Watching parts of Women’s March on Washington.
First thought: very reminiscent of the 1960s and an answer to Trump’s win.
But I keep hearing: Is this the start of the Progressive Tea Party? Is that rally hype?
We don’t know yet.
First reaction: liberals and moderates are low-key when it comes to politics. It takes a lot of anger to get them going.
Second reaction: Trump may have stoked that anger. Read some of the posts on my social media pages from women followers.
One friend posted:
I literally can’t breathe!
A response:
I hear you.
Another response:
Time to march.
Third: I say to American women and minorities who are out there rallying: “Where were you on November 8?” Sure, you are rallying peacefully. You are getting the word out about your issues. But you failed to vote. Too many women sided with Donald Trump. Now is that a failure of women or is it a failure of the Democratic Party? You could say both.
What’s worse? They are already acting closed-minded by excluding women’s pro-life groups from the march.
Fourth: the battle for progressives (liberals whatever) and moderates who oppose conservatives will not be easy. Liberals and moderates stink at real politics; in other words, winning elections.
Conservatives are wired to win elections and fight to victory. A good book, The Righteous Mind, explains how we are wired differently.
Think about it. How could Hillary win the popular vote but the GOP has large advantage in House?
Structurally, conservatives have some advantages. The Constitution, for example, is set up to help low population, rural states while hurting states with denser populations.
And conservatives, namely the GOP, use that advantage – some would say brilliantly or fraudulently.
Sure, you can point to gerrymandering, but the real reason is a strong Federalist Society movement, started back in the 1980s, that infiltrated local, state, and federal entities.
Five, liberals and moderates will have to overcome the social media mentality. Too many, especially those non-Trump supporters and the media, have their heads stuck in their smart phones while missing the stories of the people who made Trump president.
Six, demographics favor liberals and moderates going forward. Whites are heading to minority status. The experts thought for sure the 2016 election would show the new face of America as more liberal, more women, and more minorities. It didn’t. Pissed off white workers in the Midwest quietly pulled the levers.
But liberals and moderates could — in 2018 or 2020 – turn it around if they learn how — or want — to fight like conservatives.
Are we seeing it here today?
Your thoughts?
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