Ted Lasso For Governor?

In a land where the Dunning-Kruger Effect rules, stupid is the new smart

No one in this world, so far as I know ... has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.

- H.L. Mencken

As much as I hate to disrespect people, if there’s one thing I’ve learned since 2009 (the advent of the Tea Party), it’s that the ignorance of Americans is a barrel with no bottom. As soon as I believe that Americans couldn’t possibly be any more vacant or brain-dead, they prove me wrong.

The Trump years were a veritable cornucopia of stupid- so much so that it brought newfound fame to the Dunning-Kruger Effect. That’s the theory that some people are too stupid to recognize that they are, in fact, painfully stupid. Because of this, those who are painfully stupid believe they’re intellectually capable and far more intelligent than the average bear. They consistently overestimate their intellectual capacity and capabilities, often with hilarious (and sometimes unfortunate and depressing) results.

People in the throes of the Dunning-Kruger Effect have no problem displaying their astonishing ignorance for all to see. But, unfortunately, they lack the self-awareness to recognize how “not-smart” they are…which makes things incredibly awkward and painful for those around who must suffer their appalling ignorance.

The problem with people who don’t know much is that they typically don’t know what they don’t know. This is especially true when it comes to politics, especially for Trump supporters, who have an annoying way of believing things with no basis in reality, fact, or reason.

(Of course, when your primary sources of news and information are social media and Fox News Channel, you’re not exactly getting Pulitzer Prize-quality journalism.)

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

These folks have “done their research” (they’ve scrolled through Facebook). They know that Jesus was a Conservative White Republican (Tucker Carlson told them so). And they’re not about to entertain opposing viewpoints because they’ve already made up their minds (you won’t find critical thinking in their mental toolbox).

Then you have those, such as those in the video above, who don’t know or care about politics or government. Even worse, they vote- and their votes count as much as voters who do pay attention.

For a moment, California risked recalling a competent Democratic Governor- Gavin Newsom. Republicans wanted to replace him with a Conservative talk show host and Trump clone- Larry Elder. Not only did Elder promise to do away with mask mandates and virtually every other program Newsom had put in place to fight COVID-19, but he would also have turned California into Floriduh. Of course, only someone as truly dense and dogmatic as Elder would think Ron DeathSantis’ COVID-19 genocide in Floriduh is something worth emulating.

Fortunately for Californians (and for sanity), Newsom withstood the Republican recall vote. The California GOP spent $267 million tax dollars only to get their collective asses handed to them. Newsom survived the recall vote by a two-to-one margin. In the end, the system restored sanity, and Newsom’s common-sense measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 will remain in place.

Several thousand Californians will likely still be alive when the pandemic is over because Newsom survived the recall. Sometimes, intelligence and wisdom can still prevail.

Incredibly intelligent people always seem odd to those who are not as sharp.

- Alexei Maxim Russell

Not that there aren’t people in the Golden State who aren’t incensed about mask and vaccine mandates. All you have to do is hang around Huntington Beach to get a sense of the anger the minority-Conservatives harbor. They won’t win the argument, but they can create a large and noisy protest, which they regularly do. Their protests make the local news, the L.A. Times…and then are quickly and rightfully forgotten.

Sadly, we live in a time when too many people believe that their ignorance is every bit as valid as anyone’s knowledge. They know what they know, and they don’t care how many years you spent in school or how much experience you have in your field.

Ignorance and arrogance are why we have states where less than 50% of the population is fully vaccinated. People don’t trust the vaccine, think it will change their DNA, or don’t want the government telling them what to, or…[insert ignorant, quickly debunked reason here]. And so we have states like Idaho and Alaska on “crisis standards of care.” People are dying because hospital ICU wards are full of unvaccinated people, and there’s no space for people who need critical care.

You see, these “patriots” have “done their research.” They’ve watched Fox News and One America News. They’ve trolled Facebook, Twitter, and Parler. They’ve consulted their friends and their pastor. So, no, you’re not going to win them over with a Ph. D. behind your name or x years of experience in your field. Their research and faith will trump (pun fully intended) your knowledge and experience every day of the week.

And twice on Sunday.

Sometimes when I’m watching the news, I find myself feeling as if I’m watching outtakes from Idiocracy. But, of course, no rational person born with the standard number of brain cells could believe some of the stuff I hear…right? And yet, here we are, in a place where the QAnon conspiracy has become a significant current among Right-wing thought leaders.

And, yes, I realize that “Right-wing thought leaders” is absolutely an oxymoron.

Millions believe the incredible, the illogical, and the provably and demonstrably false because Donald Trump tells them what they want to hear (and because he hates the same people they do). The Right-wing media amplifies the stupidity and the propaganda because they can monetize it, and the cycle continues like a dog chasing its tail.

And people wonder why I fear for the future of our Republic….

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