Politics - why is the US so divided?

The US presidential election is exactly one week away. This has been the most stressful election year that I’ve ever experienced.

Since I was young, I have had the ability to see a situation from multiple perspectives. It’s not something that I intentionally do – it’s just how I’m wired. The upside is that it makes me have compassion for all people. The downside is that it makes it difficult for me to make decisions.

The way I view this election is no different. I can see why people support Harris, and why they support Trump. On the flip side, I can see why people detest Harris, and why they detest Trump.

I’m about to say something that might trigger some of you: Contrary to what the media – and our family and friends might tell us – there is no right or wrong candidate in this election. If that were true, there would be a majority in favor of one candidate. But instead, the country is split 50/50 between the two.

It is naïve to believe that there is one right candidate in this election and that half of the country is wrong if they don’t agree with that view.

Each candidate wants to convince you that the other side poses a threat to democracy.

It is my opinion that both candidates have valid points on this front. Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election undermined our democracy. The peaceful transfer of power is essential for a democracy to function. Equally important for a democracy to function is an unbiased media, as well as fair elections that uphold basic voting laws, like having ID when you vote (As of last month, 15 states no longer require voter ID at the polls).

There are so many other important issues at play in this election such as abortion, inflation, economy, project 2025, immigration, gun control, foreign policy, etc. I’m not going to discuss these issues.

Instead, I’ll provide my assessment of how we got here – how did the US become so divided?

I’ll start with the democratic party, which is more liberal now than it has been in the past few decades. The problem with having an increasingly liberal democratic party is that it doesn’t align with how voters see themselves.  

According to Gallup, only 25% of Americans identify as liberal. 37% identify as moderate and 36% as conservative.

We can infer that the 25% of Americans who identify as liberal will vote for Harris and the 36% of people who identify as conservative will vote for Trump.

What about the 37% who are moderate?

These are the candidates that Harris has been trying to win over. Harris’ voting record in the Senate has been described by CNN as "certainly one of the most liberal." The problem that Harris faces is that Trump naturally has a larger base (with 37% identifying as conservative). To win, she must appeal to more than 50% of the moderates.

This is why she has changed her position on key issues in recent months.   

The risk with shifting positions so close to an election is that it makes you come across as inauthentic, which is one of the biggest challenges that Harris faces. On the other hand, Trump rarely changes his positions. His messaging in this year’s election is nearly identical to his messaging in 2016 and 2020. Because of this, he is viewed as more authentic than Harris – for better or for worse, voters know exactly what he stands for.

Trump’s strategy is different from Harris’ – instead of changing his positions to appeal to the moderates, he is doubling down on his positions, likely with the hope that moderates see it as a strength.

Getting back to the original question – how did we get here?  

There is no doubt that Trump has altered the political landscape. Politics is uglier than it’s ever been.

For the past decade, Trump has had a singular goal: to bring down the “radical left machine” as he calls it – liberals who control the media and control the country. This strategy has been effective for him because only 25% of Americans identify as liberal. By taking this position, Trump has framed a narrative that the problems facing Americans are caused by liberal politicians who are out of touch with what most Americans want.

Because this strategy has been so effective for Trump, the Democratic party has engaged in increased censorship over the past decade.

Mainstream media is no longer objective.

When Trump was president, there was daily coverage across mainstream media outlets regarding the border crisis. You couldn’t turn the TV on, or scroll through your news feed, without seeing it.

For the past three years, Biden has faced the worst border crisis in US history. And yet, it was rarely covered by mainstream media during that time period. This is just one example, of many, that illustrates how mainstream media coverage has changed in a post-Trump era.

This type of censorship creates a ripe environment for conspiracy theories to thrive. Which is exactly what Trump’s supporters have fueled.

There is no shortage of misinformation and wild conspiracy theories being pushed by Trump’s most loyal supporters. And in response, the mainstream media continues to censor certain content, and amplify other content, in an effort to undermine Trump.

This cycle of censorship and conspiracies is why our country is so divided.

Harris supporters believe the mainstream media. Trump supporters believe information that comes from anywhere except the mainstream media.

Because of this, there are high levels of distrust and judgment coming from both sides.  

We, as a collective, would be better served if we tone down the judgment and accept the fact that we have little control over the outcome of this election. All we can do is our individual part – the rest is up to the universe.

And even if the candidate you want does not get elected, have faith that there is a higher purpose at play. We can’t see it now, but this election is the beginning of a fundamental shift in how we operate as a society.

I’m hopeful that this shift will lead to more acceptance, more compassion and more love for our fellow human beings.