By Matt Underwood I spent hours trying to persuade US voters to choose Harris not Trump. I know why she lost. It wasn’t just a matter of policy or even personality. It was something deeper, something that cuts to the core of how we interact with each other and the information that shapes our world.
I felt a deep sense of frustration and despair watching the election unfold. The hateful rhetoric, the blatant lies, the sheer disregard for truth – it all felt like a slow descent into a dystopian nightmare. I felt compelled to act, to try and convince my fellow citizens that this wasn’t the path we wanted to take. I believed, like many others, that the “Never Trump” coalition would be enough, that the sheer weight of his actions would finally tip the scales. But I was wrong.
Looking back, I realize that I, like many on the left, fell prey to a dangerous kind of naiveté. We thought that if we just presented the facts, if we just laid out the truth, people would see the light. We underestimated the power of fear, of anger, of tribalism. We failed to recognize that the very information networks we rely on were being weaponized to divide us, to sow distrust and hatred.
Social media, in particular, has become a breeding ground for extremism. It rewards outrage and sensationalism, creating echo chambers where people only hear what they want to hear. It allows misinformation to spread like wildfire, eroding trust in institutions and fueling conspiracy theories.
The right, it seemed, had mastered this game. They had built a powerful machine of propaganda, a network of outlets and influencers dedicated to amplifying their message, no matter how baseless. Their message was simple: we are the victims, they are the enemy. They played on fears of economic decline, cultural displacement, and social upheaval, blaming minorities, immigrants, and “elites” for all that was wrong.
And many people, feeling left behind and disillusioned, bought into it. They were desperate for change, for someone to restore their sense of order and security. They saw Trump as a fighter, a leader who would “take back America” from the “other side.” They didn’t care if he was a liar, a cheat, a bully – they just wanted someone who would “make America great again.”
What they didn’t realize, what I didn’t realize, was that the path they were choosing was not about making America great. It was about tearing it down, about creating a society based on fear, division, and exclusion.
It’s easy to point fingers, to blame the right, to dismiss them as hateful and ignorant. But the truth is, we all bear some responsibility. We created the conditions that allowed this to happen. We allowed ourselves to be divided, to be manipulated, to forget the values that once united us.
I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know how to fix this. But I know we can’t afford to give up. We need to find a way to bridge the divide, to rebuild trust, to reclaim our democracy. We need to fight for the values that matter – justice, equality, compassion, and truth.
It won’t be easy. But it’s essential. The future of our country depends on it.