Is it too late for the GOP to defeat Identity Politics?

[Trajan]

Are you claiming that a Republican politician who utters something like what Reid or Biden said ( I assume you are thinking of the " articulate " comment ), the media would destroy them? Is that your claim?

of course they would, they'd savage them.....you don't think so?

No.

wow, well, hey, I have a feeling there isn't a thing I could say or post that would matter, it is what it is.....*shrugs*

 

[LoneLaugher]

of course they would, they'd savage them.....you don't think so?

No.

wow, well, hey, I have a feeling there isn't a thing I could say or post that would matter, it is what it is.....*shrugs*

You could post some evidence.

 

[Trajan]

No.

wow, well, hey, I have a feeling there isn't a thing I could say or post that would matter, it is what it is.....*shrugs*

You could post some evidence.

I did......

 

[Borillar]

.

For a couple of generations now, the Democrats have been wildly successful in dividing Americans into groups (particularly ethnic & economic) and engaging in targeted marketing to those groups. Divide and conquer has been a brilliant strategy politically, and it has paid off handsomely. As a result, we are now a hyphenated-America, with each constituency placing its status above all else. The Democrats have kicked ass. We're divided as all hell, with each constituency screaming for its stuff.

Meanwhile, the GOP has assisted the Democrats in their endeavors in two ways: by doing little to counter that tactic, and by being terrifically lousy messengers.

The GOP message (at least as I see it) should be something like, "We don't believe in dividing America into little pieces. We believe that we are all Americans who deserve the same rights and liberties, no one more than the other, to chase our dreams and build our future. We believe that when we're divided we are weaker."

Instead, the lousier messengers have made the GOP easy pickins for the Dems, refusing to bend an inch on safety net issues, giving a strong impression that they want the abject elimination of ALL government services, painting a nice, big target on their backs.

So, is it too late for the GOP to convince the individual groups -- pretty much owned by the Dems -- that their way is better?

.

WTF!? Are you serious? The GOP has been using divide and conquer tactics for decades. It isn't endemic to Democrats only. Fear and division is one of the GOP's biggest tactics. They sell the fear of racial and religious minorities, immigrants, gays, poor people, unions, working class, etc to their followers. The problem now is that the groups the GOP demonizes now outnumber the groups the GOP represents. They already had the difficult task of getting people to vote against their own economic self interest. Now they compound that difficulty by blaming society's problems on the people in these segments and somehow expect to get their votes.

We obviously have different definitions of the term "Identity Politics", so I'll try to be more specific, even though I suspect you know what I meant.

My question, to conservatives, is whether it is too late for them to try to copy the Democrats' strategy of pandering to blacks, hispanics, women and gays (the Big Four of Identity Politics as I define it), and whether it would be smarter to clearly enunciate a different approach, that we're all Americans with the same goals and dreams, and that the divisive nature of Identity Politics is destructive. Personally, I think it's too late.

I know that lefties, for some reason, want to deny and/or divert away from their clear success with Identity Politics - a divided, hyphenated America - and that's fine. Denial and diversion are two fundamental tactics of partisan ideology, and I'm not going to burn time playing that game. We're sure as hell divided, it's working great.

And that's why my question is directed to the conservatives.

.

I think it is too late for the GOP to "pander" to blacks, hispanics, women, and gays since they have been demonizing them for decades. Southern strategy for blacks, anti-immigration policies for hispanics, anti-choice and anti ERA for women, religious right Bible thumping and anti gay marraige positions re gays. A good first step for the GOP would be to just stop demonizing these groups, but then that would wipe out half of their platform.

 

[eagle7_31]

WTF!? Are you serious? The GOP has been using divide and conquer tactics for decades. It isn't endemic to Democrats only. Fear and division is one of the GOP's biggest tactics. They sell the fear of racial and religious minorities, immigrants, gays, poor people, unions, working class, etc to their followers. The problem now is that the groups the GOP demonizes now outnumber the groups the GOP represents. They already had the difficult task of getting people to vote against their own economic self interest. Now they compound that difficulty by blaming society's problems on the people in these segments and somehow expect to get their votes.

We obviously have different definitions of the term "Identity Politics", so I'll try to be more specific, even though I suspect you know what I meant.

My question, to conservatives, is whether it is too late for them to try to copy the Democrats' strategy of pandering to blacks, hispanics, women and gays (the Big Four of Identity Politics as I define it), and whether it would be smarter to clearly enunciate a different approach, that we're all Americans with the same goals and dreams, and that the divisive nature of Identity Politics is destructive. Personally, I think it's too late.

I know that lefties, for some reason, want to deny and/or divert away from their clear success with Identity Politics - a divided, hyphenated America - and that's fine. Denial and diversion are two fundamental tactics of partisan ideology, and I'm not going to burn time playing that game. We're sure as hell divided, it's working great.

And that's why my question is directed to the conservatives.

.

I think it is too late for the GOP to "pander" to blacks, hispanics, women, and gays since they have been demonizing them for decades. Southern strategy for blacks, anti-immigration policies for hispanics, anti-choice and anti ERA for women, religious right Bible thumping and anti gay marraige positions re gays. A good first step for the GOP would be to just stop demonizing these groups, but then that would wipe out half of their platform.

Where do you get your delusions?

 

[Borillar]

We obviously have different definitions of the term "Identity Politics", so I'll try to be more specific, even though I suspect you know what I meant.

My question, to conservatives, is whether it is too late for them to try to copy the Democrats' strategy of pandering to blacks, hispanics, women and gays (the Big Four of Identity Politics as I define it), and whether it would be smarter to clearly enunciate a different approach, that we're all Americans with the same goals and dreams, and that the divisive nature of Identity Politics is destructive. Personally, I think it's too late.

I know that lefties, for some reason, want to deny and/or divert away from their clear success with Identity Politics - a divided, hyphenated America - and that's fine. Denial and diversion are two fundamental tactics of partisan ideology, and I'm not going to burn time playing that game. We're sure as hell divided, it's working great.

And that's why my question is directed to the conservatives.

.

I think it is too late for the GOP to "pander" to blacks, hispanics, women, and gays since they have been demonizing them for decades. Southern strategy for blacks, anti-immigration policies for hispanics, anti-choice and anti ERA for women, religious right Bible thumping and anti gay marraige positions re gays. A good first step for the GOP would be to just stop demonizing these groups, but then that would wipe out half of their platform.

Where do you get your delusions?

Care to disprove any of these "delusions"?

 

[JoeB131]

The GOP's problem is not that they are playing "Identity Politics".

In terms of politics, the GOP has always been the Daddy Party while the Democrats have always been the Mommy Party. One is harsh, one is more nuturing.

Which is kind of okay, if Dad isn't a falling down drunk that let's the kids wander into the Iraq War Zone or drown in the flood in New Orleans. Or blows the family's life savings on Wall Street.