There are many people commenting on the trending #OhJeremyCorbyn hashtag and pitying people who crazily cling to the lame-duck Labour leader. It’s desperate stuff, for sure, but exactly what you’d expect from what is effectively a religious movement. 1/6
2/6 I’ve commented before that the certainty of an election victory was much like setting a date for the end of the world. When the date passes and the prediction has been disproved, there are only two reactions: (a) confusion and dissonance; (b) doubling down.
3/6 At this stage, the religious leader needs to explain away the discrepancy between prediction and reality - moving as many adherents as possible from confusion and dissonance to a position where they are reassured and renew their commitment.
4/6 Corbyn’s story is that the prediction was *fundamentally* correct, but that an unpredictable and uncontrollable curveball - #Brexit - meant that the *date* of victory had been incorrectly assessed.
5/6 A proportion of people will peel away disillusioned at this stage, unconvinced by the guru’s post-rationalisation. My hunch is that they are *quite* numerous but not very public or vocal. It is difficult for anyone to admit they were wrong. Tough psychological soul searching.
6/6 The loyalists, who rally and sing and post on social media, are probably *more* numerous. They attack their enemies (media, Blairites, billionaires, ‘Israeli lobby’) and remain consistent to their earlier commitment. This is the easier way through the crisis by far.
