No. of Recommendations: 10
This, from today's 'Big Picture' supports my belief that MAGAts on social media are seeking attention. Like the dunk tank clown, or the toddler that smears poop on the sides of its crib, uttering nonsense, claiming to understand or forgiving a cult leader's nonsense, gets the attention they otherwise crave. Affirming or critical, attention is attention to a lonely person.
So why is MAGA still so loyal?
Even as Trump has a high-profile split with MAGA elites; even as “MAGA regrets” trends on TikTok; even as a Leaving MAGA support group has emerged for those who want to leave the cult of MAGA, why do his hardcore supporters still stick by him?
As Todd Beeton explored last week, for those who actually do leave MAGA, it is not just about changing political parties, it is a deep loss that is akin to grief. Because to members of MAGA, it is about something much deeper than policy or politics: It’s about connection and identity.
In today’s isolating digital culture, a true sense of community is harder and harder to come by. With MAGA, Trump has offered a rare and special asset to his followers, something much more valuable than national security or even economic prosperity, something primal. In a country navigating a debilitating loneliness epidemic, he gives his followers a sense of belonging. And for those still in the MAGA movement, that feeling is worth more than his failures, chaos, and broken promises...
