I don’t post much about politics because it leads to divisiveness and arguments, and I can easily be out-debated, but we’re less than three weeks until election day and anxiety is slithering through me like a dark snake. I’m having trouble sleeping, the news is like a drug I crave but fear, and the polls are spiking my blood pressure.

I’ve engaged in several discussions in which I’ve claimed that many Trump supporters—not the wealthy who can benefit from his presidency, or those who truly believe in supply-side economics—but the everyday voters, the ones who are financially struggling or feeling left behind/cheated or are lapping up his lies or are charmed by the charlatan or are just saying fuck you to our system of government—I’ve claimed many of these supporters lack critical thinking skills that, if present, would enable them to understand that a vote for Trump and whatever policies he will implement is a vote against their self-interest.
Critical thinking is the process of analyzing, evaluating, and making judgments about information to form a sound conclusion. It’s a skill that must be learned, like time management, collaboration, or financial literacy. Or even using a power saw or changing a flat tire. You don’t know how to do these things unless you learn them. As is true about any skill, not everyone has been taught critical thinking, devoted time to learning it, or become adept at it.
I claimed that if critical thinking skills had been part of these voters’ upbringing or if they cultivated curiosity that motivated them to question and fact check and research and evaluate, they would find it easy to see through Trump and vote against him. I was immediately called out as an elitist for taking this position, which stung. I was compared to someone who might say Black people aren’t as smart as white people, which stung more. I began to rethink my position (using my critical thinking skills). I also decided to stop complaining and start doing something, so I volunteered at a phone bank and called voters in swing states.
Some calls were friendly, and some voters said they were voting for Harris. Some said they didn’t want to talk about the election. Others said something to the effect that they were voting for the only candidate who really cared about Americans—Trump. I was polite and respectful to everyone, but my judgment of these voters crept back in, I’m not proud to report.
I was fortunate to have a solid education and many privileges. I was fortunate to learn and cultivate critical thinking skills. Not everyone has had these opportunities. And maybe some people possessing critical thinking skills can come to a different conclusion than I do. Elon Musk, for example. He’s apparently a smart guy. He knows how to analyze and evaluate information. And he’s concluded that giving $70 million or so to help Trump get elected is the right thing to do because he knows it’s in his self-interest (less regulation, lower taxes).
But for everyday voters, Trump isn’t looking out for our self-interest. But I won’t blame or criticize voters who don’t see that, and instead will place all my fury on Trump and his minions, who are experts at taking advantage of voters’ vulnerabilities and fears.
I don’t know if Harris will be an effective president. I hope she is. I know Trump is a menace, who cares about no one but himself and owns a track record of failing our country. I expect Kamala Harris to be our next president, but that’s only my hope, not a conclusion I’ve reached by applying critical thinking skills.