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Donkey and elephant headbutting
Suffering election angst? Doom scrolling the polls to read the political tea leaves? If the vote tallies don’t go your way, are you threatening to migrate from your state, or the country? While the less politically inclined may consider this hyperbole, given the hateful divisiveness in our nation, high anxiety about the coming election is ubiquitous.
Those historians and pundits seeking to reassure the politically angst-ridden often assert that, regardless of the outcomes, our democracy will endure. In pressing their case, many refer to “the wisdom of the American electorate” as a backstop to extremists and conspiracy whackos right and left. Unfortunately, surveys show that, in voting, most citizens fail to educate themselves about the candidates' policy positions. Consequently, when casting ballots, subconscious biases and dumbed-down political soundbites often obscure so-called wisdom. In fact, there’s plenty of disturbing evidence that, in general, much of our citizenry is politically clueless and intellectually lazy, and that should worry us all. As Thomas Jefferson noted, “The cornerstone of democracy rests on the foundation of an educated electorate.”
A major factor undermining that foundation is the fear and loathing displayed by our polarized political camps. This mutual animosity ups our anxiety, prompting many to seek comfort by descending the rabbit hole called “confirmation bias.” We absorb information supporting our pre-existing political views and ignore that which refutes them. It’s hard to be wise when one ignores contrary opinions and alternative perspectives. So, those who acquire all their political information from a single source (Fox, MSNBC, social media, political ads on TV, etc.) practice willful blindness, which doesn’t bode well for our republic.
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Tribalism Rising
And about that polarization that’s dumbing us down, according to the Pew Research Center, over the last quarter century the number of Republicans who are more conservative than the average centrist Democrat has increased from 64% to 92%. And the tally of Democrats who are more liberal than the average centrist Republican has gone from 70% to 94%. This polarization, along with differences in core values, drives the tribalism (us versus them) of liberals and conservatives. Regarding those opposing values, research shows those on the political right are more traditional, favoring social stability and vigilance against potential threats. In contrast, left-wingers lean toward progressive values, championing social justice and concern for the downtrodden. You can surmise how each side spins these traits to take potshots at the other. Liberals accuse the right of being rigid and driven by fear, while conservatives malign the left as permissive bleeding hearts.
These respective political camps also display disparities in cognitive processing (how one thinks). While conservatives favor unambiguous determinations (“It’s either right or wrong”), liberals entertain shades of gray ("There are nuances"). Also, in assessing risks to our nation, liberals often point to social injustice while conservatives focus more on crime. Finally, those on the right place greater value on individuality (self-reliance) while folks on the left favor a community-centric approach (interdependence).
Which means, in determining one’s political posture, the so-called wisdom of the electorate takes a back seat to tribalism, lazy thinking and closed-mindedness. Many of us are even willing to vote for someone who is an awful human being provided they wear the mantel of our political party. We no longer vote for people so much as icons. For example, upwards of 70% of us are set in our party affiliations (tribalism) and employ this as a shortcut in deciding how to vote. Even undecided voters frequently revert to the “proximity effect”—meaning they vote for the candidate most like themselves. Subconscious biases about race, gender, age, mannerisms and physical attraction have powerful effects on voter preferences. In one European study, kindergarteners selected the winning candidates in upcoming elections based entirely on their photos.
So, the greatest risk to democracy manifests in closed-minded, ill-informed voters who let raw emotions eclipse reasoned judgment. That’s why Winston Churchill said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
Don’t be one. Study the candidates’ positions and character. Vote the person, not the party. Make an informed choice.
For more, visit philipchard.com.
