DEMOCRATS: Van Jones absolutely NAILS it on CNN

[Laslow]

This blew my mind to the point where I stopped it, rewound it and transcribed it.

Why is the Democratic Party such a wreck right now? Much of it is what I've seen saying since I've been on this board: This ridiculous, counterproductive dependence on PC and Identity Politics. Not ONLY did it feed the frustration and anger that brought us the former guy, it ALSO simply doesn't work as well on minorities any more.

Van Jones, this morning, on CNN:

MAGA are moving right on culture -- you know, CRT is bad, trans is bad, parents' rights -- so they're marketing their right wing move on culture really well. But they're also moving left on economics -- MAGA sounds like Bernie Sanders when they're talking about American tariffs, talking about American jobs, the way they're going after big tech companies. And so by moving left on economics and right on culture, that's appealing to working class voters, including black and brown voters. Democrats don't see this coming. They've over-reacted on the cultural moves, under-reacted on economic appeal, and you're seeing it pay off for MAGA. So this is a very important moment.

If Democrats want working class black and working class Latino voters, we're gonna have to change our strategy and respond to the MAGA threat. Listen, we're in danger of becoming the party of the very high and the very low. If you pull out the working class, you have people who are very well educated and very well off. Those people talk funny -- LatinX? I've never met a LatinX, I've never met a BIPOC (?), this weird stuff that highly-educated people say. Nobody talks that way in the barber shop, the nail salon, the grocery store, the community center. But that's how we talk now. That's WEIRD. And the people who are very low down on the economic ladder need a bunch of stuff. You wind up over promising -- oh, we're gonna give you reparations -- to the people at the bottom of the economic ladder, talking weird to appeal to the people at the top of the economic ladder, and the working class walks away from you. That is the data we're facing.

And there is a penalty you pay if you don't go along with the normal narrative. The normal narrative in America has been, all black and brown people hate racists, all Republicans are racist, so all black and brown people are gonna vote for Democrats. All of that doesn't make sense in the real world. All Republicans are not racist, and Republican appeals are not just racial, some of them are economic, some of them are cultural, and all black and brown folks are not liberals.

Listen, black and brown folks go to church A LOT. You want black churchgoers and Latin Catholics to vote for Democrats, you to do things that show that maybe you get those issues. Which are primarily economic issues, family issues, bread & butter issues. And if you're gonna talk about the cultural issues, you have to talk about them in a way that's gonna resonate with a working mom or a working dad, and not just folks who went to college.

Will Democrats take note? I doubt it.

I think Van is half right. People are fed up with the ridiculous identity stuff, but I think the democrats have a much bigger problem. All of their policies make it harder on the working class. Forcing people into government programs, raising the prices of everything, and giving people less choices and opportunities is a bit of a problem. To make matters worse, their big government masters have made it virtually impossible for citizens to have a voice in DC. Democrats will have to somehow convince working people that they give a sht.

 

[Laslow]

We're moving towards what they want: A pseudo-Christian White Nationalist Theocracy.

The question is, can the Dems do anything about it, will they listen to Jones, or will it just be more of the same from them?

So I'm guessing you don't like white people, Christians, or nationalism? You have mentioned how huge a fan you are of illegals changing demographics. You obviously are a huge fan of globalism. If you wipe out the Christian aspect of our country, you will have to replace it with something or else we get one big druggy drag queen party. If you don't like nationalism, then I'd like to know how government can act in the best interest of its people.

 

[Laslow]

The democrats have it right on most issues but PC is the most dangerous threat America faces, and it is the product of WHITE LIBERRALS who use it to keep the rest of white America and minorities fighting with one another. Thank you VJ

What issues do they have it right on? If they cut out the nuttiness, what do they have that helps working people?

 

[Missourian]

Did you hear Van Jones at CPAC...

Left-wing Van Jones stunned CPAC audience with what he said about the 'conservative movement' | Blaze Media

'This is striking' said Brit Hume

www.theblaze.com

 

[dblack]

I think Van is half right. People are fed up with the ridiculous identity stuff, but I think the democrats have a much bigger problem. All of their policies make it harder on the working class. Forcing people into government programs, raising the prices of everything, and giving people less choices and opportunities is a bit of a problem. To make matters worse, their big government masters have made it virtually impossible for citizens to have a voice in DC. Democrats will have to somehow convince working people that they give a sht.

What you describe here IS identity politics.

 

[Mac1958]

No, I don't think so. The Dems are completely shitting the bed going into these midterms.

Any Independents in the know already know we are completely fucked. There's no one worth a shit to give our votes to. Again.

Yeah. Jones' words struck me so hard because I never hear them from the Left, and they're at the very core of their problems. Carville gets it too, but Jones put it better. Maher gets it, definitely, and he's chastised for it by the Left.

You can't fix a problem you won't admit exists. The Dems STILL won't admit how big a role PC/Identity Politics have played in MAGA. They STILL just brush it off.

 

[Mac1958]

So I'm guessing you don't like white people, Christians, or nationalism? You have mentioned how huge a fan you are of illegals changing demographics. You obviously are a huge fan of globalism. If you wipe out the Christian aspect of our country, you will have to replace it with something or else we get one big druggy drag queen party. If you don't like nationalism, then I'd like to know how government can act in the best interest of its people.

