Democrats spending millions to learn how to speak to 'American Men' and win back the working class

[EarlG]

93. You asked me a direct question

"How do you square this idea of being champion of marginalized populations when those same populations are migrating towards your opponent?" You already know my answer to this because you read it back to me: "Propaganda."

But you're missing the point. I'm not saying that we have a "messaging problem." I'm saying that Republicans are taking advantage of a massive, billionaire-controlled propaganda system that is very, very good at convincing people not to believe their own lying eyes, while Democrats are trying to be the reality-based party in a nation that is increasingly retreating into fantasy. I'm not really arguing much beyond that point. I think it's the obvious elephant in the room that all these other explanations for our losses are absolutely related to, but we are talking around. Maybe the problem just seems too big and unsolvable, but like climate change, it exists.

See: Many Hispanics voted Republican because they supported the removal of criminal illegal immigrants. They are now subject to masked, armed men coming into their neighborhoods, busting down doors, breaking car windows, and hauling their non-criminal neighbors and family members off to undisclosed locations.

See: Many farmers voted Republican because they wanted to cut government spending. They are now struggling financially because Trump eradicated the USAID program.

See: Blue collar workers who voted Republican because they wanted DOGE to cut government waste are losing their jobs because DOGE is randomly shutting down research facilities in ruby-red areas of the country.

Should we be impressed by the fact that many of these people were conned -- by a convicted con man, let's not forget -- into voting for something they didn't know they were going to get? Is that what we're trying to emulate?

When the above policies cause enough pain, a strong democracy should be self-righting, because people who are unhappy with the way things are going will vote for the party that's out of power. And yet, it remains to be seen if that will happen this time around, because we are now all subject to a massive billionaire-controlled propaganda machine which is interfering with that self-righting process, not to mention a rogue government that is highly likely to fuck with the election process.

That machine has spent the last few years convincing people that America's REAL problems are that the Democratic Party wants litterboxes in classrooms for furries, or the Democratic Party wants to abolish the police entirely, or the Democratic Party wants completely open borders. None of that is true, but millions of people believe it. So how does one find common ground with people who aren't even operating on the same level of reality? How does one find common ground when even allies such as yourself seem to be buying into and spreading that same propaganda?

How does one find common ground, when allies such as yourself believe that the Democrats have a "dogmatic authoritarian" problem when -- just off the top of my head -- the current administration is illegally dismantling government institutions, firing highly competent professionals for lack of political loyalty, trying to deport millions of brown-skinned people while rolling out the red carpet for white Afrikaners, trying to force a specific religion down everyone's throats, and throwing patriotic transgender service members who just want to serve their country out of the military? What about the naked bribery and corruption that is taking place at the highest level? Don't come back to me and say, "Blah blah you're just saying Republicans are bad, and we all know that." The vile, unconstitutional behavior we've all witnessed over the past few months cannot possibly be hand-waved that easily.

To me, much of what Democratic Party stands for comes down to empathy, which is something that, unfortunately, I see you demonstrating very little of. You've told me that you're in your 40s and in a stable relationship -- I don't know if you're married, but you have that choice if you want. And yet the arguments you're making now are the exact same arguments that people used to try to deny you those rights just twenty years ago. Opponents said that the nation wouldn't be able to handle it. It was too weird. It was too crazy. It would cost us elections. And now here you are, making the exact same argument against others who are less fortunate than you.

Perhaps you also believe that pushing an allegedly feminine concept like empathy is another reason we lose elections, to which I would say, indeed -- one of those aforementioned billionaires who happens to control a massive propaganda machine is already working hard to try to turn the concept of empathy into something toxic.

Bottom line, I suspect there's little progress to be made here, and we will have to agree to disagree.