We really need to stop pretending that these protests or the narrative about them are actually moving the needle a substantive degree in either direction.
The dynamics of voter behavior (which are largely identarian) tend to argue otherwise.
What these narratives and behaviors often do is simply justify already determined behavior. That be…
We really need to stop pretending that these protests or the narrative about them are actually moving the needle a substantive degree in either direction.
The dynamics of voter behavior (which are largely identarian) tend to argue otherwise.
What these narratives and behaviors often do is simply justify already determined behavior. That behavior was/is determined largely by identity.
The self-identified left will vote left. The self-identified right will vote right. The self-identified independents will vote their lean (left or right) which is affected more by who is currently in power (which usually means a vote against those people) than anything actually happening. You can throw in perceptions of how the economy is doing on top of that (note that I say perception not actuality).
Is there a possibility for outlier behavior to shift things? Some, but not much--and outlier behavior is a function of normal behavior--which gives the Right a longer way to go to get to true outlier behavior.
At this point you still have the exact same choice that you have had for the last several years--and people will still largely respond exactly the same way to that choice.
You have a choice between voting for the ethno-nationalist (the theocracy is a part of the ethno-nationalism) authoritarians or the actual democrats--the people who believe in actual majority rule.
You have a choice between the people who want to control your personal life down to your sexual life versus the people who want you to (OMG) use weird pronouns and eat better and treat the environment better.
You have the people who are content to let the corporations and plutocrats control you in lieu of the government (which you at least supposedly get a vote on) versus people who actually think that the government should (OMG) govern.
It's a pretty simple choice--and the reality is that most people have already decided. The rest is performance art and excuses.
We really need to stop pretending that these protests or the narrative about them are actually moving the needle a substantive degree in either direction.
The dynamics of voter behavior (which are largely identarian) tend to argue otherwise.
What these narratives and behaviors often do is simply justify already determined behavior. That behavior was/is determined largely by identity.
The self-identified left will vote left. The self-identified right will vote right. The self-identified independents will vote their lean (left or right) which is affected more by who is currently in power (which usually means a vote against those people) than anything actually happening. You can throw in perceptions of how the economy is doing on top of that (note that I say perception not actuality).
Is there a possibility for outlier behavior to shift things? Some, but not much--and outlier behavior is a function of normal behavior--which gives the Right a longer way to go to get to true outlier behavior.
At this point you still have the exact same choice that you have had for the last several years--and people will still largely respond exactly the same way to that choice.
You have a choice between voting for the ethno-nationalist (the theocracy is a part of the ethno-nationalism) authoritarians or the actual democrats--the people who believe in actual majority rule.
You have a choice between the people who want to control your personal life down to your sexual life versus the people who want you to (OMG) use weird pronouns and eat better and treat the environment better.
You have the people who are content to let the corporations and plutocrats control you in lieu of the government (which you at least supposedly get a vote on) versus people who actually think that the government should (OMG) govern.
It's a pretty simple choice--and the reality is that most people have already decided. The rest is performance art and excuses.