‘Alternate reality’
When discussions arise about the Republican Party and their association with what has come to be know as “the big lie,” there are many of us who have difficulty understanding why the GOP is so entrenched in their belief in “the big lie.” It has become a litmus test for anyone running for office in the Republican Party.
Was the election stolen from President Trump? If the answer to this question is no, you are not viewed as a true Republican. According to most polls, 80% of Republican voters are on board, as well.
So, how did we get here? Either Donald Trump was defeated by Joe Biden or the election was fraudulent and Trump really won. It’s black or white; there are no shades of gray. Time and time again when the results of the election were challenged, the conclusion that Biden won the election is confirmed. Even Republican-sponsored investigations have come to this conclusion. So, again I ask, how did we get here?
The first step in understanding how we got here is to understand that “the big lie” is just one of many big lies that have been fed to the Republican base for a long time now. Who can forget about “birtherism”? How about climate change? And then there is the ongoing discussion concerning COVID-19. QAnon conspiracies that were once at the extreme are now finding their way into mainstream Republican talking points.
Spending time on Facebook discussing political issues with friends, relatives and acquaintances revealed to me the depths of what I call “the reality divide.” This is not something that has not risen since the election of Donald Trump. This process has been ongoing for years now.
At the beginning of the Barack Obama administration, I had discussions with a former work associate concerning Obama’s performance. For months he would refer to the fact that the unemployment rate was still above 8%, and that fact was evidence of how poor a job Obama was doing.
I heard about this time and time again. It was his main talking point.
When the unemployment rate dropped below 8%, I asked him if that meant he had changed his mind about Obama. He told me that the numbers must have been rigged. Sound familiar?
The very same numbers he used to justify his opinion about Obama’s performance were not to be trusted anymore. To admit that the numbers were accurate would be to deny the reality that he had created for himself.
Another work associate insisted that the concept of compromise being the foundation of our republic is a facade. I could go on and on with other similar examples.
In 2018, Trump made the following statement, “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.” His base has taken that to heart.
Why not? They have been conditioned to accept an alternate reality for years.
Joel Vanluven
Keaau
Let’s do better
J.P. Morgan and Citibank require a vaccination to be employed with said institutions.
Finally! Someone thinking long term. Quebec is starting a health tax for those who are unvaccinated.
When will the state and unions come around? Probably never. Maybe the people in charge have not noticed that buying a lawnmower or car or everything is not getting better.
Please do the right thing. We are so lucky there is a vaccine.
Be safe and smart.
Phil Swarz
Papaikou
