sexist egomaniac like Donald Trump is a strong contender for the Republican nomination for president proves (at least to me) that the system is already upset.
