Hillary supporters are pro-groupthink

[AZ Progressive]

They want the rest of Democrats to support Hillary, despite her fatal flaws and weaknesses in the GE. Many groups make bad and catastrophic decisions when groupthink happens.

[revbones]

1. I've noticed that as well

There is also a similarity in Trump supporters in the ability to project their policy beliefs onto their candidate of choice.

What I mean by that is that Trump takes very very few real positions, but his supporters will presume that he believes what they believe, and even contort themselves into pretzels in order to justify it. They'll excuse anything Trump says and even believe the exact opposite of what he says - even when confronted with it they'll rationalize it as something he had to say or it's strategic in that he's trying to appeal to other groups but what he really believes is...

Hillary supporters tend to do the same thing. They'll contort into similar pretzels about her Goldman Sachs ties, her transcripts, the corruption, the changing positions after receiving donor money (bankruptcy bill), her lobbying for the Crime Bill, Welfare Reform, NAFTA, TPP, Colombia Free Trade Agreement, her email scandal, her Iraq War vote, and so on. They complicate their imagined belief structure over that of a Trump supporter by deflecting when confronted with facts, and will even attempt logic such as "Well, X did it too." as if that would make it ok.

This is also where a lot of the Obama 13 dimensional chess theories come from as well. It can't really be what Obama believes and wants. No, a "Grand Bargain" on Social Security is just a ruse. A centrist or republican on the Supreme Court? No, it's just an elaborate plan. Goldman Sachs on his economic team? He just did that because...

The psychology of this election is interesting from a clinical point of view. Quite tragic from any other though.

[virtualobserver]

2. I found myself justifying the actions of Bill and Hillary Clinton in the 90's....

.... in much the same way.

Over time, their actions and tactics pushed me beyond my ability to contort myself.

I have a much higher opinion of Obama, but I am disappointed by his tendency to negotiate from the center.

[Lorien]

5. The political compass put Obama firmly on the right/ authoritarian quadrant

but only halfway as far right/ authoritarian as Hillary (Hillary is slightly to the Right of John McCain).

[revbones]

12. Agreed.

I think Obama leans more leftward on some things such as social policies and more rightward on economic pro-corporate policies. His problem seems to be that he planted a flag early on saying he wanted to be the post-partisan bridge between the parties leading him to negotiate with himself before beginning negotiations with the other side - resulting in a much poorer initial bargaining position. That said, on economic issues I think he exposes his true beliefs by his actions rather than the imagined positions projected on him.

Hillary, as you said is much more of a warmonger. Hence the bruhaha about his doctrine of "Don't do stupid shit" and his use of Kerry to clean up Libya, etc... Despite Obama's supposedly receiving more campaign contributions from Wall St (a dubious point at best given he didn't make millions from speeches and didn't have Victory Fund that I'm aware of, etc... ), it would seem Hilary is much more on the hook to them economically. Her demonstrated policy and vote flip-flops also would seem to invalidate her supporters projected beliefs. Similarly her only coming out for gay rights in 2013 would seem to invalidate the recent claim about Hillary fighting for equality for 30+ years.

Yes, I agree with you that Hillary is much more right and authoritarian than Obama or many others.

[kath]

3. +1000. Very excellent post.

[NJCher]

8. I'd forgotten about the 13 dimensional chess theories

But yes, now I remember it well when he was turning his back on progressive supporters.

The betrayal of our leaders is sometimes too much to bear.

Interesting points you make, revbones.

The classic case of groupthink is the Challenger explosion. A Hillary win would make another groupthink tragedy.

Cher

[coyote]

10. Excellent post

I agree with you on every point.

[Fairgo]

4. like the Borg...

without the insight.

[whirlygigspin]

6. groupthink is one thing we can all agree on

*see what i did there

[SoLeftIAmRight]

7. think?

i wonder

[RoccoR5955]

9. They are simply lemmings

Following the Pied Piper over the cliff!

[marions ghost]

11. YOU will vote for OUR candidate!

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