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SundayStyle's avatar

Exactly. The reason Trump’s candidacy “worked” is he made the fascism seem like fun, and treated the whole thing as a big nasty joke. His supporters felt like they were in on the joke, like they were wearing those novelty-shop flowers on their lapels, squirting water into the eyes of the Libs. Rallies were joyful occasions preceded by tailgate parties where they connected in-person with online friends. Yes, in reality the cruelty was the point, yes, they had become addicted to outrage and to perceiving *themselves* as victims, but Trump sold it all in a way that made their rage and resentment feel enjoyably cathartic. His rollicking style allowed his supporters to avoid squarely facing or admitting to themselves what they were really supporting.

But DeSantis, who has all the personal charisma of a tarantula, is deadly serious. He tears their fig leaf away. DeSantis’ humorless authoritarianism forces the MAGAs to catch a glimpse of the reality they have more in common with the Nazis of the Beer Hall Putsch or the picnickers at a lynching than they do with the Merry Pranksters, which is how they prefer to see themselves. They want to believe they are basically good people, certainly they are not like the Nazis! DeSantis simply doesn’t offer them the same cover Trump does, and many of them really, really NEED that cover.

With the exception of rightwing loons like the Proud Boys, the integralists, the Viktor Orban fellaters, etc., you have to disguise the fascism to make it palatable to most 21st Century Americans. Trump knows how to do that, DeSantis does not.

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Worriedman's avatar

Yeah this is exactly right. I'm in Ohio. Southwest Ohio which means I'm surrounded by these people. Being a cruel asshole isn't the point -it's a sidebar or a byproduct. People drawn to Trump are the kind of people that will never admit that they are wrong. This means that they have to blame setbacks or problems on other people. The most privileged people in the history of the world feel downtrodden. (That's fucked up!) Mostly they want other people to feel as sorry for them as they feel for themselves. Now they think it's great when the people they feel are keeping them down suffer some sort of cruelty or misfortune. They love that shit. But it's not a requirement as long as everyone acknowledges that they're the ones being put upon. They are not The Man - they are the ones that The Man is keeping down.

I think they hate Ron's pushy old lady too. Keeping Bitches Down is another fundamental rule in the cult. Nikki Haley gets to go on TV and spout off but at the end of the day she's in the other room fixing sandwiches while the men talk business.

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