The Future of the GOP

[Mickey]

Also Democrats were able to pass a stimulus bill because COVID stimulus packages are popular and broadly supported, and the GOP is smart enough to stay more or less out of the way on that one.

[Bi_3]

Democrats were able to pass the stimulus bill in part because Republicans were to busy complaining about cancel culture to message against it. Will they now get to pass an enormous infrastructure bill because Republicans are too busy telling corporations to stay out of politics (I’m not talking about political contributions)?

I like your McConnell reference there, haha. Also, why do people think it's a good idea to open with "first they came...?" I guess woke Libs are nazis now.

[BurtReynolds]

Why wouldn't they focus on issues that they are on the popular side of? Beats fighting against ones they are on the unpopular side of that they can't even stop.

[tragabigzanda]

FUCK ICE

[BurtReynolds]

Why wouldn't they focus on issues that they are on the popular side of? Beats fighting against ones they are on the unpopular side of that they can't even stop.

how does a media stance against the outrage-industrial complex drive votes or legislation though?

How doesn't it?

[tragabigzanda]

FUCK ICE

[Mickey]

Please, I am begging you, stop making me agree with Burt.

[tragabigzanda]

FUCK ICE

[Mickey]

Trag what happened in 2016.

[tragabigzanda]

FUCK ICE

[tragabigzanda]

FUCK ICE

[Mickey]

C'mon man. We know Trump was elected by suburban whites (like Josh!) who gobbled up that MAGA nonsense. We know and they know that the Trump playbook--the elites hate you, they hate America, take back your country!--has worked before. Will it work again in the absence of a global pandemic overseen by a grossly incompetent media dipshit? Maybe! And you can bet your ass they're going to try it!

[tragabigzanda]

FUCK ICE

[elliseamos]

Lest anyone forget, whatever gets passed the Rs will still take victory laps for it.

But I'd find it hard for Rs to win if they plan to bad-talk corporations... even ones that can only talk with contributions and not political actions.

[Mickey]

C'mon man. We know Trump was elected by suburban whites (like Josh!) who gobbled up that MAGA nonsense. We know and they know that the Trump playbook--the elites hate you, they hate America, take back your country!--has worked before. Will it work again in the absence of a global pandemic overseen by a grossly incompetent media dipshit? Maybe! And you can bet your ass they're going to try it!

does the data show that suburban whites gobbled that shit up, or that they didn't want to vote for Hillary?

How could you possibly adjudicate between those two options given that Hillary was one of the elites that hates you and hates your culture? Any attempt would be pure speculation (personally I think both Bernie and Biden eke out a win in alternate-2016, but we'll never know). But more importantly, what are we debating here? Is it whether culture war shit is going to win in 2024, or is it whether they're going to try it? Because the former is anyone's guess, but the latter seems pretty clear to me, given that the GOP has been riding culture war (in some form, if not its current manifestation of anti-outrage) since at least 1994.

[tragabigzanda]

FUCK ICE

[Mickey]

I started typing the following comment, I'm not sure I agree with it but I'll put it here anyway:

I think the reason why is that US presidential elections are basically overdetermined from the start by factors well outside the control of either party, both of which lack the power to seriously affect (rather than simply manage) the movement of capital and the libidinal desires it induces at any historical juncture, and so they each articulate themselves around a cultural politics (progressive-inclusive-globlal/neoliberal or defensive-nationalist-individualist) to fire up their base, knowing that the American electorate is basically r-word to begin with, and then hope for the best (and/or actively manipulate voting procedures, electoral maps, and the judiciary to ensure the best outcome).

[Mickey]

If you disagree, please consider that I might, also.

[BurtReynolds]

Liberal derision of "the culture war" is pretty funny considering they spend every waking moment fighting in it (but when they do it, it's called "social JUSTICE"). They just downplay it because they're winning and don't need attention brought to it. But even for the few who genuinely regard it as unimportant, people who put more weight on how much stuff they can get than the survival of their culture and community are just fundamentally different people than the ones who value the reverse.

[Mickey]

Liberal derision of "the culture war"

I know you are not talking to me.