I was listening to NPR’s “The NPR Politics Podcast” this morning, and the topic was about the experience of attending a Trump rally. The masochistic part of me found this curiousity too much to bear, so I listened. And honestly, I’m glad I did. Because they seemingly answered a quesiton that I’ve had for quite a while. Which is “how/why do people flock to this guy? He’s a cheat, an entertainment whore, and an all-around narcissist. I don’t get it”.
And their observation was that these rallies, and by extension, these groups, are not about the politics. They are about tribalism. About being part of a like-minded group of people that share in a mentality of belonging. Essentially, they are a sports team. Huzzah!
I literally said out loud in the car, to no one but me, “that’s it!”
Irrational devotion to a singular team? Check!
Wanting to be absorbed by the groupthink of your fellow “fans”? Check!
Not believing any bad thing said about your team? Check!
In fact, using the attacks as a backbone of belief that you are “right”? Double check!
It was genius. And framed that way, I understand it now. I certainly don’t agree with it. And I think it’s an utterly dangerous way to elect any official, much less the President of the United States. But I do (intellectually) understand it now. So, for that, thank you NPR.
Toward the end, though, it does does reach that troubling point. As you listen to the people interviewed (who happen to be from Rome, GA…sigh) and the way the rally starts with “honoring” the January 6th “hostages” (as they call them), it’s sickening. And it reeks of festish nationalism. And dare I say, it’s well within cult territory, and borders on what I’ve read Nazi rallies were like.
I fear where this country has gotten to with the cult of celebrity. And Trump is numero uno when it comes to this phenomenon. As they say in the podcast, it’s no longer about being a Republican, or a conservative. Those are ancillary at this point. It’s about him. And to me, that’s really, really scary.
