The polarization of our nation is largely due to how we limit the sources that inform us. While we learn from sources that reinforce our view, we need to also try to understand the information that is shaping those who embrace a perspective contrary to ours. That is required for a civil and free society.
For eight years, the Democrat Party leadership, most university professors and administrators, and left leaning entertainment, news and social media outlets have participated in a masterful campaign demonizing Donald Trump. Trump is by no means an angel, but neither is he the demon the left has painted him as, and he has plenty of actions to prove both.
But, for millions of Americans who have limited their information gathering to anti-Trump sources, the election is only about Trump, and defeating him. If the election comes up in a conversation, it quickly goes to how dangerous a second term of Trump would be. Never mind that we not only survived Trump’s first term, but most Americans were much better off under Trump’s leadership than under that of Biden-Harris. (See policy impact comparisons on the main page.)
A question that seems not considered is: If the view of Trump presented by the left is accurate, why are millions of good Americans voting for Trump? The answer is that those who vote for Trump know a very different Trump, a Trump that while far from perfect, is still a person whose policy actions demonstrate genuine goodwill toward people.
The anti-Trump following has all the characteristics of a cult movement: Unyielding devotion to a leader, which in this case is the mission to defeat Trump, at any cost. Limit information gathering to sources that support the mission, and avoid sources that challenge the mission. Friendships break and families split over a challenge to the cult narrative.
The number of Americans sucked into the anti-Trump cult is in the millions and they are identified by their single-focus commitment to defeating Trump. Indeed, defeating Trump is far more important than how policies impact the well-being of their fellow Americans or people of other nations. Defeating Trump is more important than a just legal system, with many employing law-fare tactics, while others turn a blind-eye to it. The most extreme members wish for Trump’s assassination, including those who were even slightly disappointed that the two attempts failed their mission.
Many openly say that nothing could change their mind, and like most cults that is likely quite true. Breaking away from ideas that have been deeply pressed into the mind of a person is not an easy task. It is very much a deprogramming task. Not only is it hard to believe that you would let yourself be taken down such a trail, it is even harder to admit that.
Anti-Trump cult members range from the truly terrified to those who out of concern of their image will not vote for Trump. While Trump’s tweets might not all have been what we would like from a president, for a man under constant attacks, he managed to do a ton of good. Those who have suffered from high inflation or destruction from wars will attest to the good of Trump. Voting based on unfounded cult-implanted fears or from self-image concerns while ignoring how policy will impact our neighbors is tragic, both for those harmed and for the voter who helped bring about that harm.
Some good news:
While Americans are near evenly polarized this election, there is some good news underneath the surface. Our polarization is rooted in the effectiveness of the anti-Trump campaign creating a strong following that were so deeply committed to the cult message that they would not even consider the effect of their vote on themselves or others.
If the election had been about policy, we would surely find much unity. And therein lies the impetus for the campaign to demonize Trump. Only by creating a demon of Trump in the minds of millions of Americans could the tiny fraction of Americans, who benefit from high-inflation, open boarders, drug abuse, wars, unrest, and a hand-picked presidential candidate, have any chance at winning the election.
Clearly we need to work on building a culture that is not so easily taken captive with propaganda. May we seek truth, even when it is to hard to want to believe, and embrace the personal responsibility required for a free society. May we be known as a people that love our neighbors as ourselves and welcome civil discourse about the real issues of our day.
