The three faces of MAGA

[Gadianton]

The first face is the opportunistic grifter. The cluster B's who devise and promote the scam and the cluster A's who believe and find their way to profits in kind. The sociopaths invent the snake oil while the spiritualists are first to be cured and declare their testimonials.

The second face is the desperate patriot. The consumers of conspiracies who live in fear of the deep state and prepare themselves for civil war. They are brazen advocates and apologists for every last crime and injustice and welcome the dictatorship, they argue every point, and their gross incompetence on every topic is only overshadowed by the loudness of their voice.

The third face is the silent knower. They won't pretend to understand what a tariff is, rather, they have a picture of reality in mind straight from the artwork of John McNaughton. God is right and Trump is also. If the farm is lost by tariffs, let his will be done. No fact, even at great personal loss, will change the picture that they know is right.

There is an honorable mention also. A unofficial fourth face. The conservative progressive. The social justice warrior who like PacMan, goes so far to the left of the screen that they emerge on the right. Their radical inclusiveness isn't complete unless the three official faces are loved and accepted by their otherwise peers the most. When this doesn't happen, by virtue of extreme contrarian protest, they end up as faces of MAGA themselves.

[Moksha]

The first face is the opportunistic grifter. The cluster B's who devise and promote the scam and the cluster A's who believe and find their way to profits in kind. The sociopaths invent the snake oil while the spiritualists are first to be cured and declare their testimonials.

The second face is the desperate patriot. The consumers of conspiracies who live in fear of the deep state and prepare themselves for civil war. They are brazen advocates and apologists for every last crime and injustice and welcome the dictatorship, they argue every point, and their gross incompetence on every topic is only overshadowed by the loudness of their voice.

The third face is the silent knower. They won't pretend to understand what a tariff is, rather, they have a picture of reality in mind straight from the artwork of John McNaughton. God is right and Trump is also. If the farm is lost by tariffs, let his will be done. No fact, even at great personal loss, will change the picture that they know is right.

An excellent analysis. Which one is Ajax?

[Some Schmo]

For me, the explanation for MAGA motivation comes down to one of two basic things: you are either immoral, knew what Trump was about and wanted this, or you're damned ignorant and just voted for Trump because he was the republican, and you're too stupid to know better.

I don't think there's a lot of nuance because Trump is anti-nuance. You either know who he is and like it (because you're an asshole), or are too dumb to assess basic character and competence. There are no other realistic reasons to vote for Trump.

[Kishkumen]

The first face is the opportunistic grifter. The cluster B's who devise and promote the scam and the cluster A's who believe and find their way to profits in kind. The sociopaths invent the snake oil while the spiritualists are first to be cured and declare their testimonials.

The second face is the desperate patriot. The consumers of conspiracies who live in fear of the deep state and prepare themselves for civil war. They are brazen advocates and apologists for every last crime and injustice and welcome the dictatorship, they argue every point, and their gross incompetence on every topic is only overshadowed by the loudness of their voice.

The third face is the silent knower. They won't pretend to understand what a tariff is, rather, they have a picture of reality in mind straight from the artwork of John McNaughton. God is right and Trump is also. If the farm is lost by tariffs, let his will be done. No fact, even at great personal loss, will change the picture that they know is right.

There is an honorable mention also. A unofficial fourth face. The conservative progressive. The social justice warrior who like PacMan, goes so far to the left of the screen that they emerge on the right. Their radical inclusiveness isn't complete unless the three official faces are loved and accepted by their otherwise peers the most. When this doesn't happen, by virtue of extreme contrarian protest, they end up as faces of MAGA themselves.

Excellent analysis, Dean Robbers. And, as I am sure you are implicitly saying, there is a difference between MAGA and someone who simply voted for Trump because they thought grocery prices would go down or he would stop war. I blame these people for not being better informed and more skeptical, yes, but at least they are not MAGA.