I appreciate Joe's highlighting of nostalgia as a driving factor of Trump and Kennedy's popularity. And Kathleen - "terrified by a world that seems/is out of control" is just as apt.

Interestingly, when I look back at the Great Recession in the 00s, it was clear that people blamed big business and the government - and this sentiment was the direct cause of the anti-government Tea Party movement. Then came the George Floyd protests and the progressive backlash against Trump - which led to the anti-woke movement. And when you think about it, the anti-woke movement really manifested itself as an anti-modern culture movement.

So - a significant group of Americans, motivated by nostalgia and fear of the modern world, feel betrayed by their governing bodies, rules-based capitalism and their fellow citizens. And then in walks Trump and Kennedy….suddenly the lurch towards authoritarianism on the extreme right and left doesn't seem so surprising.