To parse this out, I considered how self-identified Republicans and Democrats answered questions in the most recent YouGov benchmark. A Trump cult should show universal and extreme approval for Trump regardless of the question. So how would a pro-Trump and an anti-Trump cult look? Cults feature unquestioning members contracting out their thinking to the leader who can do no wrong (or, in the case of the haters, automatic and unquestioning revulsion). As the Democratic nominee, he is the plug-in candidate who won based on winnability against Trump. An old-school retail politician of shifting policy positions and serial verbal gaffes, Biden is an amiable people-pleaser with a “kindly uncle” vibe. Nobody thinks there is a cult of personality around Biden. Joe Biden helps - he is an ideal counterpoint to Trump. The only option is to dig in on the various issue and character questions. In politics, both political parties tend to collect around their presidential nominee and oppose the opponent - so the ballot test and general favorability ratings are not much use. It’s all quite reasonable to their thinking. Nobody is going to admit being in a cult. But when you dig into the polling numbers, the haters cult is what seems to dominate.įiguring out the extent of any political (or other) cult is not easy. If you regularly watch CNN, you might think every Trump supporter is a cult member. The President has generated both cult-like support and cult-like hatred. A cult of opposition - and even hatred - forms. The charismatic leader will necessarily represent ideas anathema to many. Charisma in politics also generates intense jealousy and dislike. If you don’t think there is a cult surrounding Barack Obama, you are either delusional or part of the cult. Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton all had (or have) more than a little cult-like following.
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