The fence-sitting "undecided" voters dominate news cycles, claiming to be torn between two vastly different visions for America - and the world's - future.
But it's time we face an uncomfortable truth: the truly undecided voter is a myth.
What we're really seeing is a phenomenon of hidden Trump supporters, too embarrassed or afraid to admit their true intentions.
The Falsehood of Indecision
When was the last time you spent months agonizing over a decision as straightforward as choosing between two restaurants for dinner?
Of course you haven't. We're humans. We have preferences, values, and gut feelings that guide our choices every single day.
So why, when it comes to selecting the leader of the free world, are some voters suddenly paralyzed by indecision?
The answer is simple: they're fucking not.
They've made their choice, and that choice is Trump.
They're just not ready to admit it.
It's Trump
Why maintain this charade of indecision?
Put simply - it's cognitive dissonance reduction.
These voters get to have their cake and eat it too – they can support Trump with their vote while avoiding the backlash from friends, family, or colleagues who might view that support for what it is: a vote of confidence in a regressive demagogue.
This isn't speculation. It's a pattern we've seen play out time and time again. In 2016, pollsters were blindsided by Trump's victory, largely because they failed to account for the "shy" Trump voter – those who claimed to be undecided or even leaning towards Clinton, only to cast their ballot for Trump when the curtain closed behind them.
The Data Doesn't Lie
Innovative polling techniques, such as list experiments, have consistently shown that Trump's actual support is significantly higher than traditional polls indicate.
This isn't just a minor discrepancy. We're talking about potentially millions of voters who claim to be undecided but have already made up their minds to vote for Trump.
This embarrassed and rightly ashamed majority has the power to swing elections, and they've done it before.
The Real Toxicity: Trump's Policies and Their Impact
Supporting Trump has become synonymous with embracing a set of values that are incompatible with a civilized society.
The reluctance of some voters to openly express their support for Trump isn't a quirk of our political discourse – it's a damning reflection of the harmful nature of his policies, and the moral vacuum of his supporters. It suggests a recognition, conscious or unconscious, of the moral bankruptcy of their own positions.
Trump's presidency has been marked by a relentless assault on the rights and dignity of transgender individuals. His administration's ban on transgender people serving in the military not only denied brave Americans the right to serve their country but also sent a chilling message that transgender lives are somehow less valuable. The reversal of healthcare protections for transgender patients further endangered an already vulnerable population, denying them critical medical care.
For immigrants, the Trump era has been nothing short of traumatic. The infamous family separation policy at the southern border tore children from their parents' arms, inflicting lasting psychological harm. The construction of the border wall, beyond its questionable efficacy, stands as a symbol of xenophobia and isolationism. The relentless rhetoric painting immigrants as criminals and "invaders" has fertilized a climate of fear and hostility, making America less safe for countless individuals and families.
Women's rights have come under sustained attack. Trump's appointments to the Supreme Court put Roe v. Wade in the firing line, rolling back decades of progress in reproductive rights. His administration's attempts to defund Planned Parenthood jeopardized access to essential healthcare services for millions of women, particularly those from low-income backgrounds.
The list goes on – from eradicating environmental protections that disproportionately affect communities of color, to implementing travel bans that targeted predominantly Muslim countries, to refusing to condemn white supremacists. Each of these actions has eroded the fabric of society and undermined the principles of equality and justice on which every democracy is supposed to stand.
In light of this litany of harmful policies and their far-reaching consequences, one has to wonder: if this isn't enough to make you a decided opponent of Trump, what is? What further erosion of rights, what additional marginalization of vulnerable communities, what more blatant disregard for human dignity would it take?
Bursting the Bubble
It's time we burst this bubble of faux indecision. These so-called undecided voters aren't weighing their options – they're hiding their decision. They're not carefully considering both sides – they've already chosen their side and are simply too chickenshit to plant their flag.
This charade does a disservice to our political process. It skews polls, misleads campaigns, and creates a false narrative of a deeply divided electorate still open to persuasion. In reality, the battle lines have long been drawn, and these "undecideds" have already chosen their camp. It's the one that wants to put other folks in camps.
We need to recognize the "undecided" voter for what they truly are: a smokescreen for craven, cowardly Trump supporters.
