I don't know about others, but to me, one of the more troubling aspects of aging is when those of us who are mature encounter things that just can't be understood. 

I'm not talking about things like what happens to one's soul upon departure, trigonometry, or quantum physics, but instead when it comes to not understanding the things that should be understood. 

Yes, I'm referring to the undying support of one of the vilest people to exist within my lifetime.

I simply do not understand this country anymore and believe there is something going on either just beneath the surface or entirely being missed, and in a way, it makes me wonder if, in some ways, the elections of 2024 are going to be a somewhat similar event as that in 2016. 

For example, I believe it is fair to assume that in different times, with the behavior of the Republicans and the current condition of the economy, polling should be showing Biden up by a large number (DOW is just about to hit its highest mark and the economy is doing better, but one would not seem to know that). 

In addition, though I don't believe in the accuracy of current polling, the approval rating polls are baffling as hell when it comes to Biden and Trump (I hope a lot of it has to do with the lagging nature of polls when it comes to the current society and what is going on and how it is reflected in those polls.

Part of this concern might have a lot to do with having a long memory back to when the mere admitting to inhaling pot (this was the presidential election before Clinton admitted to partaking but not inhaling) was an automatic disclaimer from a presidential race to now where there is no such thing as a knockout blow anymore, especially if one is a Republican.

Even the insanity within the insane Republican party is baffling - I mean, how can a party keep doubling down on a topic like abortion when it has been shown to be a massive loser for them (and the current Texas one just keeps their failed path going - but, hey, I want them to keep doing these stupid things, but it still goes to not being able to understand their logic).

But let's get back to the main point - and that is, what does it say about what is going on when a person like Trump is STILL a presidential candidate?  I mean, how can anyone truly support this man after now having all the information one needs to figure out his true nature and character?  And what does it say about America and its citizens?

I don't think I have to regurgitate one percent of what this depraved person has done, but in a short recap, he has consistently and habitually made comments offensive to ALL groups found within the Republican Party - and I mean ALL.  Even Evangelicals.

So, this is what gets me to my point of despair over not being able to understand things and how distressing it is, and how it makes me wonder if there is some sort of underbelly to American society that is being completely overlooked by those outside of Republican arenas. 

I'm sure there are going to be plenty of excuses (gerrymandering, corruption, racism, voter suppression, blah, blah, blah), but such excuses are inadequate to me.  It is like there is something else out there - shit, like a cult-inducing virus, that, not only are too many people missing, but also failing to come up with some sort of inoculation against it and the right questions are not being asked.

It is almost like forty or so years of hate talk radio has transformed entire generations of people into non-persuadable MAGA nuts and on top of that, that the American people have become so sheep-like that they have come to accept they need a bit of fascism in their life in this unpredictable world to keep things in their lanes.

I've said this before and still believe it - that scumbag Bannon "saw" something prior to Trump's run and he "knew" this country was ripe for a Donald Trump and I don't think most "saw" what he envisioned or came close to the horror of what was to be released. 

And in the end, the final distressing misunderstanding is that of how can things be this way and continue to stay this way?  It is like this, what, third of the country has dared to look into the eyes of Medusa-like Trump and have had their support turned into absolute unmoving granite after devouring the Trump Kool-Aid, even while knowing what was about to occur.