2020 Presidential Election

[Cin]

This is an article written by a couple of psychiatrists and a dr of clinical psychology examining the reasons that some people, maybe even enough people to get him reelected, believe in Trump. I found the article interesting and while the reasoning is nothing most haven't already concluded, it does flesh it out a bit.

I'm not sure I agree that you can change the minds of Trump supporters but I guess it's worth a shot. But I seriously hope the election doesn't hinge on that possibility. I mean if enough people want this guy as their leader what chance does humanity have anyway.

Chaos, shared irrationality and fear: Experts explain why supporters are still clinging to Trump — despite his many failures

A looming question in today’s political climate is: Why do Donald Trump’s devotees continue to support him despite the carnage of his well-documented failures? Although we are in the middle of a deadly pandemic that is surging and not contained, Trump seems to maintain a base support of 35% to 40%. What are the psychological factors that influence or underpin his supporters’ attraction to him? And might this provide some perspective on how to change these supporters’ minds?

Multiple psychological factors seem to influence and explain his supporters. We have divided these factors into four major categories: Rebelliousness and Chaos; Shared Irrationality; Fear; and Safety and Order.

Rebelliousness and Chaos

Some Trump supporters have a strong desire for rebelliousness and chaos, and view Trump as the perfect vehicle for achieving their personal goals. These supporters tend to become “anti-establishment and anti-government,” even when it is against their best interest. Many are unhappy with their station in life and believe chaos in the political system will bring them important gains. They seek immediate and sweeping changes and believe a rebellious attitude and rebellious behavior are what is necessary. They would rather have chaos, even dangerously or regressively so, than the status quo.

These supporters believe in Trump’s professed anger and rebelliousness, while often ignoring the content of the issues at hand. Trump’s talk of “draining the swamp” and of eschewing “political correctness” is attractive to them. They react emotionally and irrationally in embracing Trump’s decisions to create chaos, such as by sending federal troops into American cities to provoke hostile conflict with protesters. They enjoy and thrive upon Trump disavowing norms, rules, and laws. Rebelliousness and chaos can be a major psychological influence, but it can have serious negative consequences such as undermining the chance for real change.

Shared Irrationality

The Dunning-Kruger effect. Some people are under-informed and misinformed and are completely unaware of their lack of information. They tend to overestimate their level of knowledge and hold onto that position. They develop “illusory superiority” from their inability to recognize their true lack of knowledge. In other words, some people think they know more than they do and hold firmly to their opinions. These people are resistant to change their political thinking because they believe they are the knowledgeable ones. Trump and some of his supporters have this psychological phenomenon in common; they are unable to remedy their own limitations of knowledge and their inaccurate thinking.

Magical thinking. This is the belief that one’s thoughts, feelings, ideas, or words can bring about effects in the world. Or, similarly, that one’s thoughts, feelings, ideas, or words can cause something to happen. Magical thinking presumes a causal link between one’s internal, personal experience and the external physical world. This often emerges from an inability to distinguish fully between emotions and logical thoughts. Relying totally on emotion or “gut reactions” results in magical thinking. Trump engages in magical thinking almost constantly. This is especially dangerous regarding the pandemic: “It will disappear very quickly,” “We have it under control,” “We may have some embers or some ashes…” Many supporters engage in magical thinking and are encouraged and validated by Trump, leading them to align strongly with him.

Obsession with celebrity. Some people are obsessed with celebrities and reality television. Trump entertains them and amuses them. Some supporters are always waiting to see what outrageous thing he says or does next. These supporters are happy as long as they are being entertained by him. They act as if life is a “game” or a “show” that is somehow disconnected from the difficult realities of everyday life, but it is not.

Fear

Brain reactivity to threats. Research shows that some people have an exaggerated fear response to threats. When presented with specific perceived threats–immigrants, democrats, protestors, socialism–conservatives’ brains light up in activity and experience a need to seek safety. Trump actively encourages his supporters to experience exaggerated fear responses, such that their brains remain energized.

