Peterson (unwittingly) demonstrates a surge of LDS support for Trump's second term

[I Have Questions]

An interesting exchange in the comments (which might not stay there for long…

I know many more people, though, who simply oppose the current Democratic Party, which they associate with transgender athletes, defunding the police, overregulation, urban anarchy, and a host of other positions that they deem beyond the pale.

This reaction is always so funny to me, for the sheer number of people I know who don't like the Democratic Party because of their lack of embracing those things. Under Democrats, police budgets increased, and both Obama and Biden took fewer regulatory actions than Bush did. In fact, Al Gore (as Clinton's veep) was famous for merging departments and removing hundreds of thousands of rules and regulations. Cities, meanwhile, tend to have much lower crime rates than rural areas and much better civil services. And while the Democrats have historically been happy to protect trans people, a bunch of them are hurrying to throw them under the bus.

It's such a manufactured sense of reality.

The Afore isn’t one to let the facts stand in the way of a good self-serving fabrication.

[Kishkumen]

His final point amounts to a "Yeah, but..."

One final point: There is, it seems to me, a significant difference between someone who is enraptured with Mr. Trump in particular and a habitual Republican voter of more or less conservative inclinations who opted for Mr. Trump (a) because Mr. Trump was the Republican nominee and (b) because that voter regarded Hillary Clinton and/or Joe Biden and/or Kamala Harris as flatly unpalatable. I know a few genuine Trump enthusiasts. I know many more people, though, who simply oppose the current Democratic Party, which they associate with transgender athletes, defunding the police, overregulation, urban anarchy, and a host of other positions that they deem beyond the pale. The former are MAGA Republicans. The latter are just Republicans, or conservatives.

In other words, most LDS voting for Trump in 2024 weren't really voting for Trump.

I have no doubt this is true. I wonder how they feel about the outcome of their choice. I mean, we know MAGA folk are blinkered, but if you were a Palestinian American who voted for Trump because Biden was helping Netanyahu, do you really still feel like you made the right decision? If you were a wealthy person who makes a lot of money off of investments, are you still happy with your vote today? If you are a business person building products using parts and materials from China, how is your decision to vote for Trump looking to you now? If you are an actual conservative who voted for Trump, a populist authoritarian, I think it is odd you chose a different path from David Brooks, an actual conservative. How is that panning out for you? Presumably you believe in the Constitution, so how are the un-constitutional actions of Trump making you feel? Like you sold the farm to be made an animal housed in one of its pens?

Yes, Dr. Peterson is right. A lot of people voted for Trump for reasons other than loving Trump himself, and I should think that buyer's remorse is their dominant emotion these days. Of course, people hate to admit they are wrong, so maybe not. Maybe their world is collapsing around them, and yet they give the good ole thumbs up.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Let’s see. Mormons voted for Trump the last three elections.

I can understand having buyer’s remorse for Trump once, but not three times in a row.

Mormons love Trump, love QAnon and over half believe in the Big Lie. Mormons really will believe in anything.

[drumdude]

A disappointingly large number of Americans will vote based solely on a hot button but relatively insignificant issue, like transgender bathroom laws.

They are either oblivious to or apathetic about the larger issues like upholding the constitution and rule of law.

This seems especially true for Mormons, who live their entire lives around a quirky set of religious tenants that line up almost perfectly with the pandering that Trump does to the religious right.

[Kishkumen]

Let’s see. Mormons voted for Trump the last three elections.

I can understand having buyer’s remorse for Trump once, but not three times in a row.

Mormons love Trump, love QAnon and over half believe in the Big Lie. Mormons really will believe in anything.

You could be right, Everybody Wang Chung! In fact, you probably ARE right. As long as you only listen to Trump-friendly sources, you can remain convinced that America is truly great again under his regime. I bet you can find millions of North Koreans who will tell you how fantastic Kim Jong-un is.

ETA: Does that sound familiar to you? Only listen to MAGA sources? Why would you trust someone on MSDNC to tell you about MAGA when you could watch OAN? Do you go to a Toyota dealer to give you a fair estimate of the reliability and value of a Honda?