Lifelong Republicans are turning out to vote for Biden, unable to stomach another Trump term
President Trump has always had a fan base that would literally follow him off the edge of a cliff. But he's also had support from Republicans outside of his base—people who range from diehard fiscal conservatives to one-issue voters to hold-their-nose-and-vote folks who couldn't bring themselves to vote for Hillary.
This election, however, there seems to be a turn of the tide. We've seen prominent Republicans who served in previous GOP administrations come out in support of Biden, warning the nation that Trump poses a danger to our democracy. We've seen coalitions of Republicans from The Lincoln Project to RVAT (Republican Voters Against Trump) form in the past couple of years. And we've even seen people who have served recently in Trump's own administration encouraging people not to vote for him based on their experiences in the White House and seeing his behavior up close.
It's historically unprecedented for an incumbent president to lose so many members of their own party, though it's not surprising to the millions who have always seen Trump for who he is. Now it seems many everyday conservative Americans are recognizing that restoring sanity, stability, and decency to the presidency is the first order of business right now—partisanship be damned.
Twitter users are sharing stories of friends and loved ones who are lifelong Republicans voting for Biden—and even voting for him early.
Some are even voting Democrat all the way down the ticket.
For some, it's their parents who have made the switch. For others, it's actually themselves.
Many of the stories are about folks in the older generation, who may have been put off by the president's cavalier attitude about COVID, which poses the greatest threat to their age group. Or it could be that they are dismayed by how far the dignity of the office has fallen under Trump.
One person shared that her 81-year-old mother understood the "toxic agenda" from the Council for National Policy—a secretive, right-wing policy-pushing group where mainstream conservatives and extremists mix, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The stories seem to be met with a mix of outright glee and cautious optimism, as many people are still hesitant to feel too hopeful after the 2016 election.
But it is heartening to see that even those who are exposed to Fox News aren't necessarily lost.
For some of these folks, voting for anyone other than a Republican is a big deal, especially when they are surrounded by folks who believe in kooky conspiracy theories. Their willingness to put country over party should be celebrated.
For some, a combination of reading actual news and the influence of younger generations have made the difference.
It's almost enough to make you think that the polls that have Biden's already sizable lead growing might have some legs. Almost.
One story was particularly touching. Brennan Suen is an LGBTQ activist who was inspired by AOC to find one person in his life that he could talk sense into in the election. He chose his 94-year-old grandmother who has always voted Republican.
Suen wrote:
"After RBG died, I listened to @AOC say, there is someone in your life who only you can get to in this election, and it is your job to get to them. Since then, I have been filled with anxiety knowing what I needed to do. For me, that's my 94 year old grandmother.
She has always voted Republican. My very first memory of politics was seeing polls during Gore v. Bush and her telling me she supported Bush but my parents supported Gore. I took one look at the two and said that I agreed with my parents.
After weeks of hesitation, I finally called my grandmother after SCOTUS justices indicated their intent to overturn Obergefell. She has always been the greatest ally -- the first thing she said to me when I came out was that she wanted me to have a grandkid for her.
I have never called her crying, but I did today. I told her that in my work, I advocate for my community every day, and the last four years has been unbearably difficult for me. I told her the Republicans are trying to take away our right to marry, adopt, access health care.
I told her a vote for Republicans was a vote that would harm me and my future. I told her I was scared. And today, my grandmother promised me she would vote for Joe Biden and @xjelliott. She told me that I'm the love of her life and that she would not break her promise.
I am still crying. Please call your loved ones. Tell them what's at stake. Tell them it's personal. Because it's true. There is someone out there who only you can get to. And their decision will mean the world to you."
Some things are just more important than political parties or even policies. As General Michael Hayden, former CIA director under Bush, said in a video ad this week, "I absolutely disagree with some of Biden's policies, but that's not important. What's important is the United States ... Biden is a good man. Donald Trump is not."
Country over party. Decency over degeneracy. Regardless of political identity, it's time to say enough is enough.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."