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It’s been apparent to me for years and years that the vast, vast majority of opponents to Trump & Trumpism have little to no theory of mind when it comes to their political enemies. Sometimes even proudly so, boasting of their ignorance from the rooftops as if it grants them high status.
They fail the intellectual Turing test over and over because of the iron information bubble they’ve built for themselves, and even when they leave the physical bubble to places like this where open Trump support isn’t instantly banned / siloed / throttled / etc, often the bubble still exists in mind. Even now after the walls have come down in social media and the censorship has cooled, even if only relatively.
Many are incapable of simple listening, not even to speak of comprehension. It’s too late, They’re Not Going To Make It, and they have no idea what’s in store for them.
Sad!
This is not much more than a "boo my outgroup" with "vast, vast majority" used as the thinnest of veneers over an absolute generalization.
Undoubtedly there are many people who fit your description, but "My enemies are soooo dumb, and they're all gonna get what's coming to them" isn't adding anything valuable to the discussion. Keep that to your own bubbles.
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This is true but Trump also just has a personality cult.
Trump drags the party to where he is, based on his own idiosyncrasies. It's not just Democrats who failed to fully account for this. The entire Bulwark-class of the GOP are outsiders now for a reason. Many Republicans took stances against Trump only for him to double down and forcibly bend the base and party to him (he was attacked for the Access Hollywood tape in a way that seems far less likely today for people who want to stay in the party).
The number of people who think Canada is an enemy has risen...purely amongst Republicans. If you had asked people before the election about it, they would hardly have cared. I've seen even skeptical media figures (who're presumably more invested in politics) suddenly start caring about Canada and a trade deficit they never mentioned as a meaningful Trump priority beforehand.
Trump flips on TikTok? No issue. How exactly do his stated plans for Gaza fit in with the "no wars, no foreign entanglements" thing? We'll figure it out.
Part of it is that your enemies exist in a bubble but part of it is also that the most mercurial man in politics is the only one with a bully pulpit and ability to swing his base apparently.
That may be partly true but tariffs are something he’s literally been talking about since like the 80s. This particular issue should have been the least surprising of anything he’s ever talked about.
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