Your cynicism is well placed, JD, as it's the election and people's disagreement that is the problem. One side winning will only aggravate and elevate the antipathy for the losing side.

Politicians are the epitome of crowd pleasers; in fact, it is their duty to represent the beliefs and intent of those that elect them. And as people are generally flawed, and do not see their flaws, so is Democracy. That is what the Founders feared and what we see today.

The Nation's population is split down the middle, with half "clinging to their guns and religion" (Obama assessment) and Constitutional Republic with God-given inalienable Rights...while the other half are Collectivist/Marxist viewing the Constitution as innately selfish, giving individuals the Right to keep the fruits of their labor instead of sharing it with less powerful or lazy, irresponsible/selfish individuals. The Constitutional Republic version of government which imagined and created personal freedom and a prosperous 'Middle Class" is unique in the historical record, as the norm has always been just two Classes. Extremely prosperous Ruling Elites and equal but less prosperous Ruled Class.

As long as people are innately different and are free to choose accordingly, there will be inequality. Transnational Progressivism Ideology based on DEI sees the competition for relative affluence as impractical if not essentially immoral, and suicidal given the coming power of high tech being employed for war. They are righ re the impracticality, but trying to cheat to win and then covertly herd cats as opposed to persuading said cats via the Truth is likely to produce the results that herding cats with a stick does. I suppose that the "you will own nothing and be happy" thing is an attempt at persuasion. Yeah. I think they will have to up that game.