Editor, Times-Union:
It is glaringly obvious to anyone with functioning brain cells that today’s MAGA (formerly known as the Grand Old Party) has only one strategy to win the 2024 election: divide and conquer and pull the wool over the voting public’s eyes. Their playbook consists of misinformation, distortion of facts, projections, conspiracy theories and plain old bald-faced lies. If they cannot find damning evidence of lawlessness or evil deeds in their opponents’ resumes, they just make something up: Kamala’s intelligence or race, Tim’s real pet dog or his mysterious connection to China; Biden’s unwillingness to help America’s catastrophe victims.
If they do not like the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ published statistical data reporting job increases, they will claim false reporting. If they do not like local and federal law enforcement’s report of decreases in crime, they will cry “fake news.” If they do not believe that immigrants are not the cause of most crimes, they will claim they are the main cause. If they do not want their followers to accept the results of free and fair elections, they will cry “foul” and plot to overturn those result - with zero evidence to the contrary. It has even recently been verified that Russian propagandists are influencing some right-wing media moguls to allow the lies onto TV news programs and social platforms in an effort to sway easily fooled Americans.
The saddest part of all of this is that their followers will believe everything they say - because they have been programmed to fear what they’ve been told to fear. They have accepted that they have every right to exact revenge for whatever wrongs they’ve been told have been inflicted upon them ... in any way they choose: intimidation, threats, name calling and even violence.
It is the oldest trick in the book. The more outrageous the lies and accusations, the more public attention is diverted to them, and the more their followers fall for the fear mongering and xenophobic rhetoric. It is the tactic of autocratic authoritarians around the world: Orban, Putin, Xi, Bolsinaro - all favorite mentors of Donald Trump. These dictators’ modus operandi is to pit their people against each other based on race, religion, sexual orientation, etc., making it easier to “pick their pockets,” promising to “eliminate” the evils that torment them once they have enough money to rise to power.
Donald Trump’s lies are getting bolder and more dangerous. He is desperate to keep the media limelight on him and his followers loyal. His VP pick is following suit and staying in line with him, refusing to address or correct the obvious falsehoods. Other MAGA Republican office holders and candidates are repeating the lies as well and even creating their own conspiracy theories, i.e., Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “news flash” about Democrats controlling storms.
Don’t be fooled. Are you in control of your own brain cells? Choose wisely when you vote.
Tim Madison
Warsaw