I think most of the politicians are doing this extremely cynically, like some segregationist legislators who ran on Jim Crow knowing it got them a certain amount of voters.

I'm sure a bunch of the Nazis were completely cynical about the whole routine of ethnic purity. They still murdered 8+ million Jews.

The ones who are cynical are stepping aside and letting the ones who actually hate people to a nazi-level degree take the reins.

At some point you have to understand that hateful ideology is driving this.

That’s exactly what it is, too-do not try to sugar coat it or call it anything else. It’s hate. They hate what is different from them. They were the kids in school who bullied anyone who didn’t fit in *just right*, and as they got older & more powerful, they got meaner and more hateful.

every nazi is a grifter until they're not

Nazis are Nazis regardless of why they choose to be Nazis. My great-grandfather didn't ask the filth why they had joined the Wehrmacht before burning them to death in their panzers

There is no functional difference between someone doing this to get votes from the worst people and personally being the worst people, and the person who does one will do the other.

Like yes they are cynical, mean, and stupid but they also genuinely hate us.

Who cares. Whether it’s because they hate trans people or are just cynically going along with the ones who hate trans people, the outcome is the same regardless.

how splendid for you. we can’t afford such luxury