Fear mongering. Terror management theory explains why fear mongering works. When people are reminded of their mortality, which happens with fear mongering, they reflexively defend those who share their world view and their natural and ethnic identity. Tribal identification is an outgrowth of fear mongering. Racism and bigotry are related to fear. Trump appeals to racist and bigoted supporters when he calls Muslims “dangerous” and Mexican immigrants “rapists and murderers.” This fear mongering by Trump is aimed at supporters who are vulnerable to racist and bigoted thinking because it fits with their world view. Another major fear among Trump supporters is falling behind financially and losing the economic capacity to control their lives and protect themselves. A third major fear among Trump supporters is of socialism and believing that capitalism is being threatened and even destroyed. Trump is very adept at focusing on these specific fears among his supporters, using key words and names to trigger and stoke their emotional concerns. Trump supporters believe that he is capable of protecting them from their fears. And when they feel protected, they overlook his offensive and outlandish behavior.

Conspiracy theories. Certain people are attracted to conspiracy theories because of their vulnerable personalities and even by mental illness. Life is complex and perplexing and at times dangerous. It is not simple or safe. Research shows that feelings of anxiety make people think more conspiratorially. A conspiracy theory can provide comfort by identifying a convenient scapegoat and thereby making the world seem much more straightforward and controllable. Fantasies that remove fear and doubt can be especially attractive, even if they are unrealistic and irrational. People who believe in conspiracy theories are more likely to overestimate the likelihood of co-occurring events, to attribute intentionality where it is unlikely to exist, and to have lower levels of critical thinking. Trump has voiced many conspiracy theories: Spygate, Obamagate, Deep state, Trump Tower wiretapping, and others.

Security and Order

Social dominance orientation. People who score high on social dominance orientation prefer an established societal hierarchy. They are attracted to Trump because he promotes and normalizes the belief that high-status people and groups should be dominant over low-status people and groups. Trump’s clear distinction between groups on top of society (Whites) and those “losers” on the bottom (immigrants, Blacks, and Latinos) is a classic social dominance view. Individuals who are high on social dominance orientation are typically domineering, tough-minded, disagreeable, and relatively uncaring seekers of power. As such, these individuals have an attraction to authoritarianism.

Authoritarianism. Several traits characterize authoritarianism: deference to authority, aggression toward outgroups, a hierarchical view of the world, and the belief that the world is dangerous and threatening. Some people believe in having an authoritarian leader because they feel protected and safe by a strong, powerful presence. Trump’s authoritarian leanings are highly attractive to these supporters. Interestingly, research studies have shown the joint power of authoritarianism and social dominance orientation to predict far-right-wing voting in the United States and Europe.

How To Change Supporters’ Minds

Based on our understanding of these psychological influences, each Trump supporter must be considered individually. Not all supporters are connected to Trump in the same way or for the same psychological reasons. For each Trump supporter, an individual assessment is required as to whether it might be best to address rebelliousness and chaos; shared irrationality; fear; and/or security and order. Rational arguments aimed at each of these categories, separately or in some combination, might be most effective.

Trump supporters are tied to him based on multiple and complex psychological principles and phenomena. To continue to respond to them as if they are psychotic or evil is a grave mistake and will not lead to change. Identifying the category or categories of psychological influence for each person can be a much more productive strategy.

There are three months to go before our presidential election. Let us use this time to focus our energies on changing minds based on an understanding of psychology. Name-calling and dismissive statements will not work. Lumping all supporters together will not work. Psychology holds the answer.

https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/cha...many-failures/

[Cin]

Interesting POV

Freedom Rider: How Trump Can Steal the 2020 Election
Margaret Kimberley, BAR senior columnist 05 Aug 2020

The election was stolen from Clinton four years ago and the even weaker 2020 candidate can expect the same fate.

“No one in the media or the Democratic Party gives a basic civics lesson or talks about how elections are really stolen.”

Republicans win the presidency when they steal votes. Democrats need a huge turnout to undo the impact of so-called “spoiled ballots,” electronic vote machine theft and the removal of Democratic voters, i.e. Black people, from the rolls. These methods will of course be used in November and ought to be the basis for concerns regarding any electoral malfeasance.

