Republican support for the ‘big lie’ moves closer to la-la-land

robosmith · January 5, 2024

Republican support for the ‘big lie’ moves closer to la-la-land

Quote

The Washington Post reported on the latest national poll conducted with the University of Maryland:

Despite audits in multiple states and nationally televised congressional hearings in which state officials and aides to Trump confirmed there was no evidence of fraud in the 2020 election, more Americans question Biden’s victory than they did two years ago. When The Post and UMD asked in December 2021 whether Biden was legitimately elected, 69 percent of Americans said he was. Now, that’s down to 62 percent.

Of particular interest was the shift among self-identified Republicans: As 2021 came to a close, 39% of GOP voters said President Joe Biden’s election was legitimate. As 2023 wrapped up, that total was down to 31%, while 67% of Republicans said the Democratic incumbent was not legitimately elected, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.

What’s more, as the 2020 race faded from view, Republicans failed to produce any evidence to substantiate the lies, and policymakers’ attention shifted to governing, common sense suggested that even GOP die-hards would move on.

They have not - the percentage of Republican voters who are still getting this wrong isn’t just too high, it’s also getting worse.

So, as far as two-thirds of Republican voters are concerned, Trump not only won in 2016, he also won in 2020, no matter what reality says about the results. For much of the GOP electorate, the calculus is no doubt straightforward: As the party looks for the best possible contender for the 2024 race, why not go with the candidate who’s twice already proven he can win?

In other words, as Republican voters continue to embrace this obvious nonsense, the more important their rejection of reality becomes.

IOW, mass delusion becomes important when it gains traction.

Hodad · January 5, 2024

Yes, it's all very crazy. The idea that millions of people will believe lies about factual events without reason or evidence--or, in this case, contradicted by reason and evidence--is fascinating and terrifying.

I keep wondering when the rational Republicans will get fed up with these kooks and tell them to shut up and sit down and let the grownups run the party like they used to. Or break away from a party that no longer represents anything that it used to.