*** The Official MAGAposting thread ***

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Also, let's back up a bit-- I believe your initial observation was that Trump makes his core beliefs clear to his supporters. Later you seem to pivot to the idea that his ultimate actions are used with hindsight to clarify what statements of his were real.

It seems like you're swapping the causation around as it suits you. Which is it? Or am I missing something here-- I don't want to put words in your mouth/tell you what you think.


In the mean time, I'll toss my theory hat into the ring-- I think you have most of the pieces right, and that you're the most right when you say that his actions make his core beliefs clear. What I think though is that he doesn't have any core beliefs in the sense you're using the term. I think he's extremely talented at reading his audience, and he uses them as a sounding board. Then he delivers on what gets the best response. The twist though is that this is just the first step. It creates a mental link between "Trumps decision" and "my preference" with his supporters. This is what is scary. This is what makes the "I could shoot someone in the middle of Times Square" quote so troubling. This is how cults of personality arise.

The leader doesn't kick off the party by cucking you and the rest of the men in the group... that comes after he's got you to tether your preferences to his desires.

[wufwugy]

I think you have most of the pieces right, and that you're the most right when you say that his actions make his core beliefs clear.

That's the crux of it.

What I think though is that he doesn't have any core beliefs in the sense you're using the term. I think he's extremely talented at reading his audience, and he uses them as a sounding board. Then he delivers on what gets the best response.

That can certainly be true. Though I approach that which caution since it is gonna be more rare for somebody like him and in this circumstance to be insincere than sincere.

The twist though is that this is just the first step. It creates a mental link between "Trumps decision" and "my preference" with his supporters. This is what is scary. This is what makes the "I could shoot someone in the middle of Times Square" quote so troubling. This is how cults of personality arise.

What's troubling? Do you think he actually could shoot somebody in Times Square and not suffer severe consequences from his base? Because he couldn't, not by a long shot. This "cult" is in peoples' minds who don't like him (or his supporters).

Here's what happened: he said something relatively normal and colloquial, and people laughed. Then others who make a living off of mischaracterizations, mischaracterized and fooled a bunch of good people into believing the mischaracterizations.