I just don't get it.

[athena]

I don't get the inability of Bernie supporters to find any fault with Bernie. In their eyes, he's the personification of perfection. They literally think he's god (see this thread, which I at first thought was a joke).

I mean, I support Hillary, but I'm not enamored with her. I admit she has flaws. There are many areas in which I disagree with her, but I believe she would be a much better president than anyone who is in the race right now. If someone points out something wrong about Hillary, I consider it, and sometimes I agree that it's a problem. Bernie supporters, on the other hand, will twist logic into a pretzel to convince themselves that Bernie is always right, always honest, and always telling the truth.

I feel like I'm observing something fundamental, something that explains how certain leaders get people to lose their ability to think logically and critically. But I can't say I understand it. I recognize the misogynistic dog whistles, but I don't see what Bernie is doing that turns so many people into such unquestioningly loyal supporters. Can anyone point me to something -- some kind of research or analysis -- that explains this?

[NurseJackie]

1. It's weird ... groupie-like.

[fleabiscuit]

2. They practice Bokononism in their little granfalloon. eom

[NuclearDem]

3. Some people think in black-and-white, some people think in shades of gray.

The former have to twist themselves into pretzels to justify any sort of perceived blemish, while the latter both expect and accept imperfection as a reality and do the best with what they have.

[IamMab]

4. I suspect we're living through another political re-alignment like what happened in the 1960s.

How things will end up when all is said and done, though, I can't speculate.

[stopbush]

5. Many Sanders supporters are new to politics.

They're wrapped up in a personality they like. There's no depth to their understanding.

It's like when one first gets into anything new, be it sports or music. You're first attracted to a surface understanding. If you stick with it, you may drill deeper.

But in the beginning, you're convincing yourself that you like it at all, so you get defensive about the little you know because you don't have much of a justification available to explain why you like something to begin with.

[athena]

6. That makes a lot of sense.

And it's a very empathetic and positive way to look at the behavior of Bernie's supporters. Thank you. I think it will help me a lot to see it that way.

(In fact, I think I was that way, too, when I first got interested in politics. Twenty years ago, I probably would have been a Bernie supporter myself.)

[MarianJack]

7. It reminds me a bit of 1992.

In 1992, Ross Perot supporters weren't capable of saying WHY Perot was so wonderful, they just used his name like a mantra.

He vastly over performed in the debates because he could speak with the total abandon of one who KNEW he was never going to have to govern, much like Back Bench Bernie does today.

PEACE!

[Thinkingabout]

8. But but butv you are reasonable.

[Treant]

9. You got me

I'm like you--I support Clinton, but I understand that she's human and, therefore, imperfect. I'm a bit further left than she is, but I'm not disappointed at the idea of a third Obama term (and technically, she's a bit to the left of Obama).

She's going to disappoint me, just like Obama did, sometimes. That's life and politics.

This mindless adoration of Bernie is...completely alien to me, to say the least.

[ContinentalOp]

10. I don't think it has anything to do with him and has everything to do with her.

These are people who have fully bought into every myth the right wing has sold us about Hillary for the past 20 years. And they genuinely see her flaws but without the perspective of understanding that Obama, Kerry, Gore, Bill, and even Sanders share many or all of those same flaws.

And we're coming out of 8 years of a popular Democratic president and obstructionist Republican congress which led to more compromise than the left would have wanted. It's almost an exact repeat of the Nader/Gore dynamic. Young Sanders supporters maybe grew up in a household that hated Bush but ended up being disappointed in Obama, and so they react against the party establishment and hope to push it to the left without realizing what the real stakes are.

[DesertFlower]

12. well said. nt

[DesertFlower]

11. when bernie first ran i supported him, but after

carefully watching the debates i realized his goals were unrealistic. how can you can get congress to vote with you when you're constantely berating them? hillary, on the other hand has realistic goals. she's worked with repubs and knows how to get things done.

bottom line, she's the most qualifed to be prez.

[artyteacher]

13. totally a mindless cult of personality....eom

[Demnorth]

14. I think the group element is powerful,

being part of a movement with the like-minded.

It seems that two campaigns (Sanders and Trump) have much larger audiences than the other candidates. Both are alternative voices, telling people what they want to hear. They're like rock stars giving concerts. It's inspiring to be part of a huge event, sharing the experience. The use of social media furthers the sharing, and reinforces the positive feeling.

I think some have unquestioning belief because they won't consider the alternative and have no third Dem choice. Some are just satisfied with the promise and don't need the details. Some seem to believe that what's promised will come to pass. Some do know these promises won't be fulfilled, but believe more progress will be made by Sanders than Clinton.

There are some supporters who provide great information in respectful debates. I think there are a relatively small (but very vocal) number of people who are so defensive they repeatedly dismiss and insult the competition. Maybe, as suggested, some are right-wingers, who can tell?

These are just my thoughts, no research I can cite.

[RBInMaine]

15. It's a combination of idealistic youth, frustration, great-sounding talking points, and "freshness."

1) Young people are very idealistic (which isn't a bad thing, but there also needs to be a sense of reality and what can actually be accomplished). Bernie is saying things that appeal to broad progressive idealism, and it resonates. They feel Bernie is very authentic, and they feel like they are part of a close-knit movement. It's very appealing and idealistic stuff especially for young people. Some are even writing songs about "Feeling the Bern."

2) People are legitimately frustrated with the status quo, and Bernie is pushing an "anti-establishment" message. They see him as "big change." (Even though he JOINED an "establishment" party and has been part of the "establishment" government in Washington for 25 years. Where was the "revolution" in all that time?)

3) When you are up there railing about shutting down big banks and giving free tuition (without explaining just how that will be done) young people especially respond. These are great-sounding TALKING POINTS, and many people have been hungry to hear them.

4) Bernie is something new and different for many people. People like the "new car smell." (But again, in reality he has been in national politics for 25 years. Where was the revolution then? How much has he actually accomplished?)

Put all this together, and it's VERY easy to see the appeal. However, look CLOSER (i.e. the NY Daily News interview), and you see more talking points than substance.

[Surya Gayatri]

16. Lost people latching on to an imagined "HERO"...holding out for one.