Many of them would rather choke and die than to spit and save themselves.

than swallow that pill

They do this about everything. Guns. Civil rights. History. Economics. Religion. Climate change. Smoking.

There are probably more areas to add.

You know, I was just thinking about that recently. I think it is a useful way to understand the situation with the supporters.

While I do consider some other factors, like low-information, misinformation and being steeped in some traditional or simplistic views a factor, your point stands out as well.

Putting one's self in the second-person position, (the other) is a good capacity to develop, even on the personal level as well as the third-person perspective, (as if being an outside observer watching two or more people in a situation). That increases understanding and empathy and the more you know about said situation, the easier it is to do that.

So, as a thought experiment: Let's say that you suddenly discover that much of what you though you knew, (or were told) was false? Let's just be generic here and not political. Suddenly, you have come across information disproving some view that you have been identifying with and are even heavily invested in. I think this can provide a more empathetic understanding of the seemingly nonsensical and unintelligent behaviors and views of an opponent or those who hold contrasting views.

Now, what is your reaction or response to that? I think might become clear then how denial, confirmation bias, pride, and other factors can play into the structure of how people can hold onto a collection of ideas or a viewpoint and resist, (for many practical reasons) facts or new information that might threaten that view. It could evoke anger, frustration, fear and, in some, even a violent reaction rather than an intelligent and thoughtful response. Certain, inculcated ideas can form a large part of a person's reality and any threat to that can be disturbing and resisted for that reason and several others.

Experience has a structure and that is called process. The particulars are the contents and are influenced and even determined by the context or framing of it. When we unpack the structure of experience we see more into the process and that is where the change can happen because there is a lot in there, like the set of values a person holds that determine the beliefs, (that reflect and reinforce the values and then determine the behaviors). It is easier to change beliefs, but they are subject to the stronger influence of values. It is more difficult to change values, but that has a cascading effect on beliefs and behaviors.

and though I am sure there are still areas I might still have false notions, for the most part, I changed my mind.

When I say "but that would mean I have been wrong" is usually liberating for me.

Everyone should have a copy of this book and give copies to middle school children to prepare them to survive in the age of misinformation.

https://bookofbadarguments.com/



Argument from Consequences

Arguing from consequences is speaking for or against the truth of a statement by appealing to the consequences of accepting or rejecting it. Just because a proposition leads to some unfavorable result does not mean that it is false. Similarly, just because a proposition has good consequences does not all of a sudden make it true. As David Hackett Fischer puts it, “it does not follow, that a quality which attaches to an effect is transferable to the cause.”
In the case of good consequences, an argument may appeal to an audience's hopes, which at times take the form of wishful thinking. In the case of bad consequences, such an argument may instead appeal to an audience's fears. For example, take Dostoevsky's line, “If God does not exist, then everything is permitted.” Discussions of objective morality aside, the appeal to the apparent grim consequences of a purely materialistic world says nothing about whether or not the antecedent is true.

One should keep in mind that such arguments are fallacious only when they deal with propositions with objective truth values, and not when they deal with decisions or policies [Curtis], such as a politician opposing the raising of taxes for fear that it will adversely impact the lives of constituents, for example.

When Trump screws up or fails to follow through he just lies about it. And he's already at undermined the sources of the facts presented against him. That gives his fans the cover to support Trump that W's people didn't have.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." 

-- Upton Sinclair

Dan, the company man, felt loyalty to the core
After 16 years of service and a family to support
He actually
Started to believe
The weaponry and chemicals
Were for national defense
Cause Danny had a mortgage
And a boss to answer to
The guilty don't feel guilty
They learn not to

The Irrationality of Rationality
By NOFX

Thanks for sharing

requirements for attaining degrees. The debates are vigorous and they consider that the loser is actually the winner of the debate, because they have learned something new. Whole different approach, eh?

that's a little different from western religions.

Usually attributed to Mark Twain, but the real quote goes like this:

“The glory which is built upon a lie soon becomes a most unpleasant incumbrance. … How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again!” – Autobiographical dictation, 2 December 1906. Published in Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 2 (University of California Press, 2013)

all their lives. Trump has just normalized it for them. They are eternally grateful to him for this.

Bush followed the typical conservative doctrine focusing on tax cuts for the wealthy, trying to privatize the commons, like Social Security, and making private inroads into Medicare through Part D. He was slightly more "religious" and fooled around with injecting more religion into politics. Ultimately however, Bush was just a folksy face on the standard conservative practices.

Trump is a cult of personality. He often said, and still does, that "I alone can fix this". He says, "No other president but me has..." and then some stupid lie. He generally tows the conservative line, but he also criticizes conservatives so his followers are not really supporting conservative ideology, but are attaching himself to Trump.

When he loses power or some scandal finally brings him down, they will slink away and point out some way that he "let me down" or say, as they always do, "He wasn't a real conservative anyway" and go on about their search for a villain to follow like the Minions they are (except they are cute like the Minions).

Trump is not a particularly intelligent person, but he does have a talent in reading his audience and playing to their worst instincts. It isn't difficult to hook into people who are scared that they are losing their power and privilege in society. It is actually something that almost anyone who can repress their humanity sufficiently could do, but Trump has a knack for it given that he has so little humanity to begin with.

People make them all the time and, for whatever reason, if people voted for Trump in 2016 but realize they made a mistake, their solution is to start opposing/speaking out against his policies and to NOT vote for him- or any of his enablers- in 2020. It would be dumb of them to just double down and keep voting for him and his just because they can't acknowledge a mistake.

I don't think all his supporters thought he would lie so much about everything. How Many ?? we will see how harmful this is to our country. (how many, don't know, but it will be enough to take him down, as the Fox poll showed)
...If just 20 percent of the "true believers" become "non believers" Trump will lose, if he runs again. And, he will loose very bad. Obviously, Trump doesn't believe the Fox poll, and he still believes he can con most people..or at least enough to get reelected.
...Donald Trump hasn't got a clue. The lies have sunk in, and Trump has shown himself to everyone. Now, I do believe that 40 percent will still follow, but 60 percent will never follow him, and he can't win with 40 percent. That 60 percent now believe he is the liar of all time. Yes, they will admit they made a "mistake" and vote for whoever the Democratic Candidate is. That is what I believe.

It means they were wrong.

They were duped, flimflammed, sold snake oil.

It also means they have no idea about politics.

It means they can't tell hyperbole and unfulfillable promises from what is realistic.

No president can make your value as a human being improve, not one can make your life more interesting, rewarding and supply you with more of, well, whatever you think your life is missing. You are not that important.

Suck it up, lowlifes!