U.S. voters made their voices heard

Before anyone writes off the United States or throws their hands up in despair, it’s important to note that voter turnout was low, at about 50 per cent, with total votes split almost down the middle. That means about a quarter of the voting-age population made Donald Trump the 45th president, many while holding their noses.

There are racists and women haters (more likely women fearers) in the U.S. There is systemic racism, sexism and homophobia. But those evils don’t define our American cousins. There is a fundamental tenet in crisis communication — that a frightened or angry person will not hear you until that person believes he or she has been heard and understood.

There are a lot of frightened or angry people in the U.S. who don’t believe they are heard or understood. Millions didn’t vote, resulting in a lower voter turnout than for the significantly less dramatic 2012 election because they felt their vote — their voice — wouldn’t matter. Many voted to throw a brick through the window so someone would pay attention.

That same feeling is what gave birth to the Black Lives Matter movement, arguably now more important than ever. It’s why LGBT lives matter now more than ever, why girls and women matter now more than ever, why immigrants matter now more than ever. Many more people now fear they won’t be heard.

Another relevant principle of communication is that it’s human nature to group people by archetype. Consequently, to many, Hillary Clinton seems the archetypal career politician. Despite a lifetime of public service and status as arguably the most qualified candidate to ever seek the presidency, she is seen by many to carry all the baggage of every career politician: insincere, scripted, self-serving, dishonest and worse. There is plenty of recent reputational research that shows people have never held politicians in lower regard.

In contrast, Trump is seen by many as the archetypal iconoclast. Iconoclasts get away with a lot, when the people are in the mood for an iconoclast.

Many of us failed to hear — though there were voices calling it out — that political leadership has lost its credibility with much of the U.S. population. By focusing on Trump’s iconoclastic baggage — his bombastic, unscripted, rude and even abhorrent behaviour, Clinton inadvertently validated his bone fides. They wanted an iconoclast. By focusing on her own vast political experience, she supported her opponent’s narrative.

The voting public also did its part, with most voters isolating themselves in their own media bubbles that reinforced what they already believe. That is also well established communication science. Cognitive bias. We are more likely to believe sources that confirm our existing beliefs and to have disproportionate confidence in their veracity.

Consequently, Clinton’s supporters could not believe that rational people could actually believe what they were reading in alt-right media. But it is human nature that Trump’s supporters would believe that which confirms their beliefs that Clinton is a career politician with all the vagaries that come with that.

In retrospect, it’s easy to see this elec- tion as a slow-motion train wreck. The track was broken and the engine was chugging along oblivious to the danger.

Of course, none of that matters now. Trump is the president-elect. The people who wanted his kind of disruption have it, and the people who wanted a continuation of the progress of the Obama administration were largely unaware of the frustrations they weren’t listening to, wrapped up in their own cognitive bias.

This is not the end of the United States. It’s not the end of decency or social justice.

Rather than giving in to despair, it will be much more useful for Clinton’s supporters to be involved, to live their values, help those who need help, learn from this and try to understand everyone.

They don’t have to agree with them, or be happy with the outcome. But we ignore, dismiss, minimize or ascribe onedimensional motives to those who feel disenfranchised at our own peril. Everyone needs to feel heard, or they will start throwing bricks.

Many voted to throw a brick through the window so someone would pay attention