“The community that sprang up around Trump’s rallies was seductive and intoxicating,” Lewis wrote in a column. “The attendant friends, activity, music (Trump rallies had a concert-like feel), T-shirts with inside jokes, and circus-like excitement all contributed to the delusion that you were part of a large and important subculture.”

The emphasis on how Trump makes his followers feel, rather than a sober assessment of his performance as president, has made him particularly difficult to dislodge from U.S. politics. But cheering from the stands is different from practicing citizenship. A fan’s job is to admire and defend the object of his affection. A citizen’s role is to judge the public servants they employ. By converting his base into fans, rather than mere voters, Trump made it difficult — if not impossible — for anyone to challenge his hold on his admirers.

Across the political spectrum, it’s long past time for Americans to rediscover some self-respect and to adjust the terms of our relationships with public figures. Andrew Cuomo isn’t a hottie. Even if he was, it wouldn’t matter more than the thousands of dead New York nursing home residents or 11 women he allegedly harassed. Your mileage on whether Trump puts on a great show almost definitely varies. And no spectacle is a substitute for basic competence and dignity.