I learned a German expression for what universally drives people into the arms of the extremist right: Verlustangst
Verlust means "loss," and Angst means "fear." So: "fear of losing something/everything."
The National Socialists (NSDAP, or "Nazis" for short) effectively made the population afraid that the Jews and the Bolsheviks were coming (or were alredy there) to take away what the people had. This was particularly effective in post World War I Germany, when economic conditions were dire.
In present-day USA, it's again, money, but also weapons, God, daughters, "freedom," or the "American way of life," which is definable by exactly no one.
It doesn't matter what, or which combination or even all of the above. The Republican tactic is to convince voters that "they" are coming to take something away from them. Anything. Their internal combustion engines, their right to dump Roundup into our drinking water, their right to put innocent people into jail and leave them there, their churches, their "freedom" to force their religion onto others, and, of course, their freedom to not have anyone else force their religion on them.
The Republican line is to convince their voters that we "libbruls" are coming to take all that away from them. It's theirs to "lose," and the Republicans are saying, "we're here to protect you from that." And since they own most of the media people listen to, enough otherwise rational people believe it. When it's such nonsense, then WHY do people believe it? I can't really explain it, other that the fact that too many people hear nothing BUT this line, and have come to accept it as the truth.
No one understood this phenomenon better that Hitler's buddy, Hermann Göring:
"Naturally the common people don't want war . . . but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or parliament or a communist dictatorship. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
"People don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? The common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany."
My father in law WAS that "slob on a farm." He didn't want war, but was drafted at age 17. He was sent to Stalingrad at age 18. He returned at age 19. He was not in one piece. But that is one loss that the extremist right will not be warnig you about.
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The ability to challenge the drumbeat of fear, fear, FEAR, and the fire hose of propaganda and outright lies spewed 24/7 by the Fright Wing is made much more difficult by the fact that the Fright Wing owns or strongly influences the corporate owned McGreedia. They also own the AM radio stations which are what many people listen to in their cars. I can't afford internet streaming services when away from my home wifi, but I am retired, so I am not stuck commuting each day.
Another source of fear, misogyny and hate is the fanatical fundamentalist churches, who harangue their flock every Sunday that they have to vote for CONservative candidates and measures in order to avoid burning fear eternity. 
. Sadly, it never seems to occur to these benighted folk that such a cruel and vindictive deity is more deserving of being spat upon then worshipped. And, the IRS should have stepped in long ago to remove the tax exempt status of churches engaging in politics.
The other issue seems to be related to the time and location in the country where people grew up. I was raised in the largest city in my state, I have always lived on the West Coast, and my parents weren't big church goers. I was also lucky enough to go to high school at what was then one of the most liberal schools in the country. Not trying to be smug. I was just lucky in avoiding being pumped full of hate and misinformation and to come into contact with people who were different than me and with teachers who worked hard to open our minds and show us that we didn't need to fear the achievement of justice for all.
The struggle we face is getting the facts out there that progressive policies and programs do benefit the majority of people and that real change is possible. The group we need to reach with these messages are the people who CHOSE not to vote in the last election. I keep reading that they are a larger group of people than those of us who chose to vote.
I have no idea how to reach these people. We haven't had any wealthy people step up to buy a media outlet for progressive causes. The wealthy are under the erroneous impression that extreme wealth equality doesn't really affect them. They may only get the point when the economy finally collapses, as it is guaranteed to do under oligarchy.
I really wish more people would wake up and see how they are being manipulated through false and manufactured fears.
