Why are so many Republicans still supporting Putin?

[kentuck]

Is it because their Leader, Trump, is still supporting Putin and they do not wish to get on the bad side of their Leader?

Are they so captive to their cult that they cannot criticize a dictator who invades his neighbor and commits war crimes against innocent women and children? Even though the entire world has stood up to condemn this reckless act of aggression?

It is truly sad to see such spineless acquiescence. It is even more sad that many of them are sitting in the Congress of the United States.

[Walleye]

1. They are deep into resolution of cognitive dissonance. Like an android given contradicting orders

[lark]

2. It's because they are traitors and racists first, Americans 2nd. Oh yeah, they are also stupid.

They approve the right wing dictator because he's hateful to & deliberately targets gays, women and minorities. They also like him because he projects hate and aggression and they are so stupid they think this = strength. He's white in a country of only white people and they like that too.

[tanyev]

3. Because libruls are outraged by Putin.

[uponit7771]

6. +1,

[KentuckyWoman]

16. My thought as well.

[Bucky]

5. Owning the libs is a compulsive behavior

...for petulent brats

[Generic Brad]

7. He's been their sugar daddy

He has been feeding them dark money through evangelical churches, conservative nonprofits and PACs. He flies them around on private jets through front organizations. In return, they do his bidding.

I don't know this for a fact, but the behavior and rhetoric of all involved presents this as the only logical explanation.

[Crunchy Frog]

8. It's because he's everything they want to be,

and his system of autocracy is what they want for this country.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Partly b/c they can't admit they're wrong.

Pride.

The rest are sheeple, still following Trump.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

10. I think it's because Putin has been strongly...

... anti-homosexual, and he's behaved in other ways that seem to agree with evangelical Christian "family values" nonsense.

Republicans are dead in the water without white evangelical Christian voters. Even Hillary Clinton would've won the "white vote" if none of the self-identified white evangelical (born again) Christians had voted in 2016, they voted so overwhelmingly for the Republican again despite that person being an obvious charlatan in Trump.

Even Republicans who aren't evangelical will tend to go along with their strongest voting base. It's their main hope for holding onto any power. At least until they can do away with democracy altogether and rule like fascists, but they're not there yet.

[Achilleaze]

11. G.O.P. support of Putin's slaughter of Ukraine is

deeply troubling. Not all Republicans support this ungodly massacre, but many do. It is outright evil. And the evil (Thou Shalt Not Kill) obvious.

[JHB]

12. Practice, Practice, Practice

[Irish_Dem]

13. GOP and Putin have the same goals. And Putin gets them "elected" and funds them.

Both Putin and the GOP want permanent total power and access to all state and federal monies. Install white christian minority rule.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

15. Yes, they both want the destruction of our Federal government.

That's another alliance-builder for them.

[Irish_Dem]

17. Yes and eradication of all opponents.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

18. Absolutely!

Such as Trump demanding that his critics be silenced -- e.g., after some negative reporting by the New York Times -- and his supporters agreeing with him, regardless of the actual evidence.

[Irish_Dem]

21. Demonizing, slandering Democrats.

Press favoring the GOP.

[eShirl]

14. Because he was Orange God's supervisor.

[Magoo48]

19. Because conservative/authoritarian/ReTrumplican/fascists are weak, fearful, hateful, little shits.

They crave to be led by a master who will care for them. They love to suck up, grovel, and follow.

[jcgoldie]

20. $$$

.. and send an army of 14 year olds to campaign for them incessantly on facebook. These are the ones on the payroll.

[2naSalit]

22. Because he owns them.

They are probably all scared shitless about being exposed as criminal in one form or another, most specifically as co-conspirators in a plot to kill America.