Reality is a complicated thing, a lot more complicated than our primate brains like to have to deal with. We like simple, straightforward narratives that we can tack onto our mental bulletin boards and refer back to (when we bother) as guidance for the future.
Thus the variety of oversimplifications regarding the Trump victory / Clinton loss in this year's election. For example, to deny that racism, sexism, and xenophobia played a significant, visible, and explicitly utilized role in Trump's rise to the top through the GOP and then in the national election, is simple feel-good revisionism, a "Lost Cause" wallpapering of the facts to help Trump voters as a whole feel better.
But those were not the only factors involved, and if the Democrats are going to turn things around any time soon (rolls eyes), simply shrugging the loss off as being due to (yes) deplorable is going to have to change. There were a lot of reasons, any of which could have played out differently in a number of razor-thin swing state votes. Economic issues, general discontent with the direction of the country, Russian-fed agitprop, Democratic campaign problems, FBI bumbling, these were all factors as well. One can (and must) acknowledge them.
But the angels of our lesser natures were also there: resurgent fear and hatred of the Other, and loud dog whistles to those fears and hates, did lead (by their own admission) to people voting for Trump to strike back at those Others (women, non-whites, non-Christians, gays, immigrants), or voting for Trump in spite of those aspects of both his and his vocal supporters' behaviors (i.e., "I'm not a sexist, racist, Islamophobic deplorable, I'm just willing to vote for one because we need a change in Washington").
We can't lose sight of those other factors, but we also can't allow a "Lost Cause" mythology to paper over this last one. Like most of reality, it's not an either/or thing. It's both.
How Trump’s win becomes another ‘Lost Cause’
Here’s how Trump’s presidential victory becomes another Lost Cause. It starts with “racial amnesia.”
