Snowflakes. Groomers. Cucks.
For years the MAGA movement has approached politics the way a bully would approach a schoolyard, sparring with labels so nasty, they seemed expressly chosen to appeal to the kind of people who stuffed nerds in lockers in sixth grade. And for years Democrats, abiding by the mantra to go high, not low, have responded by trying to be the adults in the room: defending themselves with facts, with context, with earnest explanations that nobody remembers (if they defend themselves at all).
The problem is that taking the high road only works if politics is a sport played mainly by people who act like grown-ups, which it is not. And also: Facts and context don’t make for particularly sticky messaging.
Enter: Weird.
Over the past two weeks, as “Brat” and coconut memes have taken over the internet and Kamala Harris inches closer to Donald Trump in the polls, the Democrats have finally gone low, deploying a bit of verbal jujitsu so delightfully petty it might just work.
Adjectives are not nouns.
Can we make a meme referencing the MyPillow guy with Vance’s sofa smashing? After that all we’ll need is Trump embracing the Turks to get the Ottoman reference in there somehow and we’ll have a completely furnished set!
Back when Michelle Obama said when they go low, we go high–I told my wife “I really wish that worked in American politics, I really do…but it simply doesn’t”. My wife disagreed. Because my wife is a mature, kind-hearted Democrat. She thinks you can bring an informational brochure to a bar fight.
Maybe there is a way to de-escalate things and return to more civil “statesmanship” style in our politics. But my guess is that these things follow some kind of up-and-down cycle, and you don’t want to be on the side that’s lagging.
They go low, we kick them in the teeth.
Knee to the nose would be my personal go to if someone “goes low”
This does seem easier, logistically.
As a democratic compromise i propose we do both
I saw an article that summarizes people like your wife as those living in a West Wing (TV show) fantasy. I wish we lived in such a world too, but we definitely do not.
I do not mean offense to your wife. I envy people that still have that type of faith.
No offense taken. She has a hard time seeing how nasty it has become. She limits her exposure to the news, which is mostly a good thing.
It isn’t a good thing overall if it means she’s that out of touch.
Out of touch with what? How ducking awful humans really are?
Out of touch with current politics.
Elaborate. Which part of the GOP platform are we going to talk about? Oh, right, they don’t have one. There’s literally nothing to discuss.
The part where she thinks you can take information to a bar fight…?
Meeting in the middle and taking the high ground has worked a LOT in the past. In about 12 years, though some would argue since 2002, things changed. We can return to a more reasonable time, though I am of the opinion that the modern Republican Party needs to be gutted and replaced before we can do that. They are so far right that they’ve done a complete circle and have ended up with various heads in far too many asses.
I’m a big picture kind of person and that large magical totally not a portal painting on the wall points to the party being beyond saving.
It’s further back than that. Newt Gingrich in the 90s proved that the “fuck you, I’m gonna break your shit” republican strategy was surprisingly (politically) effective in the context of winning American elections and curbing the (publicly apparent) effectiveness of the Democratic Party. The DNC just took over 30 fucking years to fully understand that, and in the interim, the American public has paid the price.
I considered pushing back even into the late 70s. I think though, the shift to the modern mental breakdown really began happening after Sept. 11th. With 2002 really kicking off the U.S. involvement in the middle east as a response to the incident. As we know now pointing the guns at the more convenient (for us) targets. I’m no historian though.
I sure wouldn’t miss them.
Yeah I think the winning move is “we can discuss the issues as mature adults whenever you choose to. But until then if you’re going to insist on name calling and fascism I’m going to call you the pathetic weirdo you’re being”
I mean honestly, this is correct. There are likely a few Republicans in positions of some power that disagree with how things have gone. Unfortunately, I feel they are far in the minority. Today it is no longer an issue of mild morality disagreements, or a lack of some fearless leader. The bigots, racists, and fascists have taken over the party.
Now there are ways to change this. Shift the status quo away from their foolish and evil ideologies. BUT it would take commitment from leaders of both parties - NOT assigned leaders, people who are instead well-respected, to step up together. Problem is there is no one on that side of the fence who fits that role right now. Chances are we’d have to vote them in. After all, we can affect that too. If we know a Democrat isn’t likely to take a seat, push for the better Republican. No reason we can’t move left by yanking and pulling in equal measure.
Fully agree except I don’t think it will be republicans who join us there. I think we’ll end up with a Democrat split once the republicans are unviable
I have to upvote Innuendo Studios.
Exactly, we don’t go high because they go low, they go low because they know we’ll go high.
It’s not just one or the other.
You can’t ignore it, you can’t pick it apart and expect people to listen. Even if they listen, now you’re spending all your time explaining.
What you is dismiss them quickly and broadly, then talk about what you would do.
They won’t waste time trying to talk policy, so they’re reduced to making the same insults and getting the same dismissals.
It makes them look “weak” and the more they fight back the crazier shit they have to make up. It’s a feedback loop.
Biden tried to do it, he just couldn’t string together enough words. Kamala can, but it’s not some master strategy, just the common sense response to the situation
Sure, I hear you and what you’re saying, and it all makes sense. I think it depends on the time, the place, and the audience. I would say in general there has been a sea change here in the Trump post-truth world. And in general, things are much, much nastier as far as the tone and style goes. Things were very nasty when it came to policy and actual backroom deals back when Reagan took over. But at least the evil old bastard was charming and liked most Americans in his own goofy / phony way. He did pit us against each other but more in the grandpa wants to watch the kids wrestle kind of way compared to Trump’s “let’s destroy democracy” kind of way.
I also think it’s very important that the Democrats continue to be for some things and not just 100% against things like the Republicans are.
