Went like this.
Me: Too bad about the few at the capital who did bad things. Probably agitators.
Him: Yeah I kind of agree. But I just wish it never got to this point. The racist stuff Trump says doesn't help.
Me: Oh yeah... er I mean, well what racist stuff exactly?
Him: Well you know just all that stuff.
Me: No I can't think of anything... can you give me a specific example?
Him:....
Me: I need a specific example. I really want to know what he said because if he did that's terrible!
Him: well I can't think of anything right now but yeah...
Me: Can I tell you about Charlottesville?
For four years, social media convinced America we just need to read headlines to be informed. After that it was easy. The media convinced America Trump's racist and his followers are racist, then they convinced everyone COVID is the worst thing since EVER, then they convinced everyone George Floyd was a saint, then they convinced everyone Trump personaly killed hundreds of thousands of Americans with his COVID policy, then they convinced America there was no fraud (most secure election ever--high five!). Headlines, headlines, headlines.
It's an echo chamber. It's quicksand. There's no getting out of it once you're dug in.
Well, that's not entirely true. I got out. I was convinced Trump was a joke but then near the end of the summer I started to follow the news to prepare for the election and realized he's not a joke, he's just the butt of a terrible joke that stems from willful and blissful ignorance.
I have no doubt he got nearly 100 million votes. I live in a blue blue area and my buddy, a TWO TIME Obama voter and moderate Dem.... finally admitted to me he voted for TRUMP. He said the democratic party stands for nothing he stands for any more. The looting and rioting and defund the police and social justice bullshit pushed him over the edge.
He is a very mild mannered normal democrat middle class voter in a very blue area. There are MILLIONS JUST LIKE HIM.
The media lied to us by saying that moderates didn't like Trump. Moderates FLOCKED to him after watching cities burn all summer.