Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Two perceived realities, one of which is real
I'm really struck by one division in our country right now, which is the willingness of voters to accept the results of an election if their candidate loses. Harris voters are ready to accept the results, which Trump voters largely are not-- they think that if Trump loses, it will be because the results are rigged.
Part of it, I think, is the information they get. Harris voters are more likely to read newspapers and watch mainstream news, and those sources are full of reports that the race is dead even-- which means it is rational that Harris might lose.
Meanwhile the sources of information for Trump voters, such as Fox News, will mention polls but emphasize perceived miscues by the Harris campaign and perceived triumphs of Trump. They may live in a place where most of the people around them are for Trump, creating the impression that their line of sight represents the views of the nation. If you spend every day driving past lines of Trump signs, it probably does seem unlikely that he will lose.
Certainly, Harris voters tend to be surrounded by other Harris voters, as well. But they probably are more cognizant of the situation in other parts of the state or country-- because their sources of information report on that.
It's probably not great that the mainstream channels of information pay so much attention to the horserace part of the election-- it takes away from substantive discussion of policy, for one thing. Still, at least it gives people a rational view.
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Where I live in NC the tRump brigade stole our Harris signs multiple times. So we choose not to advertise. In S. Tampa my Harris sign stands proud and untouched.
There is sign stealing in my neighborhood, too—but a woman who was a victim of the theft posted this, aimed at the person who stole the sign: Every time you steal my sign, I’m going to put up a new one and make a donation to the Democratic Party. So all you’re doing is increasing their funding.
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