This is a good question essential to understanding the dynamics of the 2020 election.
#BidenRepublicans saw this as an election between Biden's decency vs. Trump's racism & authoritarianism. They read the news daily, various sources, saw each tweet/deed. They are... https://twitter.com/KimHowardVA/status/1324478462900523010
#BidenRepublicans saw this as an election between Biden's decency vs. Trump's racism & authoritarianism. They read the news daily, various sources, saw each tweet/deed. They are... https://twitter.com/KimHowardVA/status/1324478462900523010
likely affluent, suburban, mostly women, highly educated & keep up with their education.
But now we must understand something about racism. It is entirely capable for these types of people to be racist, too. They might get turned off by Trump's overt and brash racism, but they
But now we must understand something about racism. It is entirely capable for these types of people to be racist, too. They might get turned off by Trump's overt and brash racism, but they
are prone to a more subtle racism. It is why a white woman can read "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo at book club and then walk into a supermarket and touch a Black woman's hair.
Racism is all around us in America. It affects Democrats as much as Republicans...
Racism is all around us in America. It affects Democrats as much as Republicans...
... so "being racist" is not limited to people who say derogatory words or lock the door when driving through a "Black part of town." To state it simply: woke liberals are capable of "being racist." Obama voters are capable of "being racist."
The reason I say not all...
The reason I say not all...
The reason I say not all 68 million Trump voters are *virulent* racists is because, for the most part, white people are all capable of being racist in different ways, in pernicious ways, in many different aspects of their life... this is true even if you voted for Biden.
There is a narrative setting in that all 68 million Trump voters are hopeless racists. The reality is, many of those people would never fly a confederate flag. They may not understand why it is offensive, but they could *could* be persuaded why its symbolism is harmful.
(This is where I say it is hard work to explain to some white people why symbols like the confederate flag are harmful and racist. It is work worth doing. It should not just be done by Black people. White people should talk to other white people about racism, too.)
I do not believe all 68 million Trump voters are hopeless racists. Unlike me, they saw 2020 as a battle for the soul of the nation: Biden/Harris' socialism vs. Trump's last stand for America.
I disagree with them. I think they were misled/had bad info, but they were scared.
I disagree with them. I think they were misled/had bad info, but they were scared.
You said Trump voters felt "totally comfortable endorsing a racist." I don't think they saw it in those terms.
Trump voters get their info from Fox News, Facebook, misinformation campaigns. They are not the high-info #BidenRepublicans. Fox News said Biden was a socialist, so
Trump voters get their info from Fox News, Facebook, misinformation campaigns. They are not the high-info #BidenRepublicans. Fox News said Biden was a socialist, so
they thought Biden was a socialist. This is false, but they believed it.
Hyper-partisanship makes Rs/ right leaning voters hate Democrats and MSM. When they heard about Trump's racism, they assumed it was a liberal lie. Why? Because liberals have exaggerated GOP racism for years
Hyper-partisanship makes Rs/ right leaning voters hate Democrats and MSM. When they heard about Trump's racism, they assumed it was a liberal lie. Why? Because liberals have exaggerated GOP racism for years
The 68 million Trump voters were also led astray by our SPINELESS, COWARDLY, COMPLICIT Republican elected officials and media personalities. Radio silence from the people my aunt/friend's mom would have trusted.
The lack of courage from the GOP is an abomination and damning.
The lack of courage from the GOP is an abomination and damning.
So I do not believe the 68 million Trump voters felt like they were, in your words, "totally comfortable endorsing a racist." 1) Partisanship made them see the election on different terms, 2) Disinfo/echochambers mean many did not know/believe the racism Trump enacted in office
Yes, some people voted for Trump because they liked his racism. Yes, America has a lot of racists. Yes, the overt and loud racists are drawn to the GOP. My point is that "comfortable endorsing a racist" does not describe all 68 million Trump voters.
Here is why this matters:
Here is why this matters:
We cannot allow the millions of people who voted for Trump in 2020 to be held hostage by the cowards, the trumpists that will follow, and the QAnon just elected.
Hyper partisanship keeps them in the GOP. But, most of them don't want to vote for a racist president or politician.
Hyper partisanship keeps them in the GOP. But, most of them don't want to vote for a racist president or politician.
However, millions of ppl will keep voting Republican. So, you either cast millions of Americans off and allow racism to become the staple of the GOP, or you try to fight back and win those voters who would rather choose someone not racist anyway. Don't cede the ship.
Racism is often hard to see. Red lining, mass incarceration, “law & order” rhetoric is inherently racist.
It is hard for most white people, especially low info white voters, to see why those things are racist.
Minority Americans need white allies in the fight against racism...
It is hard for most white people, especially low info white voters, to see why those things are racist.
Minority Americans need white allies in the fight against racism...
...especially to help explain subtle racism to fellow white people.
It’s too simplistic to dismiss 68 million Trump voters as racist. It will take a LOT of hard work to root out racism from policies and structures. This kind of racism is hard for many white voters to see and...
It’s too simplistic to dismiss 68 million Trump voters as racist. It will take a LOT of hard work to root out racism from policies and structures. This kind of racism is hard for many white voters to see and...
comprehend. But in order to root it out, it must be explained and understood.
We need a GOP that wants to target the “soft bigotry of low expectations” like under Bush. We cannot have a GOP that is gleefully/complicity racist like under Trump. This requires ppl staying to fight.
We need a GOP that wants to target the “soft bigotry of low expectations” like under Bush. We cannot have a GOP that is gleefully/complicity racist like under Trump. This requires ppl staying to fight.