It is important to remember the real electoral threats when Donald Trump decides to have fun with America’s collective reptile brain. When he tweeted that he might postpone the election, people who should have known better immediately began responding with anger and fear. The corporate media, who love the president because he is always good copy, failed to inform the public about American law and how presidential elections are regulated.

Simply put, election day can’t be changed absent congressional action. Nor can a president stay in office if he loses. If Trump loses he will no longer be president on January 20, 2021. While the Trumpian desire to mess with our heads continues, no one in the media or the Democratic Party gives a basic civics lesson or talks about how elections are really stolen. Once again Trump is used as the perfect foil, a poster child for vote blue no matter who. His every nonsensical remark is a substitute for policy change that would motivate the high voter turn-out that democrats need.

“Trump is used as the perfect foil, a poster child for vote blue no matter who.”

This year presents a new opportunity for wrong doing. Many states are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with increased availability of voting by mail instead of at polling places. That process solves one problem but creates many new ones. In New York City mailed ballots are still being counted six weeks after a primary. Not only was there a deluge of 400,000 ballots but rules about whether postmarks were or were not needed led to disqualified votes and court challenges. Voting by mail presents the prospect of a delayed count and a possibility that the outcome may not be known until long after Election Day.

Meanwhile Republicans in states like Wisconsin are still working to remove 120,000 people from the rolls. Wisconsin is among those states that were supposed to be safe for Hillary Clinton but voter identification laws and restrictions on college student voting took thousands of votes away from her. During primaries in 2000 long lines resulted when people who requested mail-in ballots didn’t receive them. They didn’t receive them because they had been purged from the rolls. They may have been given provisional ballots but those are nearly always thrown out and are worthless. But none of these tried and true methods are discussed by the corporate media which prefers to give credence to Trump’s rants.

They don’t give attention to the possibility of Trump doing something that would be extraordinary but quite legal. He can contest the election and the electoral college results and demand a vote in the House of Representatives as the 12th amendment to the Constitution allows. Despite a Democratic majority, more state delegations are under Republican control and would give Trump the victory.

“Provisional ballots but those are nearly always thrown out and are worthless.”

Polls showing a Biden win must be ignored. The same pollsters said Hillary Clinton would prevail in 2016 but she isn’t the one in the White House. The election was stolen from her and the even weaker 2020 candidate can expect the same fate.

But Republican treachery is not solely at fault. Despite having the 2000 and 2016 presidential elections stolen from them, the Democrats won’t point out the obvious. They cynically go along because their corruption steals votes from progressives. Bernie Sanders lost 500,000 votes in the 2020 California primary through a complicated system meant to keep challengers at bay. Election integrity would put the power of the Democratic Party establishment at risk. It would also force them to stand up as a real political party and not a happy member of the duopoly who masquerade as an opposition.

Trump can steal the election but not in the ways we have been told. Election theft is an American tradition. Denying that it exists is also a tradition and 2020 may look like 2016.

https://www.blackagendareport.com/fr...-2020-election

[BullDog]

The idea that Biden is a weaker candidate than Clinton is absurd. A lot of that is thanks to good old sexism, but Biden is polling much better than Clinton ever did at her peak.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...n-at-her-peak/

Also, states like Texas and Georgia were never in play for Clinton.

Also, Biden is taking votes away white working class, suburban, and older voters from Trump - largely due to his horrible handling of COVID-19, but again what makes Biden a strong candidate is because he does appeal to voters who might peel away from Trump. The idea that Biden is a weak candidate is so completely absurd. It makes me laugh and very angry at the same time.

Trump will indeed try to cheat in every way possible and we do need to take it very, very seriously. But we need to back that up with action not just doom and gloom. It is up to us to fight against it in every way possible to take our country back.

Like Katchen, I play to vote early. In the past, I have voted in person on the day of the election or voted by mail when I lived in Oregon. When I mailed in my ballot I often did it at the last minute. There is no way I would do that this year, even though I live in a state where there won't be any hijinks. Our early voting starts on October 6 and I will be mailing in my ballot as soon as possible after that to make sure it is there well ahead of time. Or I might drop it off in town if we have somewhere to do it - I need to check on that.

