I am conservative. I voted for a Republican. I voted for Donald Trump, but I am not Donald Trump. Contrary to popular belief, many conservatives like myself who voted for Donald Trump did not suddenly turn orange and start wearing toupees. Our tweeting habits never changed and we never gained a history with The Celebrity Apprentice aside from seeing a few episodes. The address of our houses is not on Pennsylvania Avenue. We are not President Trump, so do not treat us like we are him.
It is no secret that on January 20th, Donald Trump will hold his inauguration as the President of the United Sates. People have refused to perform or dropped out of acts that will perform at the inauguration ceremony simply to avoid looking like they support him. Just being associated with Trump seems to be like an affliction to these people. Imagine what they think of the people that voted for him.
From what I have seen, people like to think I am Donald Trump simply because I put his name down on the ballot. Let me reiterate: I am not Donald Trump. He got my vote because my political beliefs fell in line with him instead of Hillary. Do I agree with every one of his positions, actions, and ways of speaking? No. I think anyone on either side of the political spectrum would be hard pressed to find anyone that agrees with 100 percent of a politician's stances and actions.
I don't believe every person who voted for Hillary agrees with how she handled her emails or Benghazi, because I know that just like me, they are independent thinkers. Agreeing with most of a politician's views today seems to be mistaken with being completely okay with all that the politician says or does. It is a harmful mentality that causes us to take away the identity of the person we are discussing politics with.
Besides miscommunication, thinking of the politician you dislike or disagree with while debating politics can also cause anger to be misplaced upon your opponent. Politics is an often heated subject and when we fail to acknowledge that we don't espouse everything a candidate or party stands for, the debate can quickly devolve into an argument.
I will not defend or agree with everything President Trump will do or say, but I will when he does do something I agree with. I'm not 100 percent aboard the Trump Train, but I think he can get us on the right track. I could have different views than him on climate change, immigration or foreign policy, but you might never know unless you accept the fact that just because I voted for him does not mean that I have become Donald Trump.
