# What's missing/awry/disturbing about people's lives that MAGA/hard-right populism is so attractive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 6, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436 "2026-02-06T14:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Culling\_The\_Herd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Culling\_The\_Herd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Culling_The_Herd)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/121 "2026-02-15T21:10:03Z")
I think you’ve got a pretty good grasp of the situation. Both sides (meaning the political parties) play to fear, and do their best to vilify the other. And it works. > [@bump](#): > > I can’t imagine that merely giving minorities equal rights and opportunity is actually threatening What I’ve heard from my conservative friends are they’re fine with equal opportunity; it’s when the thumb is placed on the scale to give others a boost up that they balk/squawk, especially when it comes at their expense. Obviously, the people on the other side say they’re merely making up for past injustices. And they both have a point. Again, this is why we need to have more conversations between left and right. I’m a big fan of the book “I Never Thought Of It That Way” by Monica Guzman, a progressive daughter of Mexican immigrants whose parents both supported Trump in 2016. One suggestion I got from that book is, when having conversations with folks who disagree with me, to ask the other person, “Is it possible that you could be wrong about something you currently believe?” Most rational people acknowledge that it is, and that creates a window of opportunity for EITHER of us to change our mind or to see things differently. ---
**Author:** ![Culling\_The\_Herd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Culling\_The\_Herd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Culling_The_Herd)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/122 "2026-02-15T21:13:37Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I agree with you in theory, but in practice what people say they believe and what they actually believe may bear little resemblance Absolutely true. One never truly knows what’s in another’s heart and mind, but sometimes a frank discussion will force that person to fess up. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/123 "2026-02-15T21:18:27Z")
> [@Culling\_The\_Herd](#): > > Have some actual one-on-one conversations with those with whom you disagree. Both of you are likely to learn something. I have a couple of MAGA family members with whom I remain close. The two neighbors on either side of me are MAGA. When I speak to them about politics, news, and current events [wait for it], it sounds exactly like what I hear when I listen to this administration, its surrogates, operatives, and spokespeople, and when I tune into Fox News, OAN, or Newsmax – something between horribly slanted mis/disinformation and outright lies and propaganda. Exactly what I find when I encounter/engage MAGA folk online. Am I doing it wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/124 "2026-02-15T21:31:56Z")
Yeah, this same issue. I know quite a few MAGA folks. I have family members who voted for Trump. I have heard them out, heard their sincere arguments. I have no reason to believe they were lying to me or hiding their real logic or motives. With the exception of a rare solid-legit argument here or there, almost everything they say is something that is pretty instantly debunked or refutable. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/125 "2026-02-15T21:42:05Z")
> [@Culling\_The\_Herd](#): > > What I’ve heard from my conservative friends are they’re fine with equal opportunity; it’s when the thumb is placed on the scale to give others a boost up that they balk/squawk, especially when it comes at their expense. Obviously, the people on the other side say they’re merely making up for past injustices. And they both have a point. Except, for reasons that are just not possible to grasp, any time any non-white person gets an equal opportunity, without a boost, conservatives cry “quotas” or “affirmative action” or “DEI” because they can not accept that there might be a non-white candidate that is superior to them. Push come to shove and equal opportunity falls to White racial superiority. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/126 "2026-02-15T23:25:12Z")
That’s pretty much it. Even solid logic honestly applied to a set of fantasy “facts” carefully selected by malign forces to lead to their desired conclusion leads to bad decisions by good people. e.g. people who believe (because they were told to believe) that millions of illegal criminals were flooding over the borders during the Biden administration might reasonably conclude we need tougher border controls and sweeps all over the country to locate and remove these millions of hardened violent criminals. People who know that’s a gross exaggeration of reality feel no such need to empower ICE to run roughshod over our society. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/127 "2026-02-16T04:39:03Z")
Let’s look at it from the perspective of some white, blue collar person who has never had _anything_ special in their lives. They’ve been poor, and struggled for everything. And then there’s some other person who’s getting a leg up because of what? Because their grandfather lived under Jim Crow? Neither of the actual people concerned here dealt with that- from that person’s perspective, the government and society are putting their thumb on the scale for that other guy because of something _that person_ didn’t experience. Now I get that systemic racism set that other guy to be more downtrodden and with lesser opportunities than the blue collar white guy, but good luck explaining that to HIM, while he struggles to make ends meet and sees everyone else getting help but him, because he’s white, and supposedly gets all this privilege because of it. That’s what we need to be aware of; that’s a guy who votes Trump because he’s out there speaking to _him_, not to everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/128 "2026-02-16T05:09:44Z")
