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BaronChocula

(2,539 posts)
33. We just disagree
Thu Nov 7, 2024, 09:08 PM
Nov 2024

and that's ok. We're on the same side in the larger picture. But I will take this opportunity to go deeper with what is going on with our politics, from my perspective.

The racial component is much stronger than most people are willing to let on. There has been a tremendous political realignment in politics since the Civil Rights Movement. LBJ underestimated the impact of his legislative agenda when he said "we're going to lose the South for a generation." It would have merely been a loss to the Democratic party for a generation had it not been for republicans from Richard Nixon on not capitalizing first on hostility of white Democrats in the South. The republicans welcomed those bigots with open arms.

Since then the party has been working to nationalize that hostility among white voters across all regions and it hasn't been that hard. The godfather of right-wing media Rush Limbaugh was syndicated nationwide in the late 80s. He had a specific appeal to white listeners that was anything but economic. He was a hundred percent "cultural." His message was that the liberal agenda to expand rights to all law-abiding citizens regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual identity was an affront to the supremacy of the white conservative bigots who listened to him and for that reason, they should hate everything liberal, regardless of whether or not it propelled their own interests.

It was in these years that you had whites claiming "I didn't leave the Democratic party, the Democratic party left me." This had absolutely nothing to do with economics and everything to do with the fact that the Democratic party stood for protecting the rights of all Americans instead of allowing white bigots to make the call on who was allowed equal protection under the law.

The burgeoning right-wing media that came along after Limbaugh had to engage in his same populist bullshit in order to compete for the same audience and for them it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Even the most unsophisticated voter knows that the republican party is very white and very male. Throughout our country's history, white males have received all the passes, all the credit, and all the deference, way more so than even white Democrats like Joe Biden. THIS is why republicans are perceived by white voters to be better at handling the economy than Democrats. They are not. Its also why republicans are perceived by white voters to be better at handling national security. They are not. What gives the republicans the wide edge in these areas is what I call the White Man's Pass.

Joe Biden, with all his blue collar bona fides doesn't get the same White Man's Pass that Donald Trump gets because his affiliation is with the party that defends rights for more than just hostile white Americans. This isn't only true with the tea party/maga crowd. White swing voters will also tend to be more comfortable with a republican.

In my opinion people didn't buy trump's BS on tariff's because he messaged better. They didn't buy his BS on tariffs at all. His promise of tariffs had nothing to do with it. He is a pro-white white man. His victories were delivered on a majority white vote by white voters who give republicans the white man's pass. As a republican in America (particularly a white republican) you have to fail leaps and bounds beyond what it takes for a Democrat to be deemed less electable. It's why I used the Sam Brownback/Kansas situation as an example. Remember, amid an economic collapse trump got more votes in 2020 than he got in 2016. Was that because people thought he would be a great agent of change? I highly doubt it.

In 2016 the corporate press and media parroted the claim economic anxiety drove the vote when inflation was at about 1.3%. Unemployment had been on a downward trend. There was no evidence of recession on the horizon. It was only the diligence of less lazy journalists who debunked the economic anxiety myth and correctly exposed the outcome to what we politely call cultural factors. Bottom line, trump has that cultural appeal.

As a final note, I've never heard a white voter dismiss a republican candidate with "I just don't know enough about them." Perhaps they'd say "I'd like to find out more about them" and there's a world of difference between those two statements.

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Thnk what you want TheProle Nov 2024 #1
Think what YOU want BaronChocula Nov 2024 #3
Gimme a break. I lived through the 1970s. *that* was inflation. unblock Nov 2024 #8
I lived through it too TheProle Nov 2024 #9
You can't tell people how they feel. DemocratSinceBirth Nov 2024 #11
Point is the number of people who really suffer with 5% inflation is vastly lower. unblock Nov 2024 #13
I'm not denying the pain of living on the margins BaronChocula Nov 2024 #22
Thank you. TheProle Nov 2024 #24
Not everyone who voted this year was ALIVE in the 70s AkFemDem Nov 2024 #27
Not everything in the world is relative. A light drizzle isn't a hurricane even if you've never lived through one. unblock Nov 2024 #30
Grocery prices didn't go through the roof then like they are now questionseverything Nov 2024 #28
yet they'll buy $100 golden tennis shoes - they just won't vote for a woman. nt TBF Nov 2024 #2
Exactly. The economy excuse is mostly just a cover for bigotry. unblock Nov 2024 #4
I'm positive BigMin28 Nov 2024 #5
Yes, laughter is helpful in moments like these BaronChocula Nov 2024 #6
It's a bifurcated economy Abnredleg Nov 2024 #7
By the same token BaronChocula Nov 2024 #10
Both parties' policies have failed blue collar workers Abnredleg Nov 2024 #14
I know what Kamala Harris' economic plan was BaronChocula Nov 2024 #19
Yes, Harris' policies are better Abnredleg Nov 2024 #20
Again, BaronChocula Nov 2024 #25
No - Trump the person is seen as a change agent Abnredleg Nov 2024 #29
We just disagree BaronChocula Nov 2024 #33
Anyone remember this one--Midwestern Diner Man? keep_left Nov 2024 #12
I only wish I could make it all as clear BaronChocula Nov 2024 #16
Yep. There is a lot of culture-war nonsense wrapped up in... keep_left Nov 2024 #32
People around the world are blaming incumbent parties for post-COVID inflation Fiendish Thingy Nov 2024 #15
Some places, sure BaronChocula Nov 2024 #18
That's my suspicion too. NT Mike 03 Nov 2024 #17
If people were under such economic anxiety, then why didn't we see a slowdown in consumer spending? Yavin4 Nov 2024 #21
Let's be honest, the VAST majority of the country WarGamer Nov 2024 #23
Someday, we may stop clinging to identity politics.... AkFemDem Nov 2024 #26
The republicans have trashed the economy every time Keepthesoulalive Nov 2024 #31
Amen! BaronChocula Nov 2024 #34
Great! How do you stop right-wing media BaronChocula Nov 2024 #35
DEADLINE WHITEHOUSE uncovers REAL REASON Why Kamala Lost - Nicole Wallace MSNBC revealing Insights LetMyPeopleVote Nov 2024 #36
Please believe me BaronChocula Nov 2024 #37
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