So, summing up, we have a situation with multiple baked-in weaknesses:
- Major media, easily manipulated
- Social media, a cesspool of propaganda and disinformation
- A public divided into tribes
- An anti-democratic Electoral College
- An anti-democratic U.S. Senate
- An election process that costs each candidate millions and millions of dollars, i.e., an open invitation to corruption
And who, looking at all that, could possibly foresee a good result?
Rules for following the U.S. presidential election on social media:
- Any message on social media that makes you think, “That’s it, I will NEVER vote for THAT Democrat!” is, until proven otherwise, part of a disinformation campaign, and should be ignored.
- And people described as “progressive activists” who do & say disgusting things should be regarded as provocateurs working for Republicans, until proven otherwise.
If you are wondering whether the best strategy to defeat Trump is “move to the centre” or “go left!” this podcast conversation with data-nerd political scientist Rachel Bitecofer will interest you: