“There’s a sucker born every minute.” You all know the quote. While it is most commonly attributed to P.T. Barnum, it precedes him, and there is no evidence he actually ever said it. But someone, somewhere, did originate it.  And 48 years worth of those suckers voted for Donald Trump for President.

How do I reach my conclusion? Here are my calculations:

62,985,106 Trump voters = 62,985,106 minutes
62,985,106 minutes = 1,049752 hours
1,049752 hours = 17,496 days
17,496 days = 48 years

And why are  those voters suckers?

• Because they believed “repeal and replace” would lead to a reasonable, effective improvement to how our health care system works
• Because they believed there would be an actual plan to put coal miners and factory workers back into the realm of the employed
• Because they believed that we would rebuild our infrastructure to make us a nation ready for this century and the next
• Because they believed that a “dealmaker” who believed America should be great could manage our foreign affairs
• Because they believed that maturity and dignity fell like a cloak over any holder of the Office of the Presidency
• Because they believed that a less intrusive, less bureaucratic, government could still protect our environment
• Because they believed a President’s personal business interests would never affect his leadership
• Because they believed they were hearing the truth

Of course, not all those 62 million voters were suckers.  Some disliked Hillary Clinton so much that nothing Trump said mattered. Some heard the dog whistles, knew what they meant, and approved. Some missed the America of their past.

I know in the past I have asked for dialogue. To quote Bret Stephens in yesterday’s New York Times, “to disagree well you must first understand well.” I try to understand where those millions of votes were coming from.  But most of those millions of people have been taken for a ride. I hope it is not one we spend 48 years regretting.

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