Is Fear Mongering Playing A Role In The Election?

[Lucy68]

For those that do not know what fear mongering is, it's basically the intentional use of exaggerated rumors to create feelings of fear. It can be used by a variety of people and groups to achieve their goals. Politicians will use fear mongering by using fear to influence voting behavior and win elections (for example telling the people if you vote for Donald Trump America will be similar to North Korea and we will end up in WW3 and if you vote for Trump America will not be a democracy anymore). There's also the talk that if you vote for Trump individuals who are black, Latino/Hispanic, Jewish, Asian, LGBTQA+, women, and those that are childless will not be able to vote ever again, how America will go back to the 1800s, Christianity will be the main religion, and slavery will go back in. Also, interracial relationships and same-sex marriage will be illegal. There's also the talk that if you vote for Kamala, America will be in WW3 and become a communist country.

Now I highly doubt either will happen between each candidate. I highly doubt if Trump wins the people I listed above will be forbidden to vote, that's literally going against the amendment #1 and #2 I highly doubt will be like North Korea if Trump wins.

But in seriousness do you believe fear mongering is playing a role in this years election? And what would you tell someone or anyone that believes in the fear mongering tactic? Do you believe fear mongering works? And who do you think believes in the fear mongering?

Now, I highly doubt will go back to the 1800s with Trump, and I highly doubt slavery will be put back in, and there's too many interracial relationships happening in this country so I don't think they'll make it illegal.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/10/27/harris-trump-polls-voters-fear-fascist/75821182007/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/politics/voter-slams-harris-race-baiting-fear-mongering-during-debate.amp

[Twalli]

Fear mongering has been going on since the Nixon administration. Newt Gingrich raised it to new levels, then that evolved into to the Tea Party followed by MAGA all using fear as a tactic to smear their opponent and get elected by focusing on fear. Fear is primal emotion that drives people more than most other things. As Machiavelli said a leader should be both feared and loved, but if both are not possible it is better for a leader to be feared. Democrats cannot beat the GOP unless they also use fear as a campaign tool. Harris was able to generate a fair bit of support from love, which is good, but now she needs to use fear to get the rest. I think the fears for Trump are far more real than those for Harris, after all they've been using this tactic starting with Gore (or maybe Clinton but I was 9 in the 2000 election, so I don't remember the 1996 election). We're still not a communist country despite having 8 years of Obama and 4 years of Biden. Trump's statements make it seem like he actually poses a pretty severe danger to the continuation of the U. S. as we know it. I don't think he'll get us quite to the point of North Korea, but he intends to use the military against opponents, he wants to suspend or get rid of The Constitution, and he's sworn to be a dictator on day 1. What will actually happen may be far different, but those are his clearly stated plans while Harris isn't stating she intends us to become communist. We might be far more socialist under her than Trump, but we'll still be a capitalist nation even if she's in power for 8 consecutive years. It would take decades of progressively more leftist presidents to make socialism a real fear in the U. S.

[Lucy68]

So if Trump wins and once he's sworn in, what do you see happening with him. I agree, I highly doubt we'll be like North Korea and/or Russian. I do see some laws becoming more strict. Red states, well everything might stay the same (I live in Alabama and abortion is banned and has been banned for a few years now), however, there's also the blue states. As for marriage, I highly doubt Trump would make interracial marriage illegal, however, the question remains with gay/lesbian marriages. I don't think too much bad would happen, but I do see America becoming really conservative and possibly strictly Christian based.

[Twalli]

I don't think there's enough support to ban those marriages especially since they wre deemed legal by SCOTUS.

[Lucy68]

And that's where the fear mongering comes in. People in the community have been told that if Trump wins, he will ban lesbian and gay marriage, and he will ban interracial marriage. And like I stated in my opinion post and what @saraupstairs just shared, he will bring back slavery. I believe none of that will happen honestly.

[Twalli]

He will do things that we need your be worried about. Or, at least, he'll try to.

[Lucy68]

We will see, next Tuesday/early Wednesday morning we'll see what happens to America. Both sides/parties are worried about the outcomes. I think we are going to be fine honestly, and I do not see America becoming the next North Korea and/or Russia.

[Twalli]

I don't think we'll know before Thursday, at the earliest.

[Anonymous]

Of course it is, the fear mongering is at the point people are turning on their friends over disagreements. The fear mongering is that bad I witnessed a user leave because her long time friend attacked her for not being obsessed with hating Trump. Media outlets bare a big responsibility for all the fear mongering. I don't buy into the fear mongering because I know it's one of the tolls the establishment uses to keep us hating each other. Don't get me wrong, the fear mongering happens on both sides.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Of course fear mongering is playing a role in this election to villainize both candidates. Smear campaigns are on the rise again and each candidate is doing their part to say “It’s me or them, and they’re terrible!” And list out all the reasons why regardless of if it’s true or possible or not.

[saraupstairs]

That's all the Dem fucktards have.

"Trump will bring back slavery."

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Jc-kL22fQU

This moron is the best they could scrape up.

[NaultD]

Dons make America great again manifesto is to recreate the gilded age in his own words. where the rich only hired children for the mines and getting their bodys twisted in the machines.

Looking at the gilded age political cartoons are pretty spot on.

[Anonymous]

of course it does but there's events that back up one side over the other

those who speak out against the government are already being jailed

Laken Riley and many other women did get murdered by illegal immigrants

hundreds of people did die during hurricane Helene and the response was inexcusable

Trump can't take a break without the swamp breathing down his neck

[Danny_dan92]

They always fear monger. Look what happened with covid. A virus that didn’t even kill half the people it infected… yet it was talked about as if it was insanely lethal.

[Lucy68]

I had Covid in back in November of 2019, then I got the covid vaccine the summer of 2020, and then guess what, I had covid again in February of 2021.

[Danny_dan92]

Yeah, cause it’s not a vaccine.

You know the best defense against a virus like covid? Being healthy. Exercise daily, get good sleep. Something the “experts” never spoke about

[Lucy68]

That's what I have been doing. They said that we needed to get the vaccine in order to not contract covid, and well guess what, I got covid twice.

Also, taking vitamins is what I also have been doing

[Danny_dan92]

Good!! As anyone should.

Anyone that says all of these things being said is untrue. All they need to remember…

Is the military forcibly removed members that were refusing the vaccine, then when they realized how many members they admin sep’d and then compounding that with the fact that recruitment is at an all time low… they then redacted that decision and begged those same service members to come back. 🤡

[Tamera952]

Isn’t that TrumpTard’s #1 go to? Creating the ‘other’ …demonizing the ‘other’…. Fostering an ‘us against them’ kind of dynamic?

[loveslongnails]

Fear mongering has been the entire GOP plan for years. Ironically, the one thing to be afraid more than anything else would be if the GOP wins. Kiss America good-bye.

[texascollegegirl]

Don't be an idiot. Trump is running on being a fascist.

[lightbulb27]

oh for sure, both sides.

Fear is the strongest motivator and most fall for it.

[DrPepper12]

Of course!! Fear, threats, hyperbole, propaganda, patronage, bribes, etc have been used since Democracies were established!

[Lliam]

Big time. That's all Democrats got.

[Fireguy17]

pretty much standard politics.

[Dargil]

Absolutely. On both sides.

[eagle1951]

not with me its not

[exitseven]

Ya think?

[jahaims]

Duh.

[OddBeMe]

Only half

[Anonymous]

Irrefutably.