QUOTE: “Why do they believe the lies? These are crucial pieces of evidence. That the relationship between the left-behinds and the demagogue is psychologically that of a parent and a child. The left-behinds have regressed to an infantile state, and they idealize the demagogue as the omnipotent, all-powerful, all-knowing parent. That is why they believe the lies and never question him. Because they believe in him as absolutely as a little wounded child believes in the only daddy it has, as desperately as the child needs to believe that daddy’s so strong, so smart, so wise, he’s perfect.”
The left-behinds who call themselves conservatives or Republicans or traditionalists do see their ideal leader as a stern, punishing father figure. Their god is not the Judaeo-Christian or Muslim god of love, but some sort of Babylonian god of vengeance, dressed up as the Judaeo-Christian deity. But psychologically, they don’t worship Mean Daddy because they want to be comforted by him; they esteem the punishing deity / politico / newscaster because they expect Mean Daddy to punish their enemies.
Progressives are just as left behind by Mean Daddy, but instead of allying with him, they seek out Nurturing Mother, who will heal the wounds of all the left-behinds (liberal and conservative).
If Candidate X promises to stop separating immigrant families at the border, and Candidate Y promises to continue the separations, which candidate will the right select, and which will the left select?
Here’s George Lakoff explaining the principle to Robert Reich. Notice how Reich has some difficulty acclimatizing himself to Lakoff’s concepts.
