This is the sort of cynicism that Russia seeks to exploit. It’s sad.

I have noticed a few things about modern/MAGA brand right wing folks:

1. They have a great time hanging out with like minded folk, and feel at ease to speak their mind. They’re genuinely having fun.
2. There is a lot of “both sides” as described, which is really a form of intellectual laziness. Black and white thinking is the easiest and least cognitively expensive. Everyone can get on board and fully aligned with simple ideas.
3. They use the phrase “I believe” a lot. This I think is borrowed from church. Basically, belief is parallel to and as strong/meaningful as careful data-driven analysis.
4. Maybe this is incidental, but their circles of concern are fairly limited. If it isn’t happening to them or someone they are close with, it is of little concern.
5. Many will admit to not understanding something, to their credit.
6. Politics are genuinely sports to them. Rallies are spectacles similar to attending a college football game.
7. I think these voters just have trouble thinking in the abstract rather than in concrete terms. There is little attention paid to second-order effects of policy, particularly over longer periods of time.
8. There is just a distinct lack of empathy.
9. There is a fairly good proportion of conspiracists in the group.
10. Senility is overrepresented in the group.
11. Because of belief/loyalty as core principles, if something isn’t going well, an excuse can be made along the lines of “Trump is doing his best/is a good man facing headwinds”, or “things will get better soon”.