In classical Greek, the word heuristic means to find or invent. In fact, the past perfect of this imaginative verb is eureka. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines heuristics as “in some sciences, a way of seeking the solution of a problem through non-rigorous methods, such as trial and error, empirical rules, etc.” That is, an expeditious mental shortcut that allows individuals to solve problems, make decisions or make judgments. And like any pragmatic simplification, it poses a high risk of generating biased conclusions. When it comes to explaining the results of November 5, heuristics are quite helpful. Donald Trump has shown that he is not a temporary aberration based on sexists, racists, far-right and rancid billionaires. By advancing in all categories of voters, he has become the first Republican candidate in the last two decades to win a presidential election with a majority in both the electoral vote (312 over the 270 required to win the White House) and the popular vote. (74,845,360 votes compared to Harris’ 71,255,400, with 94.6% of ballots counted). Tens of all these millions of Trump supporters They believe (wrongly) that the United States economy is in recession. Eight out of ten of his voters think that the inflation rate continues to rise while the reality is that it has dropped to 2.4%, well below the 9.1% two years ago. Half of Trump voters believe that illegal immigration is overflowing the southern border, although the reality is that thanks to the changes introduced by the Biden Administration – which Kamala Harris did not want to boast about – this problem has been reduced by some. 58% during the last year. And many long for the ‘Trumpiana pax’ in the face of two wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Despite all his lies, cruelty, coup plotting or incompetence, the broad brush of heuristics confirms that, for a growing majority of Americans, Trump is the best government option.
#Pedro #Rodríguez #memories #prevailed #reality #elections
