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I had an illuminating experience this year. I went to a meet the candidate Forum hosted by the local GOP. What amazed me most was how many people showed up that were only concerned about one particular issue. However, their issues varied.
The only thing they had in common was that they all felt Donald Trump listened to them, cared about them, and represented them and no one else ever had.
The candidate, who is now in Congress, listened to each and politely affirmed thanked each as they raised their concerns. While she didn't promise a single thing, she made them each feel heard.
I would have failed in this forum where she succeeded. Why? Because the issues they were bringing up, and the way they were bringing them up, shocked and horrified me.
There were antivaxxers, before Covid-19, worried that they'd be forced to vaccinate their children to go to school. There were anti-immigration people who talked about "wet backs" and "spics".
You have to listen to people to engage them and change their minds. But what struck me was that she didn't make any attempt to stake out her philosophy or moral position. And the really bad ideas that people were asking for action on were left completely unchallenged.
I walked out feeling profoundly frightened for the future of the Republican party, that these were the active people shaping local and state and federal discourse.
My impression is that the candidate didn't buy into any of the nonsense - she was just glad-handing and securing her votes. She was a clearly skilled and experienced politician who recognized something I did not that day.
Her election success was uncertain, and she needed them. She needed them to feel heard and to turn out. She needed them to buy into her candidacy.
In doing so she was calculating that moderates like me would be motivated enough to vote against the (D) control of Congress.
In doing so she was calculating that moderates like me would be motivated enough to vote against the (D) control of Congress.
Or that we were a much smaller number than the army of empassioned , but not principled conservative, voters that would turn out if they felt their personal issue was heard.
What amazed me was in this calculation, she allowed these ideas to become "the Republican ideals". Her silence and nodding acceptance as she listened with apparent sincere desire to hear turned into approval among the people there. And that further spread those ideas.
As I said, she won her election. She calculated correctly who the base was, and it's not any longer thoughtful, principled conservatives. Populism and fear dominated the conversation.
It was clear that I was seeing the most loyal Trump followers. Some were long - time conservatives.
Now, in light of the events of the 6th - I wonder how things would have played out if candidates had hitched their stars to values instead of the cult around Trump. How many people fell into his cult because of the winking approval of party leaders. And outright capitalization.
I caucused in 2016 against Trump. I've voted against him. I've taken highly critical positions among my conservative family, friends, and publicly through @war_elephant1. Whenever I spoke, I was told "You're not hearing us." It left me wondering, "Can you hear yourselves?"
At the same time I've been astounded by the blind level of hate from the left. The failure to give credit for anything, the insistence to paint all his actions and the actions of those who vote for him as evil.
It seems to me that the monster was a creation of the adulation of this base of fear, and the hatred of the left. Now we have to purge the monster that we made - a monster of fragile ego that feeds on fear and stokes it.
Make no mistake. Both the left and the Trump base are feeding on fear. Media on both sides whips it up daily. Anger and fear sell.
I fear the repurcussions.
I fear the repurcussions.
The silencing of #Parler through concerted corporate blocks, the article in @USATODAY calling for Kelly Laughler to be thrown out by the WNBA, the calls to end #FoxNews, they will all lead to greater division and anger - and they've given something dangerous to be afraid of.
The Trump base was right to fear the totalitarian left. They embraced the worst possible means of security of liberty in the face of growing far-left hegemony.
By constantly and reflexively demonizing those who have actual social, economic and political power, they reinforced the divide - one that the left was only too happy to build with them.
Now we are literally at daggers drawn, and the response of the left, accomplished not by law but by social pressure, will be the complete silencing and utter destruction of conservativism, and along with it the freedom of thought, speech, and self-determination that it defended
I can't say #Parler is the start. @getongab was hit before this.
It took 3 years and one Trump-supporter riot to move from "kick the Nazis off the internet" to "all conservatives are Nazis".
It took 3 years and one Trump-supporter riot to move from "kick the Nazis off the internet" to "all conservatives are Nazis".
All conservatives are on the list. Even the very moderate @war_elephant1
Has been targeted - called an "embassy of a rebel government".
Has been targeted - called an "embassy of a rebel government".
Sheer stupidity, all of it. And we can thank ourselves, that is Americans can, for wallowing in name-calling and dehumanization rather than civilly discussing our disagreements while keeping in mind what bonds us.
