Politicians can disregard evidence openly when partisanship outweighs facts for their voters.

Evidence

The lesson of these cases of science denial cannot have been lost on today’s politicians. Apparently one does not even have to hide one’s strategy anymore. In an environment in which partisanship can be assumed, and it is often enough to “pick a team” rather than look at the evidence, misinformation can be spread in the open and fact-checking can be disparaged. The selective use of facts that prop up one’s position, and the complete rejection of facts that do not, seems part and parcel of creating the new post-truth reality. It may seem unbelievable to those who care about facts and truth, but why would those who wish to achieve a political result bother with covering their tracks anymore when they pay no political price for doing so? Donald Trump surely learned this when he fomented the “birther” conspiracy for years and was then elected president. When one’s supporters care more about which side you’re on than what the evidence says, facts truly may be subordinate to opinions. — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 80

Categorization

• XREF: Extends the science-denial mechanisms from earlier in this chapter — tobacco, climate change, vaccine denial — to the general post-truth strategy. — connects to: Presenting disconfirming evidence to partisans strengthens rather than weakens their views — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 132; Even the most partisan reasoners eventually change beliefs under repeated corrective evidence — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 110; Factual hearings rarely shift entrenched public opinion — Dorothy A. Brown, Getting to Reparations: How Building a…, 1145 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Presenting disconfirming evidence to partisans strengthens rather than weakens their views #corroborates (0.82) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 132
• Factual hearings rarely shift entrenched public opinion #expands (0.80) — Dorothy A. Brown, Getting to Reparations, 1145
• Ideologically aligned false news is remembered far more by partisans #corroborates (0.78) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 83
• Claims without evidence cannot be refuted by counter-evidence. #expands (0.78) — Holm Gero Hümmler, Ulrike Schiesser, Fact and Prejudice, 765
• Even the most partisan reasoners eventually change beliefs under repeated corrective evidence #contradicts (0.75) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 110
• People preferentially seek confirming evidence and avoid testing their own hypotheses. #expands (0.75) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 93
• Authoritarians apply a biased standard for evidence that favors their beliefs #expands (0.75) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 1298
• Threat makes voters abandon partisanship and seek candidate-specific information. #contradicts (0.72)
• Mutual accusations of folly can leave both parties equally unconvinced #corroborates (0.72) — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1350