The conversation that might help us understand why so many ‘normal' people voted for Trump.

Today many of us are grappling with the same question: What the hell just happened?

On social media, the world is still reeling from yesterday’s shocking election result, not to mention trying to process the fact that Donald Trump just added “President-elect of the United States” to his Twitter bio.

American journalist, Michael Grunwald, spent a lot of time on the campaign trail this year and has collated a collection of tweets that shed some light on why millions of his countrymen voted a bigoted former reality TV star as their next leader.

Speaking to two Trump voters, he discovered something surprising.

Despite being ideological opposites they actually had something in common with those who supported Obama in 2008: “a hope for change”.

Here’s how the conversation went down:

1. The stars of my final Trump tweetstorm: Logan Hatfield &a his son Paul, from Lovilla, Iowa. pic.twitter.com/bnNVDOqH1H

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

2. I met them at a Trump rally in September in a Des Moines suburb, and I think about them a lot when I think about Trump’s appeal.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

3. Logan looks like Larry the Cable Guy in a camo #MAGA hat, but as he said, “I’m not as redneck as I look.” Got his degree from Iowa State.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

4. Logan grew up on a farm. He’s now an electrician. He’s a conservative Christian, and a straight-ticket Republican.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

5. He doesn’t like that Trump is crude and a former D. But he’ll give Trump a pass. “A wise man changes his mind. A fool never does.”

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

6. He loves Trump’s business record, bankruptcies and all. “He’s been knocked on his ass and gotten up. He’s got balls. Gotta respect that.”

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

7. He’s a social conservative, but he likes that Trump “doesn’t obsess over social issues.” He thinks Obama does, needlessly divisively.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

8. I asked what he meant, and he cited Black Lives Matter. He thinks Obama just talks about police brutality to rile up his base.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

9. “Those people were mostly guilty of crimes. They brought about their own demise, and Obama tried to exploit that.”

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

10. That’s false and kinda gross. But it’s what he sees on Fox. In general, Logan was one of the least angry people I met at Trump rallies.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

11. He thinks the Obama economy stinks, even though locally everything’s fine. I’ve written about that phenomenon: https://t.co/uBkfvbd1Y5

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

12. Our chat took a surprising turn when I asked his #1 issue. He said: The expensive licenses electricians need to renew every year.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

13. Occupational licensing! That happens to be one of my pet peeves, too. The system really is rigged, especially against non-incumbents.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

14. We commiserated a bit about how crazy it is that barbers have to get licensed, how it’s all a racket to raise $ and keep out newbies.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

15. But I did note that these are state rules. And that Obama (well, @CEAchair) has launched a crusade against them: https://t.co/CMux1tL27T

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

16. I figured I was one of six people on earth who knew about that crusade. But Logan had heard about it, too! And yet…

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

17. “But Obama hasn’t DONE anything about it. Trump says he’s going to get rid of stupid regulations. I think he can really do it.”

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

18. Usually, I just let people talk, but I had to bust Logan’s chops a bit. Really? He’s going to undo the state licensing fees you hate?

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

19. Logan laughed, but he said yeah, he trusts Trump. “He’s a guy who gets things done.”

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

20. Paul had been trying to get a word in the whole time and Logan had kept shushing him. Paul isn’t as, um, forceful as his dad. (Note pic)

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

21. But now Paul blurts out: “It’s my turn! Let me explain why I support Mr. Trump!” His dad grins and says, OK, Paul, you say your piece.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

22. So Paul explains that he’s a birdwatcher and a conservationist. And he’s especially concerned about the endangered rusty blackbird.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

23. I look confused, and so does Logan. Paul explains that he’s been calling the state DNR about the rusty blackbird, but nothing happens.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

24. “I think Mr. Trump can save the rusty blackbird! Like you said, Dad, he gets things done!”

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

25. I really try not to do this but I couldn’t resist: “Trump is not going to save your bird!” I may have included a modifier before “bird.”

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

26. This is perhaps a mundane point for such a long story, but elections are always about hope and fear.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

27. There’s been a huge focus on the fears of Trump voters. I’ve focused on them myself. They’re very real. Sometimes they’re deplorable.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

28. But Trump is also appealing to hope. He is the guy who will make everything wrong with the world right. He alone can fix it.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

29. I always push back against Trump’s notion that everything has gone to hell. Things are pretty good. But things can always be better.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

30. People always think Washington is an ungodly mess. But what’s interesting is they also always seem to think it can be cleaned up.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

31. The bad news is this makes us vulnerable to con men like Trump, selling us snake oil they claim will make an imperfect world perfect.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

32. And as I’ve written, Trump’s brand of snake oil is mostly attractive to white Obama-hating Republicans. https://t.co/3NBOtv2zae

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

33. I’m scared of the next Trump who isn’t as overtly hateful & outrageous, & runs when there hasn’t been 73 straight months of job growth.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

34. But the good news is that Logan and Paul weren’t necessarily yearning for white nationalism. They were just yearning for something.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

35. Nothing’s ever perfect, and (earnestness warning) the beauty of elections is the dream that a vote can help create a more perfect union.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

36. That was an underlying theme in Obama’s first inaugural speech, and just about every speech he’s given since. It was a Jeb theme too.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

37. I often slag the immaturity of the left and right everything-sucks crowds, the gripers who can’t admit better is better than worse.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

38. I stand by my slagging. It bugs me when people make the perfect the enemy of the better.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

39. But there is also something genuinely cool about the American belief in perfectability, and this is the day when it’s the coolest.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

40. America is always on the “wrong track,” because it can always be on a better track. And you know, maybe next year it will be.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

41. It’s been a mostly depressing campaign. It’s mostly Trump’s fault. I’ve tried to point out the ugliness & insults to our intelligence.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

42. And I don’t want to be one of those white male elites who chastises people for demonstrating insufficient empathy for white males.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

43. Honestly, over the course of 2016, I’ve grown even less sympathetic to their fears.

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

44. But everybody’s hopes are worth taking seriously. Like the guy said in Shawshank, hope is a good thing. It would suck if we lost it. END

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) November 8, 2016

And there you have it. Hope.

Hear Mia Freedman, Rosie Waterland, Jessie Stephens and others debriefing about the US election on a special Mamamia Out Loud bonus episode, here: