this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2026
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“Like I said, my opponent, she didn’t even hide it,” Masterson added. “She talked—they had witch—I mean, they’re doing like witchcraft spells on TikTok so she can win the governorship. I mean, they’re like … it’s like demonic stuff that they’re doing, right? Just in your face that way.”

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[–] Seimhe@lemmy.world 84 points 1 week ago (9 children)

Question from another part of the world: do they believe this nonsense, or do they just think their voter base believe it, or is it just a shared excuse for misogyny? I’m so lost.

[–] ProjectAzar@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago

Kansan here, Masterson probably doesn't believe it, but I also bet he's not entirely sure. There will be a small subset of voters who actually believe it because the American Heresy is strong. The vast majority of his voters/Kansans will literally never hear about this. And if they did, my guess is that most wouldn't believe it and most wouldn't change their vote if they heard about it.

Party loyalty is dumb.

[–] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's dehumanization language, make the enemy an "other".

Some are true believers, but most seem to treat it like a football game or something mentally where as long as their team or the one issue they vote (usually abortion, bigotry or guns) is satisfied they don't care about all the other performative crap.

[–] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Unfortunately, a large percentage of the Christian population in North America actually believes that witchcraft is A Real Thing that needs to be fought against tooth and nail. I was raised by people like this, who believe to this day that Harry Potter is evil because "spells" and "magic" are evil, as though they're some kind of insidious gateway to hell itself. It's madness. :)

[–] starblursd@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well they weren't entirely wrong on Harry Potter... Books about spells and magic may not be evil but their author sure is 🤣

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Christians in 2006 🤝 Trans and Palestine Activists in 2026

"JK Rowling is the Devil"

[–] CptHacke@piefed.social 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Exactly how is a 'spell' any different from a 'prayer'?

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That’s literally their issue with it. The thinking goes, if you’re essentially praying, but not praying to god, then you must be working with the devil.

[–] madmantis24@lemmy.wtf 2 points 1 week ago

The endorsement from God is also entirely arbitrary and conditional too, of course. Tallarico might say he's a Christian, but he advocates for a world where the first become the last, and the least become the greatest. To his opponents it's the worst kind of heresy

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

they voted for trump, twice… they are that stupid

[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 12 points 1 week ago

If they voted twice, you can be pretty sure they voted thrice for that grifter.

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago

many of them voted for him three times!

[–] CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I used to say: " They are not that stupid, they think you're that stupid."

Now I say: They aren't that stupid, they know you're that stupid.

[–] GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

I’m not sure if the speaker actually believes it. He’s a slimeball. But yeah far too many people here will. I hate what it’s gonna take to fix this, or else a millennia of darkness. ☹️

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

As an American, some do, others see it as explicit rejection of the in group/Christianity and hate it for that reason, still others just see it as a means of dehumanization that'll get the dumbfucks on their side riled up. The politicians though, most of them ain't believe in squat beyond what makes them more powerful. If the politicians believed in witchcraft that can overpower prayers you'd best believe they're secretly doing spells for their benefit.

[–] Gpennyhigh@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

They like the benefits of being in the in-group and protect their privilege all they can, even with incantations against witches, goblins and other supernatural forms lol! This goes way back to Europe and the Cautio Criminalis!