Today I Learned: People Are Easily Fooled

I have been reeling since I learned the results of the election. I knew it would be a close race, but it astounds me that a majority of our citizens could vote to return a felon, sexual predator, and compulsive liar to the Oval Office. The level of bigotry publicly embraced by him and his supporters is unprecedented. Having watched the crowds at both candidates’ campaign events, I had no idea that he was so popular and would not have predicted the vote.

Ignorance is no excuse. He told us who he was, and we had the advantage of hindsight, having lived through his first administration and attempted coup. It’s no accident that the majority of his cabinet and advisors have publicly repudiated him as unfit for office. But the voters must have believed the lies. Why else would Latinos and women, who, arguably have the most to fear from a Trump Presidency, supported him in droves?

There’s a crude but appropriate saying on social media: “Fuck around and find out.” Now I’m seeing Trump supporters wake up and realize that their undocumented family members may be deported and that the Affordable Care Act that provides their health insurance may be eliminated. Were they not listening? No, they weren’t. They trusted a con man. They believed that he was a strong man who would support their Christian nationalism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia. They believed that he would be good for the economy, despite all evidence to the contrary. But that was one of the problems – evidence did not figure into the equation. They believed his lies.

I have spent a little time with the League of Women Voters, helping to register new voters in local high schools, and I quickly became discouraged at the apathy among the students. I do believe that the effort is valuable, but maybe we also need to spend time teaching new voters how to evaluate campaign promises and we need to do it as soon as possible. It may already be too late.

As for me, I have recently been on a couple of Zoom meetings sponsored by Faith in Public Life, in which people from many different faith traditions came together to support one another. I believe that we in the resistance will need that support.

And I take comfort in these words from Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."