On Stephanie Slade's argument that both left and right are converging on authoritarianism: the claim is hardly new. Research done decades ago (which was the basis for a paper I did in college in connection with the 1968 election and George Wallace's candidacy) established that authoritarian sympathies are correlated with both the left …
On Stephanie Slade's argument that both left and right are converging on authoritarianism: the claim is hardly new. Research done decades ago (which was the basis for a paper I did in college in connection with the 1968 election and George Wallace's candidacy) established that authoritarian sympathies are correlated with both the left and right extremes on the political spectrum. What IS new is that the authoritarians on the left remain a minority in the Democratic party and do not seek to overturn election results, while those on the right have completely taken over one of our two dominant political parties, with the avowed purpose of using anti-democratic means to remain in power.
Ms. Slade believes a baker needn’t make a cake for people who’s values she doesn’t like. So where is the line? What if it’s for a political party she doesn’t like? Or for people with a skin colour she doesn’t like? No. If you have a store open to the public then you must serve the public. Her finely-worded rationalization is just lipstick on prejudice - something the Trump Republicans don’t bother to put lipstick on anymore. It’s discrimination and a violation of human rights.
No argument at all on the how atrocious the right has become. But the far left is being allowed to punch way above their actual weight and doing real damage at the worst possible time. The always fantastic Ruy Teixeira had a great piece just this morning with receipts:
I highly recommend that article. I sent it to several people I know, just normie‘s. They agreed. All, btw, who generally vote Dem. However, if it weren’t for the threat of the gun-toting, Trump voting, election deniers ...
I found it easy to like but find it impossible to come up with a strategy to implement it. What should democrats stop saying or supporting? There are no recommendations. It is just the classic “be normal.”
I find ruy to be really frustrating in his analysis. I just read the Substack you passed along (thanks) and I thought “these are just words.” He never gives any actual policies. Be moderate on social issues. What does that mean? Should the Democratic Party ban transgender people from bathrooms? Support cake shops that don’t want to sell cakes at certain weddings? What does being moderate mean on these issues? Are democrats moderate on abortion or at the very edge?
Let’s just say there was some magic bullet for cultural issues. Does anyone really think that will help them win more in certain areas? I am not sure it will. Biden is pretty darn moderate imo and he can’t win in many of these areas anymore.
Finally I believe there is a media and ruy component going on here. If all the right wing media does is turn migrants, LGBQT, non religious people, pro abortion people into others/enemies, how much will a bit of moderation help?
I don’t know but ruy has been really wrong on a lot of things over the past few decades so I’m not sure I trust his opinion by just looking at opinion polls (btw if you look at polls in 2018 on immigration the polls were flipped for dems bc people really didn’t like the way trump handled family separation).
I think he means moderate the same way Charlie does. A moderate Dem in public/media would be quiet about transgender, comment that there are plenty of cake shops happy to provide a cake any way you want it, and declare that abortion is healthcare and a decision between the woman, her doctor, and her family. I would imagine most Democrats have stronger & more complex feelings about these things, but when addressing voters will do better to not say anything that can be perceived as crazy, needs to be explained, or anything that attempts to force people to behave differently.
Oh I agree. For the most part isn’t this what Biden has been doing? For my part (this is just my opinion), it doesn’t matter how moderate joe Biden is because there will always be someone in a very left congress seat who will push for what he/she believes and this is what the right wing media will push as joe biden’s opinion on any given issue. If they can’t find someone crazy in congress they will push an activist and say that’s joe biden’s opinion or the classic “why won’t Biden denounce such crazy ideas!!!”
I feel it’s a circular loop. Until the right wing media gets back to semi reporting news, it is just a doom loop.
And I think you are right about Biden can't do more, but that is partly because opinions about Biden are already formed from 2020 and before. But other offices, those Dems would win easier if they appear moderate, at least to independents and center right conservs.
I guess we will see. We have 2 really good test cases in Wisconsin and Ohio. Progressive in Wisconsin and a conservative moderate in ohio. I guess we will see who, if any, wins.
