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(Thread) Big Tents Get Messy
Dear Democrats: Don’t be so hard on yourselves. Consider what you’re trying to do.
The Republican Party represents a minority of Americans (white reactionary Christians).
It's largely homogenous.
The Democratic Party includes: everyone else.
Dear Democrats: Don’t be so hard on yourselves. Consider what you’re trying to do.
The Republican Party represents a minority of Americans (white reactionary Christians).
It's largely homogenous.
The Democratic Party includes: everyone else.
1/ More specifically the Democrats include:
Latino communities in California
Cubans in Florida
African American communities
Urban intellectuals
Democratic socialists from Queens
Heavily Asian communities in California
Houston, TX
Berkeley, CA
LGBTQ
Latino communities in California
Cubans in Florida
African American communities
Urban intellectuals
Democratic socialists from Queens
Heavily Asian communities in California
Houston, TX
Berkeley, CA
LGBTQ
2/ When we say, “The GOP demographics are aging and shrinking, and the Democratic base is expanding” Democrats cheer.
That means we can win elections.
It also means that we are a huge, diverse heterogeneous group.
That means we can win elections.
It also means that we are a huge, diverse heterogeneous group.
3/ Recall that the GOP is no longer a conservative party
https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1169272865113272320
Thus what makes the Democratic tent particularly big is that it includes people who think of themselves as conservative.
https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1169272865113272320
Thus what makes the Democratic tent particularly big is that it includes people who think of themselves as conservative.
4/ Under the big tent are heavily Catholic Latino groups, conservative-leaning African American communities who are obviously unwelcome in the GOP.
We want all those groups to vote Democrat because then we’ll have a landslide election and can repair the damage more rapidly.
We want all those groups to vote Democrat because then we’ll have a landslide election and can repair the damage more rapidly.
5/ The GOP actively discourages diversity.
Here is Katie Hopkins, pictured with Ann Coulter, praises Russia as being “untouched by the myth of multiculturalism and deranged diversity,” https://www.rt.com/uk/429777-katie-hopkins-russia-multiculturalism/
Here is Katie Hopkins, pictured with Ann Coulter, praises Russia as being “untouched by the myth of multiculturalism and deranged diversity,” https://www.rt.com/uk/429777-katie-hopkins-russia-multiculturalism/
6/ Here is Tucker Carlson explaining that diversity is NOT a strength.
https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-morris/tucker-carlson-ben-shapiro-it-never-true-diversity-your-strength
Democrats were (rightly) horrified.
What he meant was that if you discourage diversity, your message can be simple.
Your people will fall in line.
Politics is easier.
https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-morris/tucker-carlson-ben-shapiro-it-never-true-diversity-your-strength
Democrats were (rightly) horrified.
What he meant was that if you discourage diversity, your message can be simple.
Your people will fall in line.
Politics is easier.
7/ Autocracy discourages diversity and in fact, fascism rises by declaring war on “others,” the “enemies” in our midsts (usually people of different religious or ethnic groups.
Big tents, on the other hand, get messy and provide the challenge of pulling people together.
Big tents, on the other hand, get messy and provide the challenge of pulling people together.
8/ The GOP challenge is that their party represents only a minority of Americans, and a minority of views.
The Democratic challenge is the opposite: Dealing with a big, messy tent.
Diversity discourages simplistic thinking.
It encourages complexity and nuance.
The Democratic challenge is the opposite: Dealing with a big, messy tent.
Diversity discourages simplistic thinking.
It encourages complexity and nuance.
9/ Complexity and nuance doesn't fit on a bumper sticker.
Speaking of complexity, autocracy isn't as simply (black and white) as Twitter would have you believe.
Did you know there’s a thing called “competitive autocracy”?
https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/levitsky/files/SL_elections.pdf
Speaking of complexity, autocracy isn't as simply (black and white) as Twitter would have you believe.
Did you know there’s a thing called “competitive autocracy”?
https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/levitsky/files/SL_elections.pdf
10/ There are hybrid regimes. Also regimes change. They shift from autocracy to democracy and sometimes back.
It’s easier to go from democracy to autocracy than the other way because (I hate to give you the bad news) democracy is messy.
Checks and balance means compromise.
It’s easier to go from democracy to autocracy than the other way because (I hate to give you the bad news) democracy is messy.
Checks and balance means compromise.
11/ Democracy is hard work. Falling in line behind a strongman is easy.
People don’t generally like to compromise. They want things their way.
My son came home from preschool, having learned about taking turns, and told me, “I don’t like to take turns. I want all the turns.”
People don’t generally like to compromise. They want things their way.
My son came home from preschool, having learned about taking turns, and told me, “I don’t like to take turns. I want all the turns.”
12/ (Don’t worry. My son grew up to be a very nice young man.)
Highly functioning societies often go against human nature. (Did anyone else read Civilization and its Discontents in college
)
Democracy in some ways also goes against human nature.
Highly functioning societies often go against human nature. (Did anyone else read Civilization and its Discontents in college
)Democracy in some ways also goes against human nature.
13/ That’s why we have to work so hard at democracy.
That's why we have to compromise even when we don't want to.
That’s also why big tents (like democracy) present unique challenges.
So don't be so hard on yourselves, OK?
That's why we have to compromise even when we don't want to.
That’s also why big tents (like democracy) present unique challenges.
So don't be so hard on yourselves, OK?
14/ Oops. I might have messed up this thread. I added to tweets to #12, so I deleted one.
Consider also that Democrats are doing all of this in the face of an army of bots and trolls trying to cause division.
Also I realized that California was too heavily represented . . .
Consider also that Democrats are doing all of this in the face of an army of bots and trolls trying to cause division.
Also I realized that California was too heavily represented . . .
. . in the opening lists. I'll correct on my blog (suggestions I received include disabled Americans, pro-union workers.)
Yes, a bit later. https://twitter.com/SmcSheila/status/1232053921293705218
(busy day for me today. In fact, the reason there are so many typos in this thread is because I was typing very fast, because, busy day. Real Life stuff!)
(busy day for me today. In fact, the reason there are so many typos in this thread is because I was typing very fast, because, busy day. Real Life stuff!)
Here is this thread as a blog post: https://terikanefield-blog.com/big-tents-get-messy/
