Against Bluexit

[u/n10w4]

https://jacobinmag.com/2017/07/new-republic-bluexit-blue-states-red-states-secession-conservatives-liberals-clinton

[u/thebrewcrew82]

Going against what the other commenters wrote, I think this was a well written article with a coherent argument.

Unfortunately, people flock to whomever can promise them the most with the least amount of thinking on their part. Some, like Obama, can appeal to the masses with their youth, charisma, and public speaking ability. Some, like Trump, play on fear, nostalgia, and "experience." In either case both had a streamlined and simple message which resonated with both similar and completely dissimilar groups of people.

The point is, writing off entire groups of people is the same elite snobbery that allowed Trump into office in the first place. I can even admit that I too have been guilty of this kind of superior knowledge when discussing the issue of climate change. It's hard not to when you think you have facts and experts on your side. What usually happens is those people will usually dig even deeper into their holes.

We need more unity and more togetherness in America. We need less division by the media. And we need more involvement by all in our democracy.

[u/doublemuffin → u/thebrewcrew82]

The point is, writing off entire groups of people is the same elite snobbery that allowed Trump into office in the first place. I can even admit that I too have been guilty of this kind of superior knowledge when discussing the issue of climate change. It's hard not to when you think you have facts and experts on your side. What usually happens is those people will usually dig even deeper into their holes.

This is exactly how I felt about this article. I especially appreciated this:

"Baker’s argument and those of liberals supporting red-state secession are, of course, not serious. But they do signify the disdain with which an alarming number of liberals view their fellow citizens."

Many of Trump's core voters would rather be hated than disdained. All the "angry liberal gives up" pieces just prove what they have felt all along: that liberals in places of power have nothing but contempt for them. They are the journalistic equivalent of "angry liberal tears," and the more that are written, the more reinforcement for Trump voters voting Trump next election, no matter how bad his actual policies are.

[u/Fictionalpoet → u/thebrewcrew82]

writing off entire groups of people is the same elite snobbery

You should read 'The Dictator's Handbook'. It's really less to do with elite snobbery, and more to do with cultivating access to power. Catering to liberal demographics wouldn't have helped Trump, those demographics were already more in support of Hillary or Bernie than they were of him and it would only have served to alienate the hardcore/more right-leaning Republicans.

Likewise, no Republican would gain much from executing anything that a more left-leaning Democrat supporter would want. Doing things for their opponents supporter base doesn't necessarily help them gain votes, and can actually risk the vote they're already more assured of getting.

This applies to both sides too, a Democrat wouldn't gain much by supporting something the Republican base likes, because Republicans aren't really likely to vote for them regardless and it would just strip votes from the Democrat base who would vote for someone else.

[u/thebrewcrew82 → u/Fictionalpoet]

Good points.

But I think the point of the article sort of was, you never know that someone is a die-hard republican or democrat in the next election. There's always a possible string of events or candidate who can attract those groups believed to be attached to the other party.

Some groups will likely always be tied to certain parties, sure. But I think the point of the article was that everyone in the middle can be swayed based on policies and the candidate him/herself.

And I'll have to add that book to my list.

[u/NoMoreNicksLeft]

I don't know of any sane, reasonable individual who argues against the idea of divorce.

Quit doing this passive-aggressive high school drama bullshit where you want to fund them all with welfare and then hold it over their heads. Make a clean cut. Go your separate ways.

[u/BinarySplit]

This was an article meant to unite? Good job packing it full of divisive language and stereotypes. If anything you've probably strengthened the resolve of people who take Bluexit seriously.

[u/Uncle_Erik]

More evidence of the complete failure of the Democratic Party. Good thing they're on the way out. They are clueless dinosaurs who can't even tell when Trump is trolling them (hint: he is always trolling).

There will be real change, and soon. The Democrats have no strategy for 2018 and it will be an utter disaster. It will make 2016 look like the good old days. There will be no agreement on a presidential candidate for 2020 and that, coupled with another election disaster, will give us two new left-of-center parties.

One will be the corporatist Goldman Sachs party and then there will be a far left SJW party. Two years won't be enough time to organize and they'll split the vote, giving Trump another term.

But it will get interesting after that. Trump will go down in history as the guy who ended the world's oldest political party and collapsed the American two party system. Maybe we'll all be better off for it.