politics

education system in red states in intentionally trashed by the gop to keep them thinking that way. in blue states its just neglected/underfunded in some areas. of thousands of people at my HS, the HS made it look like only a small handful are going to succeed in life and basically rubbing in the rest of student bodies face, "look at them and look at you, what do you have to show for it" everyone in the audience rolled thier eyes when they "paraded the high gpa earners, we know were being very condescending.

"I distrust all authority except the ones that lie to me and make me feel good!"

They also live in areas with cable monopolies and no fiber alternative. You wouldn’t believe how aggressively the right-wing ads hammer these people every 15 minutes.

The people who paint all Liberals as radical communists aren't the people you're trying to reach. Don't make the mistake of assuming all Trump voters are a monolith, they're not. Remember, there was a sizeable crossover in people who voted for Trump and voted for AOC.

Some of them voted for culture war. Some of them voted for cheaper eggs. Painting his voters as a monolith feels good, but it's self defeating.

See, absolutely nowhere in any of that did I say "Move your politics right."

This is a mistake I see a lot of leftists making, and it's going to be a fatal mistake if it's not rectified soon.

Dems lose by playing to the centre/right because they move their policies right to appeal to those voters. That's not remotely similar to what I'm talking about.

You should never compromise. Never. But by being uncompromising, while also being willing to meet people in the places where you share common ground, you can move them left.

That's exactly why Bernie would have been the right choice, in 2016 and in 2024. Because he's an uncompromising leftist who understands how to present those leftist ideas outside of just college campuses.

They're mad about Republicans attacking Medicaid and Social Security. That's an opportunity to get them thinking about how government programs actually benefit them. They're mad about the Republicans cutting taxes on the rich at the expense of everyone else. That's an opportunity to get them thinking about how deeply in thrall to oligarchs the Republicans really are. They're mad about high grocery prices and stagnant wages. That's an opportunity to get them thinking about how the government should be focused on helping them out instead of helping Elon Musk out. They're mad about rich coastal "elites." That's an opportunity to get them thinking about how a union would really help them stick it to those elites.

Not all of this will work. But if you're open to these conversations with enough people, some of it will get through. You have more in common with them than you think.

I'm not asking you to break bread with them, I'm not asking you to be their friend. But if you want to win this fight and save your country, you need everyone you can get on your side.