"People aren't really looking at "the evidence" to make a personal decision on an issue, they search out some authority that appeals to them and follow that."

"People aren't really looking at "the evidence" to make a personal decision on an issue, they search out some authority that appeals to them and follow that." Far more complicated than this, sorry. I agree with that observation if you gleen your evidence from portrayals in the media...and to some extent this is true but the populist power base in aggregate is far smarter and more purposed than this. What you described in the above quote could also be attributed to flatly thumbing their noses at the evidence because they want a certain outcome and they know they can get it by chaos. You create chaos by appearing to believe outrageous bullshit and acting on it within an approved political arena. It's protected chaotic behavior that serves the populist agenda.