One of the smartest guys I know is a double STEM degree + masters tech professional. He grasps and solves problems dumped on the table faster than almost anyone. He gets paid a fortune and is flown all over the civilized world for his opinions. I highly value anything he has to say to me.

He’s been pretty silent and patient on politics. Something about the news doesn’t feel right to him, but beyond that he isn’t sure. He’s not a raging TDS case, but talking about politics never goes well. At his core he’s a traditional classical liberal, and has failed to see that liberal no longer means what it once did.

For me it’s not about smarts. Lots of leftists are plenty smart. It’s like their bullshit radar has been broken. It’s like they’ve had peripheral blinders put on and they don’t know it because it happened to us over several decades.

I’ve lost almost everyone by supporting Trump. I will continue to support him but on a more practical level. The people I love need to open their own eyes, and I will be there for them should they ever decide to. Until then I support and volunteer for true conservative causes, and raise my children to be ready.