"Unlike The Governor, Negan is a classic despot."

all of the dictators you mention the power of the State behind them, the bureaucracy, tradition, appeals to patriotism. Negan has none of those things. No one gets anything out of it. Castro didn't say 'vote for me and i'll starve you and your children to death.' He says, "vote for me, I care about the people. …

again, the cult leader supplies something to the flock, the sense of belonging, being part of "us" against "them." The chosen people, we're going to survive the Apocalypse, and no one else will, We have special knowledge kept from the mass population. None of these apply.
No one built a cult by torturing and…

It's amazing, but we share nothing in world views - and therefore there is not a single sentence in your comment I can agree with.

more believable than what the writers came up with.

Bad writing. I'd say in the beginning Rick was a great leader. Season 6 saw him do some really stupid things that "Rick" wouldn't do, but this imposter had to do, cuz that's where the writers wanted the show to go.

Negan is just not believable to me. He's hated by everyone he meets, he walks around alone with just a bat, and yet no one takes him out? Why this devotion?
If he was a king, you could see some loyalty to god and country to protect him, if he had some special ability that makes survival possible - I could see it. …