have heard a lot they don't like and cling like the mindlessly dutiful authoritarian followers they are. I've heard him promise them directly, for instance, to make mandatory coverage for preexisting conditions unconstitutional. Their average age is older, and healthcare is the #1 issue all across the nation, so what could scare them more than that?

An expert on authoritarians in Russia, Masha Gessen, says what does cause loyalty to dissolve is the realization that they chose a loser, not a strong leader. We saw this with W. His base held through approximately 7 years and 11 months of a disastrous presidency and only then plummeted, to the lower teens in the very last week or so!, when they finally were forced to admit their strong man wasn't going to produce a "victory" for them.