This is where an application of the scientific method to interpersonal relationships is handy. You have a working hypothesis of how Trump supporters work. You have data that contradict that hypothesis. The data aren’t wrong (they can’t be wrong), so your hypothesis must be.

In this case, an older model for political behavior works better than the newer ones. According to the view I was taught growing up, we’re all just people advocating for what we think is best for our country, our state, our cities, and our neighborhoods. The Left and Right have different ideas on what constitutes “best” and on the methods to achieve it, but at the end of the day we have the same general goal. If you use this model, the observed behavior is easy to explain: Dude thought it was best for everyone to have clean sidewalks, and maybe enjoyed the activity (maybe he can’t get to the gym, so he’s using this to get exercise–something I’ve done many times), so he helped his neighbors. The satisfaction of taking a concrete step towards what he thinks of as a better outcome is the justification for the action.

This is the Way.

Many members of my family are first responders–EMTs, fire fighters, police officers. They live where the air hurts their faces 5 months out of the year (I moved south until it stopped snowing). What I was taught is that snow and ice make reaching homes in an emergency difficult or impossible. If you have a heart attack, or your grandmother breaks a hip, or you have a carbon monoxide issue (not uncommon during winter), you don’t want the first responders needing to shovel your driveway before they can rescue you!!! I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it always felt like there was a spike in medical emergencies in the winter, too. And it’s not just old people–for example, young people in their first home seem to have more issues with carbon monoxide, as they tend to be more rigorous about winterizing their homes.

To put it bluntly: People who are more concerned about the political affiliation of the person clearing their sidewalks than they are about having cleared sidewalks may as well put up a sign that reads “I’d rather die than be saved by a [insert party affiliation here]”. If you’re not willing to put up such a sign, the proper response to someone of opposing political affiliation clearing your sidewalk/driveway is “Thank you”, and maybe offering them a cup of coffee and a doughnut.

Please stop with the gratuitous politicization of that which is not political. That’s part of the problem, not the solution. Snow doesn’t care about partisan affiliations! 🙂

so. much. this, Goober.

There are a lot of people in the world right now so committed to the fundamental righteousness of their world view that they simply cannot conceive that anyone could possibly disagree with it without being either evil or insane. At both ends of the political spectrum.