I agree, completely. people are so influenced by the media and if they hear something enough it becomes their reality I guess.
We once had a federal election here where one party focused on the fact the leader of the other (the Prime Minister Tony Abbott) had worn Speedo's (called "budgie smugglers here for obvious reasons) while he was competing in a triathlon - how dare he dress in anything but a suit! Seriously, speedos, like everyone else in the triathlon! The population caught on and it became a big negative. I mean seriously, how dumb can people be? Well, really dumb is the answer I guess.
It's a popularity contest mainly as most every day people don't have much of a clue on how the policies will effect them moving forward.
"how dumb can people be?"
WAY more dumb that you or I could dream.
The current Washington Mafia and their ability to control the news outlets ..... I call it the Gaslighting of America. So many things are so made up and yet they keep spewing it and then a good number of people drink the Kool-Aid. The lies are so obvious and yet they just keep on coming. It's really terrible..... and sad at the same time.
It's a challenging time for America and I think the losers will be the population...a sad fact.
There's so many things wrong, so much discord and greed, lies, misperceptions and agendas that play into the hands of the puppet masters at the top...a way forward? Yeah of course...but will it be taken? Nope, I doubt it. The same old story and so it goes...and the ripple effects will touch the rest of the world.