This is the sort of cynicism that Russia seeks to exploit. It’s sad.
I have noticed a few things about modern/MAGA brand right wing folks:
- They have a great time hanging out with like minded folk, and feel at ease to speak their mind. They’re genuinely having fun.
- There is a lot of “both sides” as described, which is really a form of intellectual laziness. Black and white thinking is the easiest and least cognitively expensive. Everyone can get on board and fully aligned with simple ideas.
- They use the phrase “I believe” a lot. This I think is borrowed from church. Basically, belief is parallel to and as strong/meaningful as careful data-driven analysis.
- Maybe this is incidental, but their circles of concern are fairly limited. If it isn’t happening to them or someone they are close with, it is of little concern.
- Many will admit to not understanding something, to their credit.
- Politics are genuinely sports to them. Rallies are spectacles similar to attending a college football game.
- I think these voters just have trouble thinking in the abstract rather than in concrete terms. There is little attention paid to second-order effects of policy, particularly over longer periods of time.
- There is just a distinct lack of empathy.
- There is a fairly good proportion of conspiracists in the group.
- Senility is overrepresented in the group.
- Because of belief/loyalty as core principles, if something isn’t going well, an excuse can be made along the lines of “Trump is doing his best/is a good man facing headwinds”, or “things will get better soon”.