I'm an incredibly social individual. When I'm in Seattle, which is 2-3 times a week socializing, I'm not allowed to question any liberal perspective. Whatsoever. Identity politics, Marxism, equality of outcome, etc. Not even as The Devil's Advocate, for the purpose of discussing the issues equitably. Doing so results in extreme resistance, personal attacks, yelling, getting kicked out of bars, and being told my experience, intellect, and experience don't matter, because I appear "white" and I'm "male".

I've experienced this, without exception, multiple times weekly for the last 15 years. So it's impossible to reconcile your experience with mine.

The result is an inability to every discuss what's important to me, and why it's important with me, even with family members, friends (aside from a few), and, yes, even my own girlfriends.

It wasn't until the middle of Obama's 2nd term that I started to question my own beliefs, and start realizing what was going on around me. My thoughts were being policed, and I wasn't allowed to speak my mind to anyone. I still voted for Hillary, however, because I hadn't quite hit my breaking point yet. Like most of us, religious conservatives drive me nuts, and I grew up thinking they're stupid, illogical, irrational, selfish, etc.

I don't look at it as "teams". I look at it as "identity politics is my biggest threat" - there are only two parties - and identity politics, Marxism, and equality of outcome have become the anchor for every single viewpoint, talking point, motivation, and legislation pushed by The Democratic Party and all of it's constituents.

Now a' days, right-leaning moderates are the ones who support my opinion, my freedom of speech, and my view of what is logical, practical, appropriate, right, correct, and necessary - almost without fail.

Where that puts Trump? I don't know. Best justification I could posit would "wrong step in the right direction". No I don't see the acts of white nationalist terrorists as an issue (the same way the left doesn't generalize Muslims as terrorists). I see the threat of Marxism and Identity politics as all-encompassing, for every direction, and every angle, as I've explained at the beginning of this post. And yes, I'm aware that the same media that pushes identity politics incessantly, is also pushing the narrative that we have major white-nationalist problem, and I'm not going to get into a 5 hour argument about why a few terrorists are less threatening to me than the entire Democratic constituency.

Suffice to say, I'm angry that white nationalist terrorists are strengthening identity politics on both ends.

You're one of 30 people who responded to me relatively respectfully, and one response later you too are pushing identity politics and questioning my motives.

If identity politics, neo-Marxism, and equality of outcome are my biggest threats - then how would you expect me to vote? Again, there are only two parties. Unfortunately I've already accidentally doxed myself by sharing my publication (which is tied to my real-life identity). And obviously I am trolling the majority of the people personally attacking me, however I wasn't trolling you.

I just don't know where this conversation goes. I will not be told that my experience, intellect, and opinion don't matter on the basis of my skin color and gender. And I do experience that, in spades, in the Pacific Northwest. My only respite was when I lived on the East Coast, where the liberals tended to be more "classical" in nature. i.e.; pushing for individualism, rather than group identity, group power, and conflict between groups. Your experience is different, and that's okay.