Have to fight back against the bullies to get them to stop.
Democrats have become so right wing they’re finally allowed to do name calling.
Seeing that thumbnail for the first time had me thinking “Who’s the B movie token Russian guy?”
My only issue with using weird to refer to them is how much I love Weird Al Yankovic…
Fuck it tho… if weird works to get under the skin of fascistsI don’t think it’ll hurt AL in the slightest.
There’s good weird and bad weird.
i find weird and creepy to be less name calling and more fact pointing
Also way less offensive than what they deserve.
For Heaven’s sake, someone make this person a Lemmy Mod
If you want name-calling, these work:
Have some Lemmy Gold.
i love how there are like 10 different kinds of lemmy gold
Gotta catch em all!
There is??? I’ve never seen anyone offer up any in the comment sections I’ve been in.
Good observation!
Take these!
And these as well!
That’s cause all the Instances have different gold.
They are all as valuable as that other gold too!
Oh dang this one’s got Lemmy on it.
Unfortunately, fact pointing doesn’t work.
Let’s keep up the “name calling” facts
Matt Gatez creepily traffics children
Gym Jordan is, at best, a creepy enabler of pedophiles
Mike Johnson weirdly discusses individual porn movies with his children
(I’m not trying to stick to a theme here)
Lauren Boebert seems to weirdly enjoy public indecencyMTG literally feeling-up a cardboard cutout of TFG is SUPER weird. what in the sugar frosted fuck was that??? Southern republicans were fucking weird 20 years ago but god damn
yes! they key is to use factual words that these very simple, emotionally driven people understand.
Party of family values 🙄
(I’m not trying to stick to a theme here)
Sometimes a creepy pattern just emerges from the data. :shrug:
Republicans ain’t like us.
Poetic justice for the "fuck your feelings " crowd.
Future Presidential debates:
“Shut up you lying little bitch”
“Come make me, fuckface!”
Schoolyard Insults: Presidential Edition
I love how b!t©h is removed but “fuckface” is peachy.
Only because you’re on ml, my instance gives me the full uncensored text.
Still hilariously arbitrary, no matter who’s dumb idea it was.
wait is it just straight up removed, or censored like b****?
There’s a hunter2 joke here but I’m too old and tired
Why did you just type a bunch of asterisks in the middle of a sentence?
It appears as removed. Example: "You son of a removed!
More of this bullshit? My god is this weak. No Republican gives a shit about this, nor does anyone not an already solid democrate.
The Republican reaction disagrees with you. It’s oddly put them I’m quite the tailspin, which I personally do think will have an effect on turning off some Republican voters. I don’t think it will pick up many voters, but it may indirectly dissuade some.
No Republican gives a shit about
you do.
I am not a republican lol
You’re acting kind of weird.
lol yes you are. You claim to be a democrat but you’ve got a lot of Republican genes in your beliefs. Also The way you talk is definitely Republican.
Look if you want to “pass” as a Democrat you’re going to have to do a lot more work and maybe hide some of your more Republican tendencies in like a closet or something.
You’ll never be a real dem but you might fool some folks if you keep putting on democratic clothes and practice passing.
But i’ll never accept you, and it’s important to me that you know that, and what that means.
I’m not a democrate either. In the land of sanity I am a left leaning libertarian.
If you don’t like what I say and think, then the likely difference between you and me is sanity.
Ah, sorry i don’t recognize that as a “real” political position. Make up all the fancy names for your beliefs that you (and people like you) please, but here in the real world you are Republican. That’s that.
EDIT booo i think he blocked me, sensing somehow the colombo-esque point i was trying to make slooooowly closing around him. Beer says he couldn’t figure out what it was tho, even though i made it pretty blatant.
A pity, soft but clever types like him will never learn their lesson. At least this savant isnt american…
Yeah I’m blocking you because I don’t communicate with the insane.
Dont be afraid dude, learning is a necessary part of growth. Even your wish to block out my words is an important step. I didn’t want that part to happen, but it isnt necessarily a setback. I will be here waiting patiently for your third and final part of this lesson.
PM me when you’re ready.
Republicans are disgusting
https://archive.is/JGSPb Because I hit that wall.
Also, holy shit. That’s the most mind-blowing article I’ve read in awhile. Thank you!
You’re welcome. I did my own research after Trump got elected into the Authoritarian Personality, Dark Triad and the F-Scale.
Apparently the only way to put Republicans in check is to strategically sink to their own inate level.
Only verbally to them. The goals are totally different. Republicans want ownership to women’s and children’s bodies and to make people feel guilty if they disagree.
I think it’s missing the point. It’s not effective for being name-calling. It’s just saying what everyone is already thinking. Like in the 2020 debate when Biden said “Will you just shut up, man?” It was relatable because Trump runs his fucking mouth all the time.
This is the same. It’s a relatable feeling - Trump is deeply weird and out of touch. Vance is so creepy people didn’t even bother to check if he really wrote about fucking a couch.Vance is so creepy people didn’t even bother to check if he really wrote about fucking a couch.
Nailed it. Pre-Trump era I would have frantically searched for a source. These days my expectations from the Republicans are so unbelievably low.
I’m still in the group of… This is childish behavior.
The walk around while holding on to your ankles group?
No the, “politics should remain professional” group.
McCain Defending Obama: https://youtu.be/JIjenjANqAk&t=30s
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That ship has sailed years ago. Maybe we’ll get back to it if everyone votes and the Fanta Menace goes to jail.
They’re both weird and creepy in their own ways. The GOP is like a Petri dish that someone smeared rabid monkey shit on, and we’re all watching it fester and mutate.
