Interviews With a Few of the President's Supporters

The human condition in politics

“. . . . the typical citizen drops down to a lower level of mental performance as soon as he enters the political field. He argues and analyzes in a way which he would readily recognize as infantile within the sphere of his real interests. . . . cherished ideas and judgments we bring to politics are stereotypes and simplifications with little room for adjustment as the facts change. . . . . the real environment is altogether too big, too complex, and too fleeting for direct acquaintance. We are not equipped to deal with so much subtlety, so much variety, so many permutations and combinations. Although we have to act in that environment, we have to reconstruct it on a simpler model before we can manage it.” -- Democracy For Realists: Why Elections do not Produce Responsive Governments, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels, 2016

This 13-minute interview with a series of the president's supporters shows the level of reasoning that a small sample appears to operate with. Not all of the president's supporters think like this, but at least some, maybe most, clearly do. This mindset looks to be much more ideological and tribal than fact-based and rational.

How can one enter into a rational dialogue with people like this? How does one respond to a person who flat out rejects facts and sound reasoning in favor of dark free speech and tribe loyalty?