On Stephanie Slade's argument that both left and right are converging on authoritarianism: the claim is hardly new. Research done decades ago (which was the basis for a paper I did in college in connection with the 1968 election and George Wallace's candidacy) established that authoritarian sympathies are correlated with both the left and right extremes on the political spectrum. What IS new is that the authoritarians on the left remain a minority in the Democratic party and do not seek to overturn election results, while those on the right have completely taken over one of our two dominant political parties, with the avowed purpose of using anti-democratic means to remain in power.
Ms. Slade believes a baker needn’t make a cake for people who’s values she doesn’t like. So where is the line? What if it’s for a political party she doesn’t like? Or for people with a skin colour she doesn’t like? No. If you have a store open to the public then you must serve the public. Her finely-worded rationalization is just lipstick on prejudice - something the Trump Republicans don’t bother to put lipstick on anymore. It’s discrimination and a violation of human rights.
No argument at all on the how atrocious the right has become. But the far left is being allowed to punch way above their actual weight and doing real damage at the worst possible time. The always fantastic Ruy Teixeira had a great piece just this morning with receipts:
https://theliberalpatriot.substack.com/p/does-the-abortion-issue-mean-democrats
I highly recommend that article. I sent it to several people I know, just normie‘s. They agreed. All, btw, who generally vote Dem. However, if it weren’t for the threat of the gun-toting, Trump voting, election deniers ...
I found it easy to like but find it impossible to come up with a strategy to implement it. What should democrats stop saying or supporting? There are no recommendations. It is just the classic “be normal.”
I find ruy to be really frustrating in his analysis. I just read the Substack you passed along (thanks) and I thought “these are just words.” He never gives any actual policies. Be moderate on social issues. What does that mean? Should the Democratic Party ban transgender people from bathrooms? Support cake shops that don’t want to sell cakes at certain weddings? What does being moderate mean on these issues? Are democrats moderate on abortion or at the very edge?
Let’s just say there was some magic bullet for cultural issues. Does anyone really think that will help them win more in certain areas? I am not sure it will. Biden is pretty darn moderate imo and he can’t win in many of these areas anymore.
Finally I believe there is a media and ruy component going on here. If all the right wing media does is turn migrants, LGBQT, non religious people, pro abortion people into others/enemies, how much will a bit of moderation help?
I don’t know but ruy has been really wrong on a lot of things over the past few decades so I’m not sure I trust his opinion by just looking at opinion polls (btw if you look at polls in 2018 on immigration the polls were flipped for dems bc people really didn’t like the way trump handled family separation).
I think he means moderate the same way Charlie does. A moderate Dem in public/media would be quiet about transgender, comment that there are plenty of cake shops happy to provide a cake any way you want it, and declare that abortion is healthcare and a decision between the woman, her doctor, and her family. I would imagine most Democrats have stronger & more complex feelings about these things, but when addressing voters will do better to not say anything that can be perceived as crazy, needs to be explained, or anything that attempts to force people to behave differently.
Oh I agree. For the most part isn’t this what Biden has been doing? For my part (this is just my opinion), it doesn’t matter how moderate joe Biden is because there will always be someone in a very left congress seat who will push for what he/she believes and this is what the right wing media will push as joe biden’s opinion on any given issue. If they can’t find someone crazy in congress they will push an activist and say that’s joe biden’s opinion or the classic “why won’t Biden denounce such crazy ideas!!!”
I feel it’s a circular loop. Until the right wing media gets back to semi reporting news, it is just a doom loop.
And I think you are right about Biden can't do more, but that is partly because opinions about Biden are already formed from 2020 and before. But other offices, those Dems would win easier if they appear moderate, at least to independents and center right conservs.
I guess we will see. We have 2 really good test cases in Wisconsin and Ohio. Progressive in Wisconsin and a conservative moderate in ohio. I guess we will see who, if any, wins.