He found Americans who felt forgotten, gave them recognition, belonging and an identity, then taught them to distrust everyone but him. He gaslit them, took control and now abuses them as abusers do.
This was difficult to read, but the idea of looking at political loyalty through the lens of love bombing really made me think. The cycle you describe, intense praise and promises followed by anger, blame, fear, and then another round of reassurance, is a powerful way to examine how people can become emotionally attached to a political movement even when they are disappointed by it.
What struck me most is that your piece isn’t simply asking, “Why don’t people change their minds?” It asks what happens when belonging itself becomes part of the equation. Once politics becomes tied to identity, community, loyalty, and the fear of admitting you may have trusted the wrong person, walking away can become much more complicated than changing an opinion.
Whether every part of the abuse analogy fits can certainly be debated, but you gave me a perspective I hadn’t considered this way before. That is what good writing should do. It should make us stop scrolling for a minute and actually think.
He learned it long before the campaign trail; he was taught first-hand at home. His ‘nurture’ totally affected his ‘nature’ and not in a positive way. Through his parents and theirs, he was shown by example how to lie, cheat, mistreat others & feign superiority, and has done the same for his own progeny. Sad for him; fucking devastating for our democracy, our nation and our standing in the world. I almost wish my son does not want children, for what we’re leaving them that will take their generation - and more - to fix.
Brilliant, Joyce! Back during W’s presidency, I saw a Pearl Jam concert on tv. Eddie Vedder grew up in an abusive home, and before a song pointed out the similarities between conservative politicians and domestic abusers. So this sort of thing has been going on for a while. The Orange Menace, as a manipulative con artist, took it to the next level. I thought your “love bombing” analogy was particularly astute. I think a special way he was able to connect with so many people was by watching Fox News, and having listened to Rush Limbaugh in the past. He used the language they used, so their audience responded favorably to him. Conservative media has long used the you can’t trust anyone but us, social isolation tactic.
This was difficult to read, but the idea of looking at political loyalty through the lens of love bombing really made me think. The cycle you describe, intense praise and promises followed by anger, blame, fear, and then another round of reassurance, is a powerful way to examine how people can become emotionally attached to a political movement even when they are disappointed by it.
What struck me most is that your piece isn’t simply asking, “Why don’t people change their minds?” It asks what happens when belonging itself becomes part of the equation. Once politics becomes tied to identity, community, loyalty, and the fear of admitting you may have trusted the wrong person, walking away can become much more complicated than changing an opinion.
Whether every part of the abuse analogy fits can certainly be debated, but you gave me a perspective I hadn’t considered this way before. That is what good writing should do. It should make us stop scrolling for a minute and actually think.
🫶💯
A true narcissist if I ever saw one and I've seen a few!
💯
He learned it long before the campaign trail; he was taught first-hand at home. His ‘nurture’ totally affected his ‘nature’ and not in a positive way. Through his parents and theirs, he was shown by example how to lie, cheat, mistreat others & feign superiority, and has done the same for his own progeny. Sad for him; fucking devastating for our democracy, our nation and our standing in the world. I almost wish my son does not want children, for what we’re leaving them that will take their generation - and more - to fix.
💯
Brilliant, Joyce! Back during W’s presidency, I saw a Pearl Jam concert on tv. Eddie Vedder grew up in an abusive home, and before a song pointed out the similarities between conservative politicians and domestic abusers. So this sort of thing has been going on for a while. The Orange Menace, as a manipulative con artist, took it to the next level. I thought your “love bombing” analogy was particularly astute. I think a special way he was able to connect with so many people was by watching Fox News, and having listened to Rush Limbaugh in the past. He used the language they used, so their audience responded favorably to him. Conservative media has long used the you can’t trust anyone but us, social isolation tactic.
💯🫶🔥