General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCan we simply acknowledge that nearly 50% of Americans are enthralled to Fascist, Authoritarianism?
And prefer that style of government to a democracy. Can we stop always blaming the Democratic party or "Socialism" or "Defund the Police" or "Cancel Culture"?
Trump got more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016 against the best candidate that the Democrats could nominate. Biden had much higher approval ratings than Trump and didn't have ANY of the "baggage" that Hillary had. Still, Trump did better. That should tell you something. And no, I don't think that "Defund the Police" was the reason. Trump has said and did FAR worse, but paid no political price. Anyone remember him calling our military suckers? There was more evidence of that than Biden saying, "Defund the Police".
No amount of messaging or policy is ever going to change the minds of that near 50%. It's comforting to think that if the Democrats said "X" instead of "Y", we would have done better, but that's overlooking the obvious. We have a massive cultural and political schism in this country with no easy, simple solutions. This is something that out of the control of the party.
The good news is that over 50% of this country does indeed want a democracy. Let's focus on the majority and run the country to the best of our ability.

OAITW r.2.0
(29,286 posts)Trump is pResident.
elleng
(137,877 posts)blitzen
(4,572 posts)moonscape
(5,437 posts)disturbing percentage of Americans are so ignorant they dont know the difference and couldnt define authoritarianism, fascism, democracy, socialism or communism if you put one of their ample guns to their head.
We have an education problem in this country.
Funtatlaguy
(11,825 posts)Martin Eden
(13,751 posts)The ignorant are susceptible to being led or misled.
But those who actually understand and fully support rightwing authoritarianism are implacable enemies of democracy.
The ignorant can be swayed. Very few if any fascists can be persuaded to change.
I_UndergroundPanther
(13,004 posts)Have different brains than liberals. That right there points out why the right can't handle democracy . Also alot of right-wing people have narcissism.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/conservative-and-liberal-brains-might-have-some-real-differences/
Maybe there should be a seperation of liberals away from republicans.
questionseverything
(10,410 posts)Only about half the country votes so the fascists
are about a quarter of the country
Voltaire2
(15,142 posts)So 1/3 are outright fascists, 1/3 are anti-fascists, and 1/3 dont care.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)I dont get how GOPers can feel that way (understanding why is easier), but they do. Somehow, this really needs to change.
SunSeeker
(54,465 posts)cilla4progress
(26,081 posts)I agree wholeheartedly, and you clarified some things for me!
OAITW r.2.0
(29,286 posts)Eyeball_Kid
(7,604 posts)but will follow the next authority. In this case, it's Biden. He'll have the gravitas, the pomp and circumstance, the pageantry, the bully pulpit, the gaggle of press. Watch. His "approval rating" will grow, and Trump's will recede.
OAITW r.2.0
(29,286 posts)Sometimes the best warrior is the guy you don't consider.
zaj
(3,433 posts)He called it in 2006 when it was the Bush administration.
Basic LA
(2,047 posts)Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump & His Followers. I'm reading it now & it's great.
Bradshaw3
(7,962 posts)I would add one more factor. It's called patriarchy and it informs a lot if not most of authoritarian mindsets. The gains made by drumpf in certain demographics that added to his numbers really opened my eyes. I was a supporter of Warren in the primary and was told by some on here that this country would not elect a woman. I disagreed but now think maybe they may be right, or at least if a Democratic woman is the nominee.
A lot of people in this country equate behavior that is nothing but toxic masculinity with being a "real man". Of course drumpf is exactly the opposite example of what being a man means. But just like pro wrestling, tens of millions believe his bullying and false bravado are real when of course he is nothing but a coward and a fraud. Wrestling may just be just entertainment. Patriarchy, however, is real and obviously is still a factor when it comes to supporting fascist autocrats.
Thomas Hurt
(13,931 posts)JI7
(91,262 posts)Dem2
(8,178 posts)Yeah, turnout was up - on both sides - in fact, it was up MORE among Democrats and thus why 43 of 50 states swung blue versus '16.
Also, Biden got twice the % win (4.x vs 2.1) and more than twice the vote margin (6.3 million and counting versus 2.9 million.)
Yes, it is shocking that 47% of Americans are this deranged, but indeed he lost badly even with his rabid supporters turning out in large numbers.
Iwasthere
(3,376 posts)I JUST CANNOT. I refuse to believe that. There's not even 25%
Skittles
(161,521 posts)???
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)A good 40% of this country were eligible and still didn't vote. That's on top of those who weren't eligible. So, we're talking only 22% of the US population voting for Trump.
