I have just completed a week-long unscientific poll. I asked about 150 people the following question:  “Is common sense a major factor in your decision making?”  The result, (which I’m going to reveal straight away, rather than after these commercial messages…fuck you, CNN), was 100%, YES.

So, I wondered, if this rather obvious finding holds up, why has there been such a pandemic suspension of common sense when it comes to political conviction?  I don’t have a sensible answer, but here are a few things to ponder:

• If someone is known to lie about almost everything, is it better to side with him/her or virtually anyone else?
• If you are promised something and the delivery date keeps getting kicked down the road…indefinitely, how long should you hold out hope?
• If you blindly follow someone whose entire life has been a criminal enterprise, does that make you a henchman?
• How would you feel if there was irrefutable proof that people of color are genetically superior to whites?
• How would you deal with the revelation that white men can jump?
• Is there anything OK with separating innocent, very, very young children from their parents and locking them up without any plan for what to do with them? Follow up: What should we do with the dead ones?
• Does it make you feel better to believe that there is an US v. THEM? (Since 23 and Me and Ancestry.com have determined that everyone is 15% Cherokee, aren’t we all just US?)
• Do you believe some whacko, Trump-appointed, Texas, (how is that still a state?), judge should be able to declare the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ACA, “incorrect”, and take away health coverage for millions of people? (Circle one):  YES-NO-DUH
• Should a lame-duck legislature be able to cram through new rules to limit the power of fairly elected officials for the shamelessly-stated purpose of hindering their ability to carry out the will of people?  Follow up:  Democracy? (Thumbs up or down)
• Given the choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing, which do you choose? Follow up:  Why would you support a Party that chooses the wrong thing, (climate change denial, voter suppression, bigotry, embracing fossil fuel, bowing to every special interest…), as the norm?
• Kindness or cruelty? (Hug or kick the dog)
• Do you believe our time on Earth is meant to be used to make things better than we found them? Follow up:  How do you think we’re doing?