> Most of the fake news articles made during the election were poorly written hoaxes with the goal of collecting ad revenue. Without any of them, Trump still wo

> Most of the fake news articles made during the election were poorly written hoaxes with the goal of collecting ad revenue. Without any of them, Trump still would've won. Poorly written hoaxes? Yes. Did they contribute votes to trump? Yes. Could he have won without them? I have no idea. It's likely impossible to say how big of a factor they were in the election. There's a large population in the United States that revels in being anti-intellectual. They actively play into the "dumb-redneck" stereotype. They wear it as a badge of honor. I'm doing my best not to talk down here - I have spent time with these people (dated a few of them even.) Outside of a political discussion where they have been primed to be "outraged" at being called stupid, I have never heard them be upset about their lack of knowledge and education. It's why they related so well to George W. Bush. He talked to them at their level, and they loved it. I have heard amazingly absurd things from them. Like "The south was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons before they lost the civil war." Many of them truly believe that the Clinton family has founded and runs a CP ring. Oh, and they regularly (like once or twice a year) have affairs with, and then murder, their assistants. It's absurd - but they believe it, and they vote it.