Cool in the shade this late-afternoon Thursday here in California’s Central Valley, a much easier, nicer day with just a hint of a breeze, temperatures just in the 90s.
Evidence of the hot-heat in the valley recently, temps ‘just in the 90s‘ — a new normal of weather when hot is found to be relative to a variety of aspects.

Comparative, too, the crater that’s developed in the landscape of American democracy, and the telling of real history and to a cabal of lying about every fucking thing. All on a course to baffle and confuse.
According to a new poll published today by the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics (IOP), America has become highly fractionated:

A poll released today by the IOP shows our nation's stark partisan divisions – and how media outlets contribute. Among the findings: more than one in four Americans are so alienated from their government that they believe it may “soon be necessary to take up arms” against it. ? pic.twitter.com/S6gONqhPJ2

— UChicago Institute of Politics (IOP) (@UChiPolitics) June 30, 2022

Reality is really the point nowadays. Do you believe it’s Thursday and not Wednesday, or maybe it’s still the weekend? The obvious division we’ve got is with what’s true or  “alternative facts.” Data from the IOP poll indicates US politics is experiencing extreme polarization right now, and it’s lie/truth-based.
Highlights of the survey via the Guardian this afternoon:

The survey indicates that distrust in government varies among party lines. While 56 percent of participants said they “generally trust elections to be conducted fairly and counted accurately”, Republicans, Democrats and independents were dramatically split on this point.
Nearly 80 percent of Democrats voiced overall trust in elections, but that number dipped to 51 percent among independents and a mere 33 percent of Republicans.

Per the poll, 49 percent of Americans concurred that they “more and more feel like a stranger in my own country.”
Again, this number reflected sharp political divisions: the sentiment was held by 69 percent of self-described “strong Republicans”, 65 percent of self-described “very conservative” persons, and 38 percent of “strong Democrats.”

America is freakishly, deeply divided between red and blue (lying and truth):

“While we’ve documented for years the partisan polarization in the country, these poll results are perhaps the starkest evidence of the deep divisions in partisan attitudes rippling through the country,” said the Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, who conducted the survey in May with and Democratic pollster Joel Benenson.

The survey also stated that almost half of respondents expressed averting political talk with other people “because I don’t know where they stand”. One-quarter described losing friends, and a similar proportion claimed to have avoided relatives and friends, due to politics, per the survey.

In the contextual background and from the poll itself was this unhinged notion

About three-quarters (73 percent) of voters who identify themselves as Republican agree that “Democrats are generally bullies who want to impose their political beliefs on those who disagree.”
An almost identical percentage of Democrats (74 percent) express that view of Republicans. A similarly lopsided majority of each party holds that members of the other are “generally untruthful and are pushing disinformation.”

Except for one major-obvious issue: For one of those parties, it’s actually true — they’re bullies, loudmouth assholes, pushing their lies, and are nasty to anyone who disagrees. And you can bet your naive ass it’s not Democrats (in reality, close to the exact opposite).

Polling along, once again here we are…

(Illustration out front found here.)