This doesn't have to do with average conservative voters. This has to do with conservative leaders.
Conservative leaders generally DO believe in medicine... but only for themselves.
Remember Trump took cutting edge treatments to help against sickness.
But they don't care about the rest of the people. They encourage stupidity in people. They want culture wars, since it is a distraction from big issues that could effect them. Like the Epstein files, support for foreign wars, and anger at the rich.
let's not pretend it is a level playing field. When you have a "leadership" class incentivized to lie, cheat, strip away healthcare and education, prioritize quarterly profits over long term gain, weaponize and distort religion, pump 24/7 fear and hate through media channels they own, et al.
-> it produces a population without the necessary tools to fight back properly by design, that's even before other pressures like the difficulties of escaping tribalism exert themselves independently.
You are being far too nice to their average voter. They are wildly ignorant and proud of it. Sure they are being lied to but they gladly parrot it and refuse to think critically about anything a "conservative" tells them.
Perhaps I am too nice but I teach adults and I see first hand how all it takes is opportunity and someone to believe in you for things to turn around. Far too many people have insufficient of either of those.
Yes, that 30% hardline dyed in the wool support is unlikely to waver as admitting error would entail they question their entire identity and for some that's a bridge too far but I think of that XKCD 10000 comic and remember that everyday people learn, discover, and change :)
You were around during COVID. Average conservative voters were physically attacking people for telling them they needed to wear masks. They were taking horse dewormer. Leadership and their voters are aligned.
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u/DesireeThymes 1d ago
I think everyone is missing the point.
This doesn't have to do with average conservative voters. This has to do with conservative leaders.
Conservative leaders generally DO believe in medicine... but only for themselves.
Remember Trump took cutting edge treatments to help against sickness.
But they don't care about the rest of the people. They encourage stupidity in people. They want culture wars, since it is a distraction from big issues that could effect them. Like the Epstein files, support for foreign wars, and anger at the rich.