“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary ” ― H.L. Mencken
Everyone who has a child, or has been a child, knows that when a first grader makes a dubious statement, they will often stick with it, no matter how absurd. You cannot reason with the child. They are not susceptible to logic. In fact, the more ridiculous the statement, the more likely they are to insist it is true.
The recalcitrant child will not be able to produce evidence for their statement. However, they will stick to it with righteous indignation — often on the specious grounds that “Johnny said so.” Or “my teacher told me”. Or “I read it.” It is the same mindset as a MAGA.
All of us are subject to confirmation bias. It is easier to read something we agree with than something we do not. Liberals get angry and amazed watching Fox. The prevailing thought is, “How can anyone seriously believe this nonsense?” No doubt conservatives feel the same about MSNBC. But the real story is in the numbers.
At its ratings best — usually, Rachel Maddow — MSNBC occasionally outdraws Fox. But on average, the number of people who watch Fox easily outpaces MSNBC’s viewership. The radio — and its modern analogs — are even worse for liberals. Rush Limbaugh’s ratings were orders of magnitude greater than for any liberal host. Why?
The answer is that conservatives need to be told what to believe and, as a result, trust their media sources. Liberals tend to be more intellectually robust and independent. If you read the comment stream on a conservative site, you will find a sea of “dittoheads,” as Limbaugh lovingly diminished his loyal listeners.
On liberals sites, commentators frequently explain how the host has missed the point and fallen prey to rote thinking. Disagreement is the coin of the liberal commentary realm. In other words, liberals are far more likely to argue with other liberals than conservatives are to debate their fellow travelers.
Add a fragile ego to the conservative lack of confidence in their own thinking. This frangible commodity induces a determination not to be wrong. It is the toddler lesson elucidated above. It takes mental courage to admit that you are in error. Intellectual freedom comes when you have the self-assurance to change your mind. However, show a MAGA proof positive that their Dear Leader is full of shit, and their response is to call it “fake news.”
When a Democrat loses an election, liberals complain about gerrymandering, voter suppression, and ID laws. All of which exist. Even conservatives admit they compromise the vote. Although they justify it by claiming “electoral integrity.”
When a conservative loses, the base flocks to their favorite propagandist for news of ballot dumps, software corruption, illegal voters, and election officials with their thumbs on the scale. All of which are imaginary.
These conspiracy theorists are so committed to their beliefs that they will treasure them even after dozens of court cases and a conservative Supreme Court have rejected all “proof” of election tampering. When Trump’s Attorney General. Bill Barr — a man who ran interference for him in the Russia investigation and launched the unguided missile John Durham on an unsuspecting public — calls bullshit on election fraud claims MAGAs call him a RINO. A meaningless slur with which they smear every Republican who denies the uber-right’s fantastical orthodoxy.
Conservative politicians are well aware of this dedication to lockstep thinking. Further, to keep the ovine voter in the fold, they warn of hobgoblins and monsters lurking just behind the tree line. The list of enemies is long: LGBTQ, feminazis, raping Mexican murderers, woke warriors, gun grabbers, the deep state, the FBI, the CIA, the UN, Bible shredders, George Soros, social media, Hillary, DEI, ESG, CSR, and CRT.
Fear as a tool for thought control is a political lesson well learned by cynical populists — and religion’s rapacious buccaneers. From Monday through Saturday, the secular alarmists browbeat the weak-minded with tales of carnage. On Sunday, God’s warriors take the baton and add a divine warning that all is soon lost unless the congregation writes a check and votes for a bigot.
Adding to ego and fear is the appeal of conformity. It is tough to stick out. Line 10 people up and ask the first nine what 2 + 2 equals. If they all say 5, the tenth person will likely sweat the answer — even though they know, to their core, the answer is 4. MAGAs rarely have the spine to swim against the tide — especially when the "right” answer is not so obvious.
How many times will Republicans get away with justifying tax cuts by saying they will balance the budget and make the poor richer — despite the evidence of 40 years of failure? Gun grabs have been around the corner since the Black guy was elected President — and yet, even after 15 years of gun-grabbing absence, the argument still resonates. Because MAGAs will not put their hands up and ask why there is no evidence for the contention.
The “isms”/phobias prevalent among bigots — sexism, homophobia, racism, xenophobia, et al — are the products of fear and ignorance. White nationalism is a product of fear and ego. Combine the two and you have the stereotypical MAGA. Hillary called them deplorable — she was on to something, but perhaps she did not go far enough.