"There are none so blind as those who will not see." -- John Haywood, 1546. Jonathan Swift, 1748.
It's a truism among copy editors that the eye sees what the brain knows should be there. That's why typographical errors sneak into print.
It's also true that people hear what they're listening for.
People see in demagogues the hero they long for, and they hear in his speeches the promises they hope for.
Whether these heroics and promises are true and realistic do not matter. The candidate is saying things the audience wants to hear, and the listeners are ready and determined to believe them.
Despite overwhelming evidence of fraud, deception, cheating, stiffing of contractors and misuse of bankruptcy laws, piled up over decades of lawsuits and news reports, as well as misleading claims and outright lies, plus a near total ignorance of diplomacy, government, and international affairs, many of the demagogue's most devoted followers refuse to see, hear or accept factual information about their hero's behavior and intentions.
Every citizen is free to choose a candidate based on political affiliation, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, or even the hard-to-measure likeability quotient (whatever that is), in addition to political, governmental, business or academic experience. None of the above, however, can be a legal requirement. Indeed, the U.S. Constitution specifically forbids any religious test as a qualification to any office.
A voter's conscience may influence a choice, but that is a private matter, and not a public or legal issue.
The best that can be expected, therefore, is that voter conscience, intelligence, education and familiarity with important issues will lead to rational and wise choices on Election Day.
Meanwhile, it is up to responsible news media to provide the information citizens need, to help them decide wisely. And it is up to a responsible citizenry to keep themselves informed.
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