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1/ My pet theory on conservative culture wars the world over is they can be effective politically but only provided the government doesn't get carried and actually try to do anything... at which point the wheels tend to come off.
2/ Whatever you think of its substance or ethics, banging on rhetorically about the War on Christmas, cancel culture, woke statue assassins, student lefties and communist academics clearly has some electoral appeal.
Focus groups are clearly telling governments it's a winner.
Focus groups are clearly telling governments it's a winner.
3/ However, when you move from railing in principle against these social forces to enacting policies to defeat them you almost inevitably do a couple of things that ruin the appeal.
4/ First, you remind everyone you're actually in charge.
Culture war stuff is based in grievance and powerlessness.
Enacting policy reminds people that you control just about all levers of power. The federal government is not the scrappy underdog in a fight with woke twitter.
Culture war stuff is based in grievance and powerlessness.
Enacting policy reminds people that you control just about all levers of power. The federal government is not the scrappy underdog in a fight with woke twitter.
5/ Second, it invariably looks kinda pathetic, crypto-fascist or a bit of both.
Whether it's a "Heritage Summit" or Trump's 1776 History Fanfiction Committee, it's hard to come up with policy that doesn't look like you're either flailing wildly or playing thought-cop.
Whether it's a "Heritage Summit" or Trump's 1776 History Fanfiction Committee, it's hard to come up with policy that doesn't look like you're either flailing wildly or playing thought-cop.
6/ Third, it attaches real people to the tribe you're demonizing.
While you're speaking abstractly your audience conjures up an insidious enemy from all their worst fears about the 'woke mob'.
Enact policy & they discover the 'enemy' is a polite and geeky history professor.
While you're speaking abstractly your audience conjures up an insidious enemy from all their worst fears about the 'woke mob'.
Enact policy & they discover the 'enemy' is a polite and geeky history professor.
7/ The power of culture war messaging is in its arms length separation from reality.
It's a 'something must be done!" type of rallying cry, where the sweet spot is in winding people up about "the problem" and clearly demarcating teams... not actually trying to solve it. /end
It's a 'something must be done!" type of rallying cry, where the sweet spot is in winding people up about "the problem" and clearly demarcating teams... not actually trying to solve it. /end
7a/ Addendum: They also tend to work better when there's nothing much going on and things in the country are broadly fine for most people, and voters have the headspace to focus on defending statues instead of feeding their families or healthcare or you know... real stuff.
