538 "The Birther Myth Stuck Around For Years. The Election Fraud Myth Might Too."

[NRaleighLiberal]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-birther-myth-stuck-around-for-years-the-election-fraud-myth-might-too/

A significant number of Americans currently believe the 2020 election was stolen, even though it wasn’t. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week showed 52 percent of Republicans believe President Donald Trump “rightfully won” the election. But the only “evidence” of election fraud has been widely debunked.

An optimist might think the public will gradually drop this election fraud myth as the Trump campaign’s lawsuits are thrown out, recounts and audits are conducted, and, eventually, Joe Biden is sworn in as president. But we’ve seen President Trump try to falsely claim a president is illegitimate before, when he spent years claiming without evidence that President Obama wasn’t born in the United States, and thus ineligible to be president. If this recent saga is anything like the birtherism movement, it’s not going anywhere.

“If you’re asking if this is going to go away, I would bet a lot of money that it won’t,” said Adam Berinsky, a political scientist at MIT who is working on a book about political conspiracy theories.

Birtherism first emerged in 2008 during Obama’s primary campaign through the now very quaint medium of chain emails. After securing the nomination, Obama’s campaign published a copy of his certification of live birth in Hawaii. Many assumed this would put an end to the myth that he wasn’t born in America. President Trump was one of the main people who ensured it did not.


snip

last part

Trump supporters are highly motivated to believe there was election fraud, because they want their candidate to have won. Add in that Trump and the GOP establishment continue to spread their fraudulent narrative of fraud, and it’s understandable that so many Americans think something is wrong. But even as more information is revealed and it becomes apparent that no widespread election fraud has occurred, it’s likely those beliefs will linger for years to come.

“I think the current situation is going to be much, much worse than birtherism in terms of people believing it, and believing it for the long run,” Sharot said.

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well worth reading if just reinforcing how truly fucked up we are as a species

[underpants]

1. Of course it will

If you can easily be convinced that 250,000 people didn’t really die because your guy screwed up then him winning (and in a LANDSLIDE) will be a breeze to sell to you.

[FSogol]

2. The key is to laugh at anyone who brings it up. Make those dopes go back to whispering

in the shadows.

[Stargleamer]

3. Whereas the 2000 election truly WAS stolen

why does deceit/mendacity have such a more stronger and long-lasting impact than truth does?

[Azathoth]

4. The vast majority of Trumpers know Trump lost the vote

When you talk to them they won't admit it directly, but they clearly know.

This isn't a real conspiracy theory so much as an organized spiteful temper tantrum. They've consciously decided that "illegal votes" means "votes for someone other than Trump." Sure, many will hand-waive with empty sayings like "Well, everyone knows there's funny stuff going on in these cities!" but deep down, they don't care about the details.

This is purely about worshipping their cult leader and permanently delegitimizing *anyone* who dares cross him.