Wow. Is that what you perceive? Okie dokie.

 

[Laslow]

We're moving towards what they want: A pseudo-Christian White Nationalist Theocracy.

The question is, can the Dems do anything about it, will they listen to Jones, or will it just be more of the same from them?

I think it is telling in a thread about liberals realizing identity bullsht is harmful to them, that you would post this comment. You were so impressed with Van that you rewound it and played it again. Then in the very thread you started, you couldn't help yourself from producing that little gem. You yourself seem pretty wrapped up in identity.

 

[Mac1958]

I think it is telling in a thread about liberals realizing identity bullsht is harmful to them, that you would post this comment. You were so impressed with Van that you rewound it and played it again. Then in the very thread you started, you couldn't help yourself from producing that little gem. You yourself seem pretty wrapped up in identity.

It's clear to me that the two ends of the spectrum can be very, very similar in their behaviors.

I've said that hundreds of times here. That's why I have no use for either end.

 

[Curried Goats]

Yeah. Jones' words struck me so hard because I never hear them from the Left, and they're at the very core of their problems. Carville gets it too, but Jones put it better. Maher gets it, definitely, and he's chastised for it by the Left.

You can't fix a problem you won't admit exists. The Dems STILL won't admit how big a role PC/Identity Politics have played in MAGA. They STILL just brush it off.

Carville, Jones and Maher? What's more identity politics than white fear of the "others"?

 

[dblack]

Carville, Jones and Maher? What's more identity politics than white fear of the "others"?

Despite the protestations of the right, both sides have embraced identity politics. But it's important to clarify what we're talking about. Identity politics is government that dismisses equal rights in favor of interest group privilege. Under such a regime, your legal rights vary depending on which interest groups you identify with. This is what's envoked when leaders target specific demographics for special attention - focusing on the "working class" (as Laslow has highlighted) is a good example. It can be racial groups, specific industries, religions, various activist groups - basically any group that can front a solid lobbying campaign, or sway a large block of voters.

 

[GMCGeneral]

Ranked Choice Voting

Basically, a Euroweenie type of system that has no clear winners or losers. The Democrats are the enemy, pure and simple.

 

[dblack]

Basically, a Euroweenie type of system that has no clear winners or losers. The Democrats are the enemy, pure and simple.

You could just grunt. It'd be less typing.

 

[Papageorgio]

You put Trump in power, you slobbering moron.

lol! You morons nominate Clinton and Trump then get pissed at the results? We all need to take responsibility for the votes we cast, figure out why people get elected and address the real needs of the people. Trump as divisive and as abrasive as he was addressed the economic fears of the middle class and barely got elected. Had the Democrats been smart enough to nominate someone less divisive and better liked that Hillary, the Democrats would of won the election.

Neither side learned and we again nominated dumb and dumber in 2020 and now look at the disaster we are facing, no leadership, just excuses.

 

[Curried Goats]

Despite the protestations of the right, both sides have embraced identity politics. But it's important to clarify what we're talking about. Identity politics is government that dismisses equal rights in favor of interest group privilege. Under such a regime, your legal rights vary depending on which interest groups you identify with. This is what's envoked when leaders target specific demographics for special attention - focusing on the "working class" (as Laslow

I'm sorry to break it to you, but you just described the entire history of America and there's nothing wrong with treating different groups of people differently. Occasionally, there are very good reasons for doing so. Politics is the mechanism by which we debate what those reasons are. To turn general and philosophical notions of "equality" into literal edicts would leave us having to do things like establish a flat tax based off what the lowest common denominator of our society could afford. We wouldn't be able to run our government.

Identity politics is just a distraction. What are either side doing for working class families and who's standing in the way of it?

 

[dblack]

I'm sorry to break it to you, but you just described the entire history of America and there's nothing wrong with treating different groups of people differently.

Adamantly disagree. Equal protection is the bedrock of a free, just society.

Identity politics is just a distraction. What are either side doing for working class families and who's standing in the way of it?

LOL - sure. MOAR identity politics! You run with that.

 

[Papageorgio]

Ranked Choice Voting. It probably won't eliminate 2 dominant parties, but it encourages real consensus and rewards candidates with broad appeal.

I was against this type of voting however, over the years I think this will be the only way to get better candidates. The primaries would vastly improve.

 

[Frankeneinstein]

What issues do they have it right on?

Perhaps I should have been more specific, I agree with democrats on most issues but PC is the most dangerous issue facing America bar none.

If they cut out the nuttiness, what do they have that helps working people?

The "nuttiness" [which is fallout from PC] is all due to the white liberal wing of the party, the blue collar democrats who despise them ARE working people

 

[GMCGeneral]

You could just grunt. It'd be less typing.

No, I just like things the way they are. The way the US Constitution structured it properly.

 

[g5000]

MAGA are moving right on culture -- you know, CRT is bad, trans is bad, parents' rights -- so they're marketing their right wing move on culture really well. But they're also moving left on economics

That's what National Socialism is all about.