COMMENTARY: Trump supporters being gaslighted
While most in the media have called the 2020 Presidential Election for former Vice President Biden, the Trump campaign and its supporters continue to raise questions about the vote count’s integrity, especially in swing states. The media and social media influencers are already taking on their usual task of spinning the narrative in favor of the Democrats, with media members spouting continuously that is “no evidence” of fraud, malfeasance, or incompetence occurred in the Election. If the past is any guide, anyone who steps outside this narrative to ask questions will be dismissed outright and be called a conspiracy theorist. Social media is hard at work labeling and sanitizing the interwebs, reminding anyone who asks questions about the election. Their profile will be marked with the modern-day scarlet letter: the “fact-check” label.
However, anyone who has read history or understands the principles of democracy knows it is our responsibility as citizens to ask questions when we see anomalies and concerns with an election. In America, we have had peaceful transitions of power precisely because we have adhered to the principle of evidence-based elections.
“Evidence-based elections” is an academic term referring to the idea that elected officials should not only find the true winner of an election but also that they should provide convincing evidence to voters that they did find the true winner. In other words, for a free and functioning democracy to work, the voters must trust the election results represent the actual will of the people. To many, this means election laws are followed, the election is conducted openly and with transparency, and any evidence of tampering or errors is investigated and corrected.
While the media tells us, “there is nothing to see here,” there are reasonable questions to be asked about the security of the election and illegal votes being counted. Reporting from swing states since the polls opened showed citizens’ concerns that not everything was on the up and up. From Philadelphia poll watchers not being allowed to adequately view the vote counting to issues with the voting machine software, one cannot go on social media without seeing someone they know discussing (or venting) their concerns.
For the four years of the Trump Administration, investigation after investigation was called to “prove” Donald Trump was an illegitimate President, helped by the Russians, and other vile enemies, to power. Now, 70 million Americans are being told to stop asking questions to “heal” the country. Simultaneously, there are legitimate concerns about huge swaths of votes showing up in the middle of the night, and whistleblowers are signing legal affidavits confirming evidence of fraud under penalty of perjury. It should not surprise anyone that half of America is questioning the “official media results” of the 2020 election.
Until election officials provide convincing evidence that they have found the true winner, “conspiracy theorists” disguised as normal Americans will continue to ask questions. The more the media tries to shut them down, instead of having a fair and open hearing of concerns, the more they risk further alienating normal Americans and driving them to the political extreme. The question is, will the media allow a real conversation about the Election results before it is too late.
