Democrats have done the very opposite of what they have intended by ostracizing Trump supporters. We all stick together now! Every time I see someone with a pro-Trump hat I greet them. I have made friends with people in public purely on the basis that they're pro-Trump! We are stronger together!
An ordinary American with a day job could afford 2 houses on a congress salary unless they're from a liberal state like California, New York, or Massachusetts. Plus, just stay in an apartment for part of the year when congress is in session and go back home to your home state when it's not.
I think the framers in theory intended for recurring 4 year terms. Being very new to democracy they didn't realize how much time people would take campaigning--back in the day it was considered rude to campaign for yourself. Also, they assumed people would readily retire from congress after a few years / people also didn't live as long.
My mom's a Democrat and neither of us voted for Trump in 2016. I was deceived by the never trumpers at that point! She's from Michigan, I'm unfortunately not in a swing state, but both of us are very excited to be voting Trump this year! My aunt called my mom and harassed her for voting Trump, but my mom stood firm. But I think many people are like your parents and my mom and have realized how CRAZY the democrats have become. Even people I know that hate Trump have voted for him after they've seen people being harassed by Democrats
It didn't help that the media would have cracked down and destroyed a church that stayed open! I know one California pastor who kept his church open, called it a "protest" because leftists love those, and said it'd be one thing to close the church if we were in the middle of the black plague. Everyone attacked him saying "You're calling black people a plague"? because they were such idiots.
If it were a mosque NOBODY would have said anything. Not one person. In fact, if anyone had called them out the entire leftist community would have PRAISED mosques for staying open.
People who may not be big MAGA supporters and only voted Trump because they had to, or who voted Biden because they didn't like Trump (for one reason or the other) but now realize the plan to destroy freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and turn our country into a Chinese hellhole.
These people were deceived at first, but the lunatics in charge of us have shown their hand.