demagoguery - You have a "demagogue," you know what it looks like, sounds like, but what do you call a backer, a supporter, an adherent?

 

This video, Doug Mastriano, giving his victory speech after gaining his primary win to be the Republican candidate for Governor in Pennsylvania. A demagogue, no question. He exudes demagoguery. 

But what do you call the crowd? Demagogue-ees? Demagogue-ists? Demagogue-atarians?

You could just call them simple dupes, and move on. There is good sense on the side of doing that. A supporter of a fascist, you call a fascist, and it's done. That does not work for a demagogue.

Getting Serious

This could be the next Governor of one of the nation's most populous states, if the Democratic Party this November fails to GOTV. He speaks differently than Trump, but style points do not differentiate. 

Walks like a demagogue. Quacks like a demagogue. It's not a duck, it's a demagogue.

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UPDATE: Mastriano is the focus of two analyses viewed through the lens of Christian Nationalism; NewYorker; Salon. Some readers may choose to extrapolate from Mastriano to Scott Jensen, the Republican Party's nominee for Governor in Minnesota. The Republican Party being the common thread.

Which leads to a consequent observation - GOTV for Walz, or wish you had.

FURTHER: A demagogue need not rant and rave from a balcony. Il Duce had his way, while others, have other ways. This four minute video - First, screechy background "music" with jangly images while dumping a load of voiceover shit on Tim Walz closing with that glove-to-the-camera suffocation image; then that super annoying constant insistently insipid piano music backing up Dr. Scott speaking as softly as Mr. Rogers while keeping up the same negative dump on Walz. The piano never stops (nor varies) while Jensen himself segues on to other spiel, from attacking Walz to saying, in sum, nothing - wholly content free but schmaltzy such as the one scene insert, "I glow especially with my white lab coat and stethoscope on - piano still going - hair always neatly combed, posed with professional actors made to look like a smiling mom and child patient."  It could be worse. At least not going as far as to be promising every child a pony and every worker a well-paying and rewarding career along with a happy marriage lived within an above average well-decorated home.

If it's not demagoguery to you, okay. Yet the upshot of the Jensen message - Walz bad, me good. patients smile at me as if not sick or in pain, even urchins, and me making the grade as a multi-featured TV talking head ---- it is whoring around quite a lot, if you seriously think about it.

FURTHER: Hopefully the Jensen campaign will not pull that video. The YouTube blurb going with it, if you press, "READ FURTHER"  states:

Dr. Scott Jensen for Governor

27.4K subscribers

Today Dr. Scott Jensen (R) announces he is running to be Minnesota's next Governor. Learn more and donate at https://drscottjensen.com/ "We have some serious issues to diagnose and treat if we want to be a state that truly thrives again. A pandemic ravaged our most vulnerable populations in congregative care and our Governor took no pinpointed actions to stop it. As our cities burned, our brave and capable State’s National Guard soldiers were forced to sit on the sidelines by our governor. As the science told us we could safely reopen small businesses and schools, our current administration sided against responsible business owners, parents, and children. Our kids were locked out their schools while children in our neighboring states and local private schools attended full time and in person. Within the Minnesota our inequities have grown deeper. But our diagnosis is far from hopeless. My vision is not just of a return to normal for Minnesota, but of leadership that trusts and respects the people. We can have real science guiding the decisions we make. We can trust parents and students to do what’s right for them and their unique situation and not be given one size fits all solutions by lifelong bureaucrats. We can cherish our small businesses, restaurants, and employers – not take them for granted. We cannot make policy using speculative models that aren’t peer reviewed and measured and updated with facts as time progresses. Our great State has suffered under unilateral control, partisan bickering, and political brinksmanship by the parties and politicians. Given our history and resources I truly believe Minnesota can be a beacon rather than a laggard in recovery and healing. We need a new vision, a new prescription. That is why I am running for Governor. It’s time for a new direction in Minnesota. My relationship with my patients is based on mutual trust and decision making. Together Doctor and patient seeking facts and paths to recovery. That is who I will be as your governor. I will work with science and facts as I do every day as a medical professional. I will trust and empower you to make the best decisions for your family. We will reopen all of our business and schools safely. Instead of inefficient vaccine rollouts, unneeded morgue purchases, and standing by silently as our cities burn, my administration will pinpoint our areas of need and implement solutions where they are most essential and when called for meet the urgency of the moment. I hope you will join me at this critical time for the State of Minnesota. Please join us."

From that, this excerpt:

My vision is not just of a return to normal for Minnesota, but of leadership that trusts and respects the people. We can have real science guiding the decisions we make. We can trust parents and students to do what’s right for them and their unique situation and not be given one size fits all solutions by lifelong bureaucrats. We can cherish our small businesses, restaurants, and employers – not take them for granted. We cannot make policy using speculative models that aren’t peer reviewed and measured and updated with facts as time progresses.

A little short of policy specificity, ya think? First sentence, as if Walz does not trust and respect people? That is a serious charge. What's his evidence? 

Then, " I will trust and empower you to make the best decisions for your family."

How so?  

Then, " We can cherish our small businesses, restaurants, and employers – not take them for granted." As if Walz takes these things for granted? Again What's his evidence. Public health mandates with which he disagrees is not Walz taking things for granted. It is Walz being duly cautious with a pandemic raging. 

Can Jensen name one small business he cherishes, besides his own? He hasn't.

Disagreement with the policies Walz followed is what Jensen is trying to inflate into something else. Disagreement is what it is. No more. No less. 

But then, define your own policy positions, Scott. Give us something beyond, "Trust me. To trust you." 

That's lame. And insulting. Tim's got a record. As a teacher. In the Guard. In Congress. As Governor. Scott's got a "Trust me." And a small rural clinic.

In boxing they say you have to beat the Champ to be the Champ. In politics?  Jensen is not a ground breaking researcher. He is not a specialist. He is a general practice clinician. He is a Covid vaccine skeptic. He's never led a single clinical trial in his life, but knows more than Pfizer? He's not been asked to teach at a prestigious urban or academic medical school. He's been a one-term state legislator.