When I was recently in London, an educated native with an enchanting “upper-class” accent quietly asked me, “Has America lost its mind? How is it possible that Donald Trump could be reelected?”

Her questions reflect the exasperation of half of U.S. voters, with “half” being the operative word. Everyone knows Trump voters with whom it is challenging to discuss facts that clash with their “alternative facts.” But why does Trump have his unique ability to say just about anything, no matter how unbefitting a presidential candidate, and potentially still win?

The overarching problem is that truth appears to be relative and twisted to justify the former president’s past/present/future actions. Furthermore, many voters don’t know what to believe since “truth” is expendable, bendable and sometimes artificially created. Meanwhile, our warped media outlets promote the truth that pleases their audiences.

This week, an ominous warning appeared in a respected study. It found that 67 percent of Republicans “will most trust Trump and his campaign about the election outcome.” Worse, a survey-based Washington Post headline screamed: “A quarter of Republicans think Trump should seize power even if he loses” — thankfully, 81 percent of Americans disagreed.

Tuesday night’s contentious debate added another layer of electoral conflict concerning facts and truth. The moderators performed on-air fact-checking only on Trump for his most egregious utterances. An uproar followed, and accusations of bias culminated with Trump demanding the shutdown of ABC News. Nevertheless, the debate will be irrelevant if swing state polls remain tied by........

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