As we get closer to the election, more people I know are letting it be known subtlely, and not so subtlely, their support of the incumbent.
Even now, even this far into this administration, I still find it hard to compute and process how they are supporting the incumbent.
We all can see the same things on TV, social media, press sites, and blogs. We all can see what each candidate is saying and doing. We all can see the ads coming out of each campaign. We all have access to watching different interviews with each of the candidates and their surrogates.
Even with actually being able to hear the exact words of each campaign, people I considered smart and possessing common sense continue to support the incumbent.
They support him even when they can see he is packing people in like sardines at rallies when the science says not to do so, and these events have been shown to be the cause of increases in COVID-19 cases about two weeks later.
They support him even as they can see him refusing to just condemn white supremacists without hemming and hawing, or needing to think about it.
They support him even as he says duly elected officials should be locked up because they aren’t doing his bidding.
They support him even as he says he will not honor the Constitution or the law if he should lose the election. Even joking he should remain in office for another four, eight, 12 or more years.
They support him even as he ridicules and puts down his detractors.
They support him even as he has called our military service members losers and suckers.
They support him even as he has refused any responsibility or accountability for his response to the pandemic.
They support him even as he demonstrates a lack of honor, charity, loyalty, integrity, or morality essentially on a daily basis, acting in a manner for which they would discipline their own children if they acted in the same way.
I just find it hard to compute and process that they can’t see these, and the many other things, he has done to harm people, our country, and our democracy. Why don’t they see the irony of disciplining their children for things the incumbent is doing with their tacit approval for his actions?
What am I missing?
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 