I see it as a line of demarcation between the True Believers of the shit they sling to rile up the base vs. folks who only say that stuff for its political value. This maps pretty well onto what you're saying, but the GOP has gone so far off the rails that sometimes the True Believers get their hands on real power (see Mike Pence, for example).
Trump believes some of the brainworm stuff, but he knows a lot of it's bullshit. He just has a feel for what the chuds will cheer for and no qualms about saying anything.
What I am referring to is people who have been told by the powers that be that the pandemic is real and the vaccine should be taken and they may not even outright say something that goes against either of those (although they may say something like "Taking the vaccine is a personal choice"). Meanwhile, the lower people on the power structure do not have those connections and they suffer for it.
I see it as a line of demarcation between the True Believers of the shit they sling to rile up the base vs. folks who only say that stuff for its political value. This maps pretty well onto what you're saying, but the GOP has gone so far off the rails that sometimes the True Believers get their hands on real power (see Mike Pence, for example).
We just had a fully-brainwormed fox news grandpa as president
Trump believes some of the brainworm stuff, but he knows a lot of it's bullshit. He just has a feel for what the chuds will cheer for and no qualms about saying anything.
What I am referring to is people who have been told by the powers that be that the pandemic is real and the vaccine should be taken and they may not even outright say something that goes against either of those (although they may say something like "Taking the vaccine is a personal choice"). Meanwhile, the lower people on the power structure do not have those connections and they suffer for it.