Baseball season is right around the corner. Like so many, I am devoted to my team (Let’s Go Mets!), win or lose. So, how does this relate to Trump? Like so many sports fans, Trump’s base is willing to stand behind him no matter what.
His rallies are like a sporting event. Like a basketball game; his rabid base will cheer at every comment and boo at any mention of the opposition. Their reactions are Pavlovian in their responses. They are led by a cheerleader who riles up the crowd with chants, platitudes and falsehoods. Trump’s base follows him with a fervor of a rabid sports fan, complete with hats, bumper stickers and various signs of support.
But he is by no means unique in having a base. Other politicians also have their cult-like following. There are those who “Feel the Bern”, the Yang Gang and as many others as there are candidates. Their devotion to a particular candidate has sometimes resulted in tipping the electoral scales in favor of the opposition party.
Such was the the case in 2016 when Bernie-backers, angry at the primary results, refused to support Hillary Clinton in her quest for the White House. Many staged a write-in campaign while others simply refused to vote; opting to stay home rather than exercise their Constitutional duty by voting.
It is becoming such an issue that a “Sanders Swarm” of on-line bullying has been intimidating anyone who speaks against Bernie despite Sanders making a statement denouncing these actions. While it is something Donald Trump would never do, Bernie, at least, is attempting to silence this type of “support”.
While they can deny this, they became instrumental in Trump’s Electoral victory.
Sadly, there are echoes of the same thing happening as the Democratic presidential primary season gets underway. People are settling in camps, refusing to consider anyone but their candidate. One such person, in reaction to a recent blog by my colleague, Bob Gatty, vehemently stated their support for a certain candidate and was unfollowing this site because of this.
Here we go again!
Just a reminder, there is no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in win. Unless we want to be doomed to the same results as 2016, the in-fighting, which was the point of the earlier blog, needs to stop! All Democrats, no matter your stance on certain issues, must vociferously back whoever is the Democratic nominee.
This is our only hope in getting Trump out of office and to end this national nightmare.