Yes, but I was talking about the phenomena of no person of color getting a job/promotion instead the white, blue collar person who has never had anything special in their lives because, clearly, no person of color could be superior and get the job/promotion purely because of merit and without special treatment. I return to my post 6 in the thread and would point out that White privilege can be taken away by class disadvantage at will. Lord help us if white, blue collar people who have never had anything special in their lives finally get it they aren’t temporarily embarrassed millionaires they’re exploited proletariats. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/129 "2026-02-16T18:03:36Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Coal mining is one of those things that for some reason generates a lot of political controversy, disproportionate to the actual size of the industry. Coal mining is about a $28 billion industry that employs around 40,000 workers. My point was never that mining was great. I would love it if coal went away forever. My point was that in the northern US, mining was organized early, and that is what made it such a great job. There is nothing inherent in mining that makes it great. It actually sucks to the utmost if the miners have no voice. However, I really doubt that Trump wants more businesses to become unionized. But that is what would create more “jobs like mining.” Not turning back the clock on the kind of fuel we use. ---
**Author:** ![Culling\_The\_Herd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Culling\_The\_Herd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Culling_The_Herd)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/130 "2026-02-16T19:43:33Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > To think my “alma mata”, the fucking Catholics would accept Trump? I’ve been asked by my liberal friends how on earth Christians can vote for Trump. My answer is this: They can vote for a lying, narcissistic, philandering, immature, profane, misogynistic, twice-divorced, once-voted-out-of-office, twice impeached, convicted felon, OR They can vote for the party in favor of killing babies. For many Catholics and pro-life Christians, that’s how they see it. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/131 "2026-02-16T21:23:18Z")
> [@Culling\_The\_Herd](#): > > They can vote for the party in favor of killing babies. Which is the spin many news sources use, but is not actually what the Democratic Party is in favor of. A more accurate description is the Democratic Party is in favor of allowing people to choose killing their unborn babies. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/132 "2026-02-16T23:11:14Z")
Whereas the Republicans are the party that is actually killing babies. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/133 "2026-02-16T23:51:20Z")
And killing kindergartners. And their parents. And, and, and .. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/134 "2026-02-17T05:42:59Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > A more accurate description is the Democratic Party is in favor of allowing people to choose killing their unborn babies. An even more accurate description would recognize that “baby” does not refer to a child in the womb, except colloquially, and “killing” doesn’t really accurately describe what happens in an abortion or a miscarriage. But somehow these two supremely emotive words have hijacked the debate, and so here we are. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/135 "2026-02-17T05:54:34Z")
Yes, if the pro-lifers FEEL that a fetus is a baby, and abortion is killing, then your argument is going to fall on deaf ears. They feel what they feel. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/136 "2026-02-17T06:05:51Z")
Yes, but the **reason** they feel this is because they’ve been subjected to the rhetoric, and it pulls on some very old and powerful narratives; they lack sufficient scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills to resist the feelings they have been trained to feel. This is why I’m so pro-education: we’re all subject to manipulation, and politicians and advertisers work very hard to sway us. With knowledge and education, we are somewhat resistent, at least to the most egregious things, but without it, we fold like a cheap suit. I do not think that education is an American value any more. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/137 "2026-02-17T12:54:50Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > An even more accurate description would recognize that “baby” does not refer to a child in the womb, The phrase “I’m having a baby” is often used by prospective mothers. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/138 "2026-02-17T13:19:53Z")
Yes: when they have it, it is a baby. But I did acknowledge the colloquial use of “baby” for “expected baby.” ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/139 "2026-02-17T13:29:11Z")
Note the future tense. I’ve never heard a pregnant woman say “I have a baby”. And you also use the word prospective. If a fetus is a baby, then pregnant women aren’t prospective mothers, they’re just mothers. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436/140 "2026-02-17T13:40:27Z")
I guess the scientifically correct thing to say would be “I am biologically developing a fetus into a baby”, but somehow it does not have the same ring to it. Not in my ears, at least. > [@keeganst94](#): > > Note the future tense. I’ve never heard a pregnant woman say “I have a baby”. It is not strictly speaking future tense, though it is pointing to the future implicitly. It is called present continuous tense. Same as “I am having fun”, “I am having a good time” and “I am having friends over for dinner”. The first two, you will notice, are not so future oriented as the third one. At least not in my feeling, native speakers may disagree. Just as a linguistic data point, in Spanish the woman would probably say “voy a tener un bebé”, that is, literally: _I will get/have/obtain a baby_. That is future. Or she would simply say “estoy embarazada”: _I am pregnant_. And in German “ich kriege ein Kind” or “ich kriege ein Baby”, _I get a child_ or _I get a baby_ also uses present continuous tense, though in a slightly different construction (_I get_ vs _I am getting_). I would guess this grammatical construction is used more frequently in Germanic than in Latin languages. And in this case, English behaves like a Germanic language, which it partly is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-missing-awry-disturbing-about-peoples-lives-that-maga-hard-right-populism-is-so-attractive/1027436.md?page=8)