Trump loyalists may have put away their MAGA hats and deleted memes on social media, but that doesn’t mean they have given up the movement – they will return next year for another chance at victory.
Researchers conducted an in-depth investigation of MAGA affinity groups to understand their motivations. Here were their key findings: they love nostalgic toxic nostalgia and want to roll back time on everything from Roe v. Wade and SCOTUS decisions to voter ID laws.
The Electoral College
Normally just an afterthought in political parlance, this Monday marks an historic event: the Electoral College will convene (as is traditionally done every three years on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December) to cast their votes for President and Vice President. Once Congress counts these ballots on January 6, their results become binding and official.
However, this year the Electoral College vote has taken on extra drama due to several Democratic electors pledged to Hillary Clinton who are actively working against Donald Trump becoming president. Their plan is that unfaithful electors may change their votes from Trump in favor of another Republican or even withhold their vote altogether.
An unprecedented act of rebellion would likely incur harsh penalties from state election officials; yet it would represent an unprecedented challenge to democratic norms that have guided US presidential elections for centuries – the Founding Fathers created the Electoral College as a safeguard against irresponsible demagoguery taking office.
The Media
As MAGA-aligned groups such as AFPI and the Proud Boys file their annual tax filings, we get our first glimpses into how they plan to organize themselves during day one of a new administration. Some, like Congress member Paul Gosar and the Proud Boys gang are willing to violate norms of decency for donations or online attention while some like the White Supremacist Gang known as Proud Boys are acting as Trump’s attack dogs with fantasies of violence against members such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
MAGA supporters tend to view news media as biased against their beliefs at best and outright lying for the benefit of opponents at worst. This has left MAGA supporters vulnerable to false stories and conspiracy theories such as those peddled by pundits insisting Taylor Swift could become Typhoid Mary as well as a weapon used against us all by governments; such theories lead to escalated situations, as we saw last year with statehouse protests during coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
The Resistance
As with other emerging subcultures, the resistance has its own language and symbols. Members share a sense of urgency about protecting democracy – and their actions must reflect this principled position. They also agree to put aside political differences for now in favor of supporting this common goal of upholding democratic rule.
Russian bot trolls spreading disinformation designed to dilute public opinion of US politics are among the many opponents the movement faces, as are zealous MAGA prosecutors who are being encouraged to harass opponents, and elected officials willing to break all norms of decency for online attention and donations – for instance Missouri Senator candidate Eric Greitens used an imaginary fantasy about shadowy figures hunting RINOs as part of his campaign promotion strategy – such as Missouri Senate candidate Eric Greitens used MAGA tactics against his opposition campaign – potentially leading up against Trump?s approach of unleashing legal forces upon his opponents while pardoning insurrectionists 2021?s insurrectionists!
The Future
One year ago, MAGA supporters embraced Trump because they believed he would dismantle the federal Leviathan. These supporters believed that over time, the federal government had grown from fighting wars and running postal services into controlling virtually every aspect of daily life – fighting wars, running postal services and operating 300 bureaucracies had acquired powers that should belong exclusively to Congress and that their country had become controlled by Democratic “elites” and Trump-hating special interest groups.
MAGA movement’s future will depend on how effectively it manages to control extremist elements that form its core. It’s an unwise gamble.
Proud Boys leaders have been charged with violence at Charlottesville’s “Unite the Right” rally and one has even admitted to engaging in an act that may overthrow US government – yet their movement still embraces these violent thugs as recruits into its ranks.
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