Part of the problem with Democratic politics is Democratic messaging targets straight white middle class to affluent homeowners and investors and is couched in seemingly anodyne language that raises obvious red flags with pretty much everyone outside of that demographic. Republicans know this, which is why they use euphemisms like "school choice" and "parents' rights" to target these people, who because of their privilege are poorly equipped to see through it or perhaps don't even care.
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 03:15:14 JST Nowhere Girl - Thomas 🔭🕹️ repeated this.
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 03:15:14 JST Nowhere Girl It's hard to convince some of these people that, for example, a bill touted as "protecting kids" is actually an obvious anti-LGBT+ trojan horse even when the Republican sponsor of the bill has said so explicitly.
But then again, this demographic skews conservative by its very nature: the status quo has worked out well enough for them.
Likewise, the "soft" racism and other bigotries in this group go largely undiscussed because they prefer to see themselves as the Good White People.
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 05:06:07 JST Nowhere Girl Intra-party friction has increased as this white moderate Democratic faction has been forced to contend with their dependence on Black, younger, and more progressive voters to win elections, especially as their fellow exurban white people have taken a hard right turn.
Many have consolidated around the white conservative elite view that Those People need to shut up, stop whining, and do as they're told -- which is helluva racist, elitist, and condescending, obviously. But try telling them that.
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 05:06:08 JST Nowhere Girl Not for nothing but this demographic is also one of the more irascible on social media, as they're occasionally confronted by Those People and their opinions.
The same impulse drove the elite kerfuffle over "cancel culture" and "online censorship" and its like. It's a very white conservative mindset.
They're also the ones most susceptible to "liberal" concern trolling over trans kids and healthcare, especially when it's propagated as "just asking questions" by elite "liberal" media.
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 05:06:08 JST Nowhere Girl And again, I'm not saying this to be mean. I'm not accusing anyone. These are demographic and cultural realities. This group also tends to admire police and "tough on crime" even though they're statistically well insulated from any danger, and it's motivated primarily by racial animus and the desire to enforce class and racial segregation.
This is sociology 101 stuff and basic feminist and Black scholarship, but it's pushed to the edges by white liberals who don't want to hear about it.
AnthonyJK-Admin repeated this. -
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 05:06:08 JST Nowhere Girl I can only imagine how much more exhausting this is for Black scholars and activists trying desperately to break through white liberals' whitewashed and self-righteous view of themselves, their party, and their politicians.
GreenSkyOverMe (Monika) and AnthonyJK-Admin repeated this. -
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 05:06:09 JST Nowhere Girl This is a sociological and political observation, not an accusation, but someone will inevitably feel offended by it even though bigotry is obviously endemic among white people.
Not all, of course. But many.
White trans people aren't immune to racism either, but they are somewhat more likely to have interrogated their priors than more privileged groups. Hell, there are transphobic trans people, mostly because of "model minority" bullshit and approval seeking.
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 05:06:09 JST Nowhere Girl Everybody has heard MLK's "white moderate" quote by now so none of this should come as a surprise.
But obviously, the white moderates in question don't want to believe they're the ones being talked about, and they bully people out of Democratic spaces to preserve their comfort.
Marginalized groups have been discussing the flaws and bigotries among their white liberal peers for a long time. Getting mad about it doesn't do any good, but it does make you look like an asshole.
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Nowhere Girl (gwynnion@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Mar-2024 05:06:09 JST Nowhere Girl The point being, it's easy to think of yourself as good and right when the realities of what you're supporting are obfuscated behind euphemisms, dog whistles, and ra-ra partisan nonsense.
The consequences never land on your doorstep, after all, and you likely will never hear about them if you've driven the poor and marginalized people most affected out of your space.
And clearly, many people in this demographic know what they're doing, they just hide behind the party and its rationalizations.