re: #94 The Ghost of a Flea

My guess is what we’re looking at is a political variation of what Trump does in business: his investors (the voters, the GOP) are going to get soaked. The plan was always that they’d get soaked…even if (narcissist, grifter) Trump got all the support and full backing.

Cui bono? The other narcissists who see no contradiction in peddling internally-contradictory ideology and bilking their followers. That’s Bannon, definitely—but it’s also Alex Jones and all the various “prophets,” and the Tea Party-esque types who sell fear.

To fall back on two themes that are basically my mantras on this board:

1. The polar distinction of genuine belief versus grift can be resolved if the people involved have no “truth” except their own rectitude.

2. The wingnut culture has become a covered market in which vendors compete to sell “wares” that make their consumer base feel special .

I stand by my theory that Trump is re-branding himself as a demagogue intentionally. It’s new, faster con than his building schemes, and the current state of play means that it’s far easier to move cash around in ways that avoid scrutiny.

Bolding mine.

I would be really interested to know the percentage of conservatives vs liberals who need to “feel special.” Most of my liberal friends/family don’t feel a need to be “recognized” or made to feel special. We’re pretty comfortable with who we are.
I have heard a certain number of comments from conservatives about wanting to be able to continue to do something or have access to something because it makes them feel special, or they deserve recognition.
This may be entirely due to chance rather than any actual statistical validity, but it does make me wonder.