Things you can do:

- Support Biden and all our Democrats on the ballot - now until election day. Bashing is NOT HELPFUL. We don't need a repeat of 2016.

- Check to make sure you are registered - even if you think you are. Encourage others to do the same.

- Vote as early as possible - by mail or in person. Encourage others to do the same. Help people understand the process, give rides to the polls, etc.

- If there is a way to check your ballot after you have voted - do so. A friend of mine had his rejected in Washington state in the primaries due to a signature issue. He was able to check the status of his ballot online and when he discovered there was an issue he was able to get it straightened out.

- There is a good chance we won't know the outcome on election night. Don't panic. A lot of Democrat votes will end up being counted later. That happened in the blue wave of 2018. People need to be educated on this.

We can overcome!

[Kätzchen]

Thanks for your post Bulldog, and Cin too!

It has been less than 4 weeks and already, T---P's puppet at USPS has ousted every person with tenure and seniority so that they can upend USPS as a vital way for American's to cast their vote.

It is definitely a serious situation. An " All Hands On Deck" rally cry.
<<<<<~~ x5 alarm fire call for help.

I also read today that Biden's VP pick will be between two candidares. Rice or Harris.

Harris for the win, Rice to serve in Biden's cabinet?

It is such a cliff-hanger.

Also, i wonder if Stacy Abrams will possibly use her voting organization to help provide safe ways for voter's votes to be delivered, if possible?

So little time, with big BIG problems brewing every second of the day that ticks by.

[dark_crystal]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Thanks for your post Bulldog, and Cin too!

It has been less than 4 weeks and already, T---P's puppet at USPS has ousted every person with tenure and seniority so that they can upend USPS as a vital way for American's to cast their vote.

It is definitely a serious situation. An " All Hands On Deck" rally cry.
<<<<<~~ x5 alarm fire call for help.

I also read today that Biden's VP pick will be between two candidares. Rice or Harris.

Harris for the win, Rice to serve in Biden's cabinet?

It is such a cliff-hanger.

Also, i wonder if Stacy Abrams will possibly use her voting organization to help provide safe ways for voter's votes to be delivered, if possible?

So little time, with big BIG problems brewing every second of the day that ticks by.

FOX News has already cranked the Benghazi siren back up, Rice is not a good choice. It needs to be Harris!

[Kätzchen]

I dont watch Fox news at all.

But as long as its a freaking GIANT BLUE WAVE that runs that horrible person and his cronies out of town, this is what matters most to me.

[BullDog]

Joe Biden has announced his VP choice. It is Kamala Harris.

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1293280411150217219

My two picks were Susan Rice and Kamala Harris. There is less controversy surrounding Harris (although the Benghazi crap is ridiculous it is there) and she is an excellent pick. I'm happy and excited for the virtual convention next week!

[Cin]

Originally Posted by BullDog

The idea that Biden is a weak candidate is so completely absurd. It makes me laugh and very angry at the same time.

That's just the person who wrote the article's opinion. Everybody has one. I would go with laughing if I were you. Very angry is just a waste of energy. Someone's opinion doesn't make it a reality. Nor will someone's opinion decide the election.

I did find some interesting thoughts in the article. The thing about Trump contesting the election and electoral college results and demanding a vote in the House as the 12th amendment allows is one. Supposedly more state delegations are under Republican control despite a democratic majority in the House.

This might be the most important election in my lifetime. As was stated in the article "Democrats need a huge turnout to undo the impact of so-called “spoiled ballots,” electronic vote machine theft and the removal of Democratic voters, i.e. Black people, from the rolls." It is imperative that people vote anyway they can.

[BullDog]

Originally Posted by Cin

This might be the most important election in my lifetime.

Yes, exactly that's why I tried to compile a list of things people can do. And there are others.

I have plenty of energy and I am DONE with the bashing of our Democratic Presidential nominee. Done. Done. Done.