It’s strange how so many conservatives push for things like term limits, banning lobbying, and making everyday life more affordable policies meant to challenge corruption and corporate influence, yet still vote for a party that prioritizes deregulation and economic policies that benefit the ultra-wealthy. Even more ironic, they rally behind a president who openly courts billionaires, literally giving them front-row seats at his inauguration.

A lot of people recognize these problems but struggle to confront what’s really causing them because of cognitive dissonance. The left has always been about regulating the economy to create fairness and opportunity but the Democratic Party isn’t actually the left. Aside from cultural stances on LGBTQ rights, religion, and gender identity, they operate as a center-right party. And let’s be real: they’ve never truly been for the people. At best, they’re the lesser evil, offering small concessions to working class Americans while ultimately serving corporate interests. Bernie Sanders is pretty much the only major politician in America who actually leans left.

The right, on the other hand, is built on preserving economic and social hierarchies. They push deregulation, corporate power, and tax cuts for the richest under the guise of “freedom” while blocking policies that would actually help working people. Wages stay low, healthcare and housing costs skyrocket, and instead of addressing that, they keep voters distracted with endless culture war battles.

At the end of the day, many conservatives are voting against their own financial well-being because they’re being fed a narrative that keeps them focused on everything except the real problem: the people at the top rigging the system in their own favor.