I am trying to drill down into the factors that make 80% of voters cast their votes based on affiliation, regardless of the name on the ticket. I had thought that a sufficiently disastrous term would result in greater discernment. The 2020 election convinced me otherwise. I don't accept the idea that people are stupid. What are the factors that encourage a smart person to elect someone who has shown callous disregard for our country?
I am trying to drill down into the factors that make 80% of voters cast their votes based on affiliation, regardless of the name on the ticket. I had thought that a sufficiently disastrous term would result in greater discernment. The 2020 election convinced me otherwise. I don't accept the idea that people are stupid. What are the factors that encourage a smart person to elect someone who has shown callous disregard for our country?
Robert, thanks for this important question. Here are some short answers:
1) Conservatives value loyalty. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Righteous_Mind
2) Humans need to belong. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belongingness
3) Disinformation is rampant. See: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Living_Wisely/Advance_no_falsehoods
4) Political parties benefit from polarization. See: https://thefulcrum.us/our-two-political-parties-a-resemblance-to-wrestlemania
5) Final Five Voting is a promising solution. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-four_primary#Top-five
I hope we can have a dialogue on this on Wednesday.