Bernie Sanders
In reply to the discussion: I'm astonished by Hillary supporters [View all]senz
(11,945 posts)although there things were done to her as First Lady that elicited a tremendous amount of sympathy (in me, as well), and I think this is the basis on which much of the adoration rests. At that point, she stood for innocent victim, injured party, scapegoat, and villainized woman. When she started going all crooked with the NY Senate run (pure carpet bagging), her Iraq vote, and then the horrifying behavior in the 2008 campaign, I revised my opinion of her. I saw that the well-meaning person I thought she was could not make the decisions she made nor do the things she did. It was like finally seeing into her, seeing sides to her that were not fully apparent in the 1990s. So I revised my image to match the reality. But some of her followers did not let her behavior affect their image of her. Rather than give up an attractive, compelling illusion, they began to rationalize, to make excuses. And as her words and actions got worse and worse -- as she came into clearer focus for the rest of us -- they chose to relinquish their standards of behavior rather than give up the heroine.
So I figure her image has entered the realm of Jungian archetype. She fills a basic need in the psyche of some of her followers, and, if you've noticed, these ones are fiercely protective of her. One of her implacable, die-hard supporters stated a few days ago that he would lay down his life for her. That's an image with a powerful pull, almost a religious phenomenon. She is the archetypal female for some, the innocent scapegoat, the Horatio Alger underdog who overcomes all obstacles to win at last -- and when (if) she does, then the symbolic victory will have satisfied a burning need in the psyches of those who projected their hopes, dreams, frustrations, struggles, etc. onto her.
If her handlers read DU, they probably know exactly what they have there -- and rejoice over it. She and Bill probably understand all this stuff on a shrewd, cagey, intuitive level as well.
On the bright side, I seriously doubt that this mechanism holds for most Democrats -- which means they are still reachable through fact, reason, appeals to their real interests and needs, etc.
And then, of course, there are supporters who are in it for their own money and power...