Based on which Republicans are very much against the vaccine and which ones have taken it, you can see, for the most part, who truly has power and influence within their movement and who does not.
The regional discount-Rush Limbaugh or county party chairperson may genuinely believe that vaccine should not be taken and they are not told otherwise, but people like sitting Congressmembers, Fox News hosts and rich donors know that you should take it. Certainly, there are exceptions to people who fall into the latter category.
I see it as a line of demarcation between the True Believers of the shit they sling to rile up the base vs. folks who only say that stuff for its political value. This maps pretty well onto what you're saying, but the GOP has gone so far off the rails that sometimes the True Believers get their hands on real power (see Mike Pence, for example).
Trump believes some of the brainworm stuff, but he knows a lot of it's bullshit. He just has a feel for what the chuds will cheer for and no qualms about saying anything.
What I am referring to is people who have been told by the powers that be that the pandemic is real and the vaccine should be taken and they may not even outright say something that goes against either of those (although they may say something like "Taking the vaccine is a personal choice"). Meanwhile, the lower people on the power structure do not have those connections and they suffer for it.
That's an interesting thing to think about. Since they've been having the internal party conflict of the traditional more long-term thinking cynical party leaders vs the insane reactionary true believers. With the more successful true believers getting got, I wonder if this will end up with a stabilization from the old guard or if covid will just increase the true believer faction
Based on which Republicans are very much against the vaccine and which ones have taken it, you can see, for the most part, who truly has power and influence within their movement and who does not.
The regional discount-Rush Limbaugh or county party chairperson may genuinely believe that vaccine should not be taken and they are not told otherwise, but people like sitting Congressmembers, Fox News hosts and rich donors know that you should take it. Certainly, there are exceptions to people who fall into the latter category.
I see it as a line of demarcation between the True Believers of the shit they sling to rile up the base vs. folks who only say that stuff for its political value. This maps pretty well onto what you're saying, but the GOP has gone so far off the rails that sometimes the True Believers get their hands on real power (see Mike Pence, for example).
We just had a fully-brainwormed fox news grandpa as president
Trump believes some of the brainworm stuff, but he knows a lot of it's bullshit. He just has a feel for what the chuds will cheer for and no qualms about saying anything.
What I am referring to is people who have been told by the powers that be that the pandemic is real and the vaccine should be taken and they may not even outright say something that goes against either of those (although they may say something like "Taking the vaccine is a personal choice"). Meanwhile, the lower people on the power structure do not have those connections and they suffer for it.
That's an interesting thing to think about. Since they've been having the internal party conflict of the traditional more long-term thinking cynical party leaders vs the insane reactionary true believers. With the more successful true believers getting got, I wonder if this will end up with a stabilization from the old guard or if covid will just increase the true believer faction