Human beings are pack animals, and there’s a significant amount of instinctual hard-wiring in our brains that says “do what the rest of the pack does.
The two best examples of this are how yawning and vomiting are both “contagious” within groups. The former to flush our bodies with oxygen in preparation of flight/fight, the latter to purge our systems in the event one member of the “pack” has eaten contaminated food.
In early October 1992 I was part of a small group of Young Republicans that infiltrated a much larger group of Clintonistas who were protesting an appearance by George HW Bush. The Clintonistas were chanting “Four More Weeks”. We just wanted to have some fun, see how long it would take for them to locate us and kick us out if we started chanting “Four More Years” from within their herd.
However, things turned out MUCH differently than expected when everyone around us started chanting “Four More Years” soon after we did. Including the guy at the front with the bullhorn. Took them a while to notice, I think the thing that triggered them was the main group of YRs across the street who stopped chanting and were looking at them with silent bemusement.
It’s a matter of public record that Barry’s only job prior to working in politics was working on a Foundation Board, working closely with his personal/professional friend Domestic Terrorist Bill Ayers. When the President has been a long-time supporter of an agitator/terrorist such as Ayers you have to expect a sharp uptick in public demonstrations turning into violent mobs. That’s what we voted for. It’s the Change we asked for.