At least in this post, I’m not advocating for any particular political position; I mean for this to be a more generalized discussion.
I have never understood what prompts people to attend political rallies. None of the current US political candidates 100% align with my views, but I am very confident that I made the right choice in who I voted for. That is to say, I’d consider myself a strong supporter of [name here].
To me, it feels like attending a political rally is like attending a college lecture. You have a person giving you information, but you don’t gain anything by hearing it in-person as opposed to reading it or watching a recording. If I want to learn something, it’s much more comfortable for me to read and article or watch a video in the comfort of my own home. If I want to understand what a political candidate stands for, I’d much rather watch a recording of a town-hall meeting or read something she (oops) wrote rather than taking the time to drive to a rally, get packed in with a bunch of other people, and simply stand and listen.
I understand concerts. Hearing live music sounds vastly different than listening to a recording. Same with movies; most of us don’t have an IMAX theater at home. When you’re trying to gather information, though, what’s the draw in standing outside in a crowd at listening to it in person?
Ah we’re different there. There are 2 celebrities I would love to sit down and have a chat with, I would love to know more about them. It will never happen, but it’s there.
I think people are that way with politicians in this country, they are giddy and obsess, and it’s a fun euphoric state where you forget about reality. During Covid I fell down the parasocial relationship ladder a few rungs because it was more fun than staring at my wall for hours on end, but when Covid ended I pulled myself back out. Not everyone does though.