Dictionary.com defines “ride or die” as “a colloquial expression of extreme loyalty to someone or something.” The keyword here is “extreme.” Political alliances to a candidate or party is normal, but in recent years “ride or die” politics has become the mainstream way to express loyalty, and it is not healthy.
Recently, our politicians have begun to feel more like stars of a reality show. They use tweets to address serious matters, Instagram Live to discuss policy, and late-night talk shows to push agendas. As a result, citizens treat them just as they would their favorite television star.
Sara Li of Teen Vogue wrote in an article titled “Don’t Stan Presidential Candidates the Way You Stan BTS” that “Social media, of course, plays a large role in blurring the line between celebrity and politician. It used to be that access to our politicians was limited to official press statements or the occasional television appearance.”
Li is correct, presidents rarely made television appearances except in situations of crises or political campaigning, but during his time in office President Barrack Obama and First Lady Michelle frequently made appearances on talk shows, YouTube videos and even “Carpool Karaoke” with James Corden. Since then there has been an uptick of social media activity from American political leaders, essentially turning them into celebrities complete with a diehard fan base.
There is nothing wrong with people in politics being active on social media and having dedicated supporters, but with Trump’s MAGA advocates and Senator Kamala Harris’s #KHive things may have gotten out of hand. When politicians develop a strong cult following, it becomes difficult for their followers to see the possible flaws in their policymaking. In his 2012 The Guardian article “Barack Obama and the Paradox Behind His African American Support Base,” Gary Younge presents the argument that during the Obama administration there were decisions made that did not help his main support base, which is African Americans, but that these were largely ignored because of who the president was.
Princeton professor of African American Studies Eddie Glaude told fellow academic Fred Harris in a 2012 interview in The Guardian, “We have either become cheerleaders for President Obama or self-serving pundits. Not only are criticisms shunned, but even constructive critiques are unwelcome. At times it seems like questions as to how his tenure has affected black communities either should not be asked or, at the very least, should not be answered honestly.”
Professor Glaude expressed his belief that the blind support of President Obama at the time would not allow for an open critique of his administration without coming off as a “hater.”
In a YouTube video released by the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, interviewer Jordan Klepper went to a Trump Rally to ask people how they felt about Trump’s recent impeachment trial. While there, Klepper interviewed a female Trump supporter and listed the many accusations and reasons for his impeachment to which she responded, “I don’t care.” These examples do not represent all voters, but this blind devotion to any one person impedes a voter’s ability to make a sound judgment on who could be a better fit for the office.
Why do so many voters feel this way about their candidates? A Washington Post article written by Kwame Anthony Appiah titled “People don’t vote for what they want. They vote for who they are” gives insight into identity politics and presents this as the main reason people get attached to their chosen politician. The article takes evidence from evolutionary science and details tribalism as a driving force behind identity politics: needing to belong to a group of likeminded individuals and, on instinct, attacking any group that opposes your own. Many negative things have happened because of this but also many positives.
“To say identity precedes issues doesn’t mean that issues aren’t important. But high-flown ideas — including a moral commitment to equality — must come down to earth to gain power: They matter when they connect to groups that matter to us when they enter into a collective sense of who and what we are. For better or worse, it’s only through identity that ideas can change the world. Maybe someone could put that on a T-shirt,” Appiah wrote in his article.
With this information, it becomes clear why people turn into overzealous fans or “Stans” of a political candidate. On the one hand, it is a beautiful thing to be able to have a candidate that one can relate to or see themselves in. However, remember what is important about a government representative.
Keep a calm, open mind. It is up to the American people to ensure our leaders are held accountable for their actions, and that means viewing them like a politician and not a favorite celebrity.
