Drew Thomas Humphrey

Here’s a piece of recent news that will surprise absolutely no one: A prominent, powerful man has been accused of sexual battery. Allegedly, he went to a woman’s residence without her consent and raped her while she was under the influence of alcohol. It’s a story we’ve all heard countless times before. A guy who doesn’t like being told “no” takes advantage of a woman in a vulnerable state, probably expecting there won’t be any consequences to his actions. What’s new, right?

But this time around, the story has an interesting twist. Apparently, the victim had previously been engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with both the assailant and his wife. Oh, and did I mention that the man in question is the chairman of the Republican Party in Florida, and his wife is a cofounder of the conservative activist group Moms for Liberty?

Regardless of the outcome of the sexual assault investigation, this backstory alone is a true sight to behold. While Republicans in Florida have been declaring war on anything that even remotely resembles a progressive sexual ethic, Moms for Liberty have been raiding libraries and crashing school boards nationwide to ensure children aren’t “indoctrinated” by suggestive content in their books and classrooms. Both groups have energized large swaths of the population by decrying the dangers of what they’ve identified as unwholesome ideologies.

Yet here we have a good old-fashioned ménage à trois allegedly involving two leaders within these very movements – a man whose political career has been built upon traditional values and a woman whose activism has been fueled by anti-LGBT militancy. It doesn’t take an ethicist to notice that something is slightly askew.

To me, this revelation is yet another sad commentary on the state of our society. But not because of the sex – consenting adults can do what they want. Nor because of the hypocrisy – we all have our own inconsistencies in life. Instead, this story reveals just how pathetically contrived and performative most of our public discourse has become. It’s yet another confirmation that we’re being overrun by armies of culture warriors whose leaders don’t even believe what they’re fighting for.

A common criticism of conservative activists and politicians is that they’re belligerently trying to force their own personal morality on everyone else. But although this might be a valid criticism of some, I’m becoming less and less convinced that this is the narrative we should be telling. The whole idea is built upon the faulty premise that the public stance of America’s most vocal crusaders actually reflects the beliefs they hold in private. And frankly, I don’t think it does.

Most of these leaders aren’t idealists standing on principle. They’re actors playing a part, performers enthralling a crowd, opportunists taking advantage of impressionable demographics. People like our friends in Florida clearly don’t care about the value system they’ve been promoting. At the end of the day, it’s nothing more than a convenient means of securing a starring role on the political stage. They’ve discovered that with a little bit of make-up and a convincing costume, they can become the type of character the audience wants them to be. And the best part? Once they step backstage, they’re free to drop the disguise and return to whoever they were before.

This is a disturbing feature of contemporary politics. But what’s even more disturbing is the fact that millions of people can’t help but fall for it. Just look at the support some of the most outrageous and outspoken public figures receive. Their followers hang on every word they say, ignoring the possibility that it’s all a script, written merely to enchant and entertain.

How many of these people on television, online, or on stage are actually invested in the nonsense they’re promoting? And how many average citizens have blindly pledged their allegiance to this band of mercenary performers who swindle them for a few extra votes? The numbers don’t lie. A startling percentage of us have proven that we’ll gladly believe anything as long as it reinforces our own biases and preconceptions. Apparently some people are so desperate for a hero that even a pretend one will do.

This is where the great Trumpification of American politics has brought us. So what if you’re an arrogant, adulterous, dishonest, greedy criminal? All you need is a manufactured story about being born again and a few convincing quips about abortion and border walls, and the next thing you know, you’ll have 81 percent of evangelicals in your back pocket and a band of rabid loyalists ready to storm the very institutions of democracy to defend your honor.

It’s no surprise that this tactic has caught on. Our last few years of collective gullibility have sent a clear message to every would-be politician that preying on people’s unspoken fears and prejudices is the most efficient route to power. Our ballots confirm that a good performance brings a far better return on investment than a good policy. The game plan is simple: Find what the people want to hear, say that thing more loudly and more brashly than anyone else, then go pick out a new suit, because baby, you’re on your way to Congress. Why change what works?

Aspiring leaders don’t need thoughtful ideas. Or real governing skills. Or any credible commitment to what they claim to care about. As long as they can go on stage and play the part convincingly, the audience will give a standing ovation every time.

But what if there were no audience? What if the seats were empty? What if everyone stopped buying tickets to these performances of grotesque political theater? These are the questions that give me a sliver of hope in these dark times.

The outlook is bleak, but transformation may still be possible if enough people are committed to being a bit more cynical – or, at the very least, a bit less enthralled by the charismatic leaders thrusting themselves into the spotlight. For every person who refuses to be entertained by the Donalds and Tuckers and Marjories of the moment, we move one step closer to a more reasonable public discourse – and one step further from a world dominated by faux hysterics and manufactured outrage.

There’s an opportunity here for all of us. Even though I’m not in the same ideological camp as the Florida GOP or Moms for Liberty, I’m still not immune to the seduction of performative politics. I can just as easily fall for the gimmick of those who pretend to be my ally just to profit from my support.

So here’s my plan. From now on, I’m starting from the assumption that the more outlandish the personality and the more radical the ideology, the more likely it is that the person behind it is merely a charlatan putting on a show. It doesn’t matter which side of the aisle they’re on. If they look desperate to draw a crowd, it’s probably because they are. And I’m not going to give them what they want.

Bring on the boring politicians. Bring on the underfunded campaigns. Bring on the presidential debates that make television ratings plummet. It’s a small price to pay for a few more conversations saturated with nuance, understanding, and genuine humanity.

I can’t stop my leaders from hopping on stage for their own self-serving power lust. But at least I can make sure there’s one less pair of hands clapping for them when they do.

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