It's been said that nothing motivates people better than fear. Fear of violence, fear of something unfamiliar, fear of losing your job.
The liberal media is fond of saying DJT is using fear to fundraise. He's calling the stream of Central Americans fleeing poverty and oppression "an invasion of criminals and rapists and drug-dealers." He's telling his audiences that Biden is subverting democracy and law-and-order, and that "the only thing standing between him and you is me." He's warning of WWIII because of tensions in the world.
Faux News constantly harps on the dangers of DEI (diversity equity & inclusion) and wokeness and political correctness. They are stoking the fears of white supremacists that non-white people in government will take away their privileges.
Sometimes, though, I read the HuffPost headlines or watch MSNBC and I realize the left is stoking fear too. Fear of a right-wing dictatorial takeover, fear that "making America great again" means taking our country back to when "Negroes knew their place" and women didn't vote or hold office, when the [white] man was the undisputed head of the household and the captain of his own destiny.
But... there's a difference.
The right is really talking about doing those things, out loud and in public.
It's not just a tit-for-tat fear mongering, there really IS a movement afoot to reverse sixty years of social progress.
And that scares me.