Idolizing politicians

With the presidential election and Georgia runoff finally coming to a close, social media is saturated with politics. From professional Instagram accounts to personal and humor-based Tik Toks, politics and politicians can be seen anywhere. Almost every politician has social media, whether it be Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, or Twitch. Although social media provides an easy way for them to reach out it also clouds the public’s perspective and objectivity.

Oftentimes, social media paints a photo of politicians in their best form, ignoring unpleasant or controversial aspects. In this day and age, people follow politicians the same way they follow celebrities. They are looked up to, and turned into heroes.

Recently, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as “AOC,” has become relevant on social media, streaming video games on Twitch. She played Among Us, a game that skyrocketed in popularity in the last year. While many people enjoyed the gameplay, it is irrefutable that the event was a political ploy.

“AOC played Among Us, and achieved what most politicians fail at: acting normal,” said news source, The Guardian.

People watch AOC and see her as a funny, relatable, and confident woman. However, they will rarely look past that and learn more about her politics and beliefs.

“Everyone looks up to her. They just see her ‘go-getter,’ ‘something from nothing,’ ‘I’m a woman,’ façade. They fail to look past that first glance, said NDB junior Sage Saperstein. “[People] see a politician at surface level, and don’t do their research.”

Saperstein later went on to say that she does like AOC, but understands that as a politician the Congresswoman should not be worshiped.

A perfect example of a wrongly-idolized politician is President Donald Trump. Trump has spent the last four years both hated and revered by the public. In fact, the country seems split on whether to love or despise the man. However, those who support him have a level of admiration that goes beyond what is usually given to a POTUS.

In an episode of Jimmy Kimmel in 2016, when his winning election against Hillary Clinton took place, Kimmel’s staff took the street to ask people how Trump could lose their vote.

“Short of killing somebody…I don’t know,” one man said.

Another woman admits that Trump could even shoot somebody in the middle of NYC’s 5th Avenue, and she would still vote for him.

“Nothing!” A lady exclaimed.

Many people believe that President Trump could do no wrong. Similarly, they believe anything he says with ease. Thousands of his supporters stormed the Capitol building on Jan 6, 2021, simply because he said the 2020 election was fraudulent. There was no substantial evidence, but his followers broke the law and committed felonies to back him up.

Cult expert Steven Hassan commented in a Vox article that, “Trump is an example of what a 21st-century cult leader looks like” (Illing).

In modern media, a lot of politicians have become idolized, leading to a mass amount of die-hard followers. Simply put, worshipping a political figure, or even a celebrity, is not a productive way to stay informed or open-minded. It can lead to blind support or believing that that person could do no wrong.

“American politics, there are so many things wrong with it and the people who work with that system”, junior Chloe McGraw said. “A lot of times, they had to do horrible things to get where they are.”