• Comment105@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      We can all hope, and this time we’re probably gonna be right.

      But the Republicans aren’t running out of people.

      There’s no reason to think Trump’s end will make the bad half of America stop this push. There’s a relatively good chance they’ll find a sufficiently appealing new leader or puppet. If that falls, maybe you can rest and go back to casually provoking the religious right, playing catch with your rights, and still stay safe for a while. Members of the LGBT community dropping “Live and let live.” in favor of “Use the right pronouns!” was a potentially fatal mistake.

      • Dae
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        2 months ago

        While you’re definitely correct that Trump isn’t the last bigot who will run for president, none of them will have rhe same level of influence he did.

        Trump is a literal cult leader. You have pastors like Shane Vaughn who literally call him “a messiah.” He is literally worshipped. That’s why he could get away with Jan 6th, that’s why he’ll have so many voters no matter what, it’s a cult.

        With the above said, the his defeat will dishearten his mkst fervent followers. I believe many of them will never be able to bring themselves to vote for another candidate, ever. Not all, but many. Republican voter enthusiasm will be at an all time low.

        Following this, the infighting we already see will only get worse as would-be successors fight for the scraps that their titan left behind while others fight to leave Trumpism in the dust. Even if they manage to get a majority, they’d accomplish nothing meaningful.

        Their entire plan hinges on Donald Trump’s cult influence. The depend on his rabid base of supporters. If he loses this election, that goes away. The remnants will be fought over, but none of them will be able to touch the level of influence Trump himself had. His legacy will leave the Republican party fractured for decades.

        • untorquer@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          The cult leaders are evangelical pastors. They’ll find a new guy because it’s profitable. They will herd their sheep to a new wolf.

          The exploitative business types will follow for the same reasons. They only worship profit and trump literally gives them your tax money, cuts their taxes, and curates the courts to their interests.

          • Dae
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            2 months ago

            No, it’s Trump. They, Robin Bullock, Kat Kurr, all of them make prophecies about Trump. The whole fucking theology centers on Trump. He’s become the lynch pin to their everything. One pastor in particular, Shane Vaugn, claims that “Trump is a messiah.”

            They have hitched it all to Trump. Without him, it all falls apart. They will try to pivot because they won’t just give up their influence, but his second defeated will hurt their credibility. It will sow doubt. And when he eventually kicks the bucket, will, I wager most Christians only have it in themselves to wait on just one messiah to come back.