It remains a mystery how Trump -- criminal con-man, narcissist, ignorant buffoon, psychopath -- got enough votes to win the White House a second time.
The American electorate rejected the left-wing populist W.J. Bryan; rejected the right-wing populist George Wallace; and rejected the right-winger Barry Goldwater, despite that Goldwater had more integrity and displayed more intelligence than almost any Republican today. Ross Perot, with a plan similar to Trump's but an IQ half again as high, was sent home with less than 19% of the vote.
So how can the election of this cretin be explained?
America was once a vibrant melting-pot, with good-spirited people, with communities working together, with mainstream media sending mainstream messages. There were two "big-tent" political parties, often working together. Political discourse featured respect. Will Rogers was a famous political comedian a century ago: Can anyone imagine such a comedian today saying "I never met a man I didn't like"?