Skittles
(161,521 posts)if you watchd what happened in the past four years and failed to vote against Trump, you're brain dead or it just doesn't bother you what is happening......ADD THOSE FOLK IN
standingtall
(3,027 posts)was because turnout was up. Some of the reasons that turnout was up was, because of mail in voting and early voting. Democrats overwhelming won mail in votes, but that doesn't mean we won all of them. Plus some States never had early voting until this election. When we consider the context. We should not think Trump got more votes than 2016 that because he found a bunch of new people to like him, but because voting was made easier more assholes that liked him to begin with decided to vote this time.
Miguelito Loveless
(4,785 posts)74 million voted for Trump out of 330 million of the populous.
256 million did NOT vote for Trump.
Earthshine2
(4,044 posts)They are brainwashed by right wing media.
I do not know the solution to this pervasive problem.
58Sunliner
(5,167 posts)Response to Yavin4 (Original post)
Freelancer This message was self-deleted by its author.
tulipsandroses
(6,667 posts)I'm in FL, certainly not a rural part of FL. Its trump county. All around me the yard signs say "My bank account loves Trump"
A while back I was reading an article about a republican woman that said she was voting Biden. She talked about how isolated she was feeling after trying to convince her friends and neighbors to vote Biden. They said hell no. These were suburban folks. PTA, Church, various ladies groups. I felt bad for the lady, seems like being a nice republican lady was part of their identity. As far as the other ladies were concerned, they had drunk the cool aid republicans had sold them for years. Dems were just evil and Amoral. I don't think this woman will continue to vote for democrats. I would caution democrats not to feel giddy about any bump they got from this demographic. Some of them might have been repelled by Trump, but as soon as they can vote for a republican, they will do so to get back to their nice republican bubble.
UTUSN
(73,201 posts)
fearnobush
(3,960 posts)And the other third watched.
Response to Yavin4 (Original post)
Mopar151 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Mopar151
(10,207 posts)AKA Wedge Issues.. Trump will willingly sell out ~92% of voters on each one. Karl Rove's perfect candidate! The thing is the 3 - 5% range of white - hot hatred zealots dedicated to their cause, X the number of overlapping causes = The deBase'd.
They are uniquely willing to ignore the worst humans on earth, as long as their cause is served.
Thekaspervote
(35,177 posts)Yavin4
(36,887 posts)It's 47% of the adult voting public. We can also say that Trump wasn't Fascist enough for those that did not bother to vote.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)22% of America that is.
So, it would be wrong to say half the country clearly supports fascist authoritarianism.
Yavin4
(36,887 posts)statistically speaking.
So, given how the election turned out, we can definitely say that nearly 47% of the American voting public voted for Fascist Authoritarianism.
Splitting hairs on the percentages hinders our ability to face the problem with the hopes of correcting it.
Rice4VP
(1,235 posts)Yavin4
(36,887 posts)Who is still doing everything that he can to undermine the election.
Cicada
(4,533 posts)We should understand that what happened there could happen here too.
Captain Stern
(2,220 posts)I think there are plenty of folks that are ok with a dictatorship.....as long as the dictator is doing stuff they agree with.
treestar
(82,383 posts)They are content to let things slide. They would surely just follow the authoritarian who might gain power.
moondust
(20,686 posts)what big words like fascism, authoritarianism, socialism, and cancel culture even mean. I suspect many have been taught by the NRA and gun manufacturers (in order to sell more guns) that gubment bad! Don't trust it! Buy guns to protect yourself from the big bad gubment that wants to take your guns away! They've grown up basically learning that sedition is freedom and that's the crowd they hang with no matter what. Trump is their anti-gubment, anti-guideline, confederate strongman.
"No amount of messaging or policy is ever going to change the minds of that near 50%."
I'd be curious to know to what extent the anti-lockdown/anti-masking idiots in other countries without a 2nd Amendment are taking their cues from Trump and his 2nd Amendment seditionists.
JI7
(91,262 posts)and are ok with it. Well, not most but a large percentage.
sinkingfeeling
(53,871 posts)malaise
(280,511 posts)Most Americans willingly accept American interference in the overthrow of other people's political system. It is sold as promoting democracy but it is only about American national interests.
You can't cheer on the destruction of other people's systems, heroes, culture, etc. to steal their resources and not expect people within your own country to see how it's done. When your own media cheers on the tearing down other people's statues, you give your own people ideas.
Yavin4
(36,887 posts)Solve problems through force when they could be solved through other means.
malaise
(280,511 posts)Across the globe there are way too many 'police states'.