I agree "defunding the police" has never been mainstream Democrats' goal, but I can think of two reasons ordinary people might get the impression "defunding" was a fairly mainstream idea based on non-right-wing news sources:
First, some policies labeled "defunding" police (like diverting some police money to CAHOOTS-style programs or comp…
I agree "defunding the police" has never been mainstream Democrats' goal, but I can think of two reasons ordinary people might get the impression "defunding" was a fairly mainstream idea based on non-right-wing news sources:
First, some policies labeled "defunding" police (like diverting some police money to CAHOOTS-style programs or completely dissolving a dysfunctional police department to replace it with a reformed one) might really be good ideas. Second, journalists like a hook, and "Maybe 'defund the police' is good, ackshully!" is a hook. Ergo:
The subtitle is, "(And rebuilt the department from the ground up. The strange, hopeful, politically complicated story of Camden, N.J.)" But the hook is police abolition.
"These US cities defunded police: 'We're transferring money to the community'"
These stories ran in center-to-left US national outlets, center-to-left international outlets, and local US papers, too. Of course the likes of Tucker Carlson would then wave these headlines about, devoid of context. But variations on the phrase "defund the police" proved pretty tempting to non-right-wing headline writers, too.
I agree "defunding the police" has never been mainstream Democrats' goal, but I can think of two reasons ordinary people might get the impression "defunding" was a fairly mainstream idea based on non-right-wing news sources:
First, some policies labeled "defunding" police (like diverting some police money to CAHOOTS-style programs or completely dissolving a dysfunctional police department to replace it with a reformed one) might really be good ideas. Second, journalists like a hook, and "Maybe 'defund the police' is good, ackshully!" is a hook. Ergo:
"The City that Really Did Abolish the Police"
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/12/camden-policing-reforms-313750
The subtitle is, "(And rebuilt the department from the ground up. The strange, hopeful, politically complicated story of Camden, N.J.)" But the hook is police abolition.
"These US cities defunded police: 'We're transferring money to the community'"
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/07/us-cities-defund-police-transferring-money-community
Subtitled, "More than 20 major cities have reduced police budgets in some form, and activists are fighting to ensure that is only the start"
"The 'abolish the police' movement, explained by 7 scholars and activists"
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/12/21283813/george-floyd-blm-abolish-the-police-8cantwait-minneapolis
"What happens if we defund the police?" Subtitled, "Erica Scott and Randy Janzen offer alternatives from around North America"
https://www.nelsonstar.com/opinion/column-what-happens-if-we-defund-the-police/
Etc.
These stories ran in center-to-left US national outlets, center-to-left international outlets, and local US papers, too. Of course the likes of Tucker Carlson would then wave these headlines about, devoid of context. But variations on the phrase "defund the police" proved pretty tempting to non-right-wing headline writers, too.