• Wheaties [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    2 days ago

    It feels trite to even point out, but the Democrats could get a lot of mileage out of “Republicans say they’re patriotic, but they hate freedom: [list of policies curtailing freedom]”

    Like, even the Democrats who say trans issues turn off their constituents. Suspect claim, but Ok. Then message around that. Reframe it. Describe it in terms of “personal freedoms” rather than “living your truth”. How are you all so bad at this.

    • Carl [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      2 days ago

      The way the Dems cancelled the shutdown that was working in their favor 100% confirms that they are controlled opposition, imo. It joins a long list of other things that 100% confirm that fact.

      Even if Schumer, Pelosi and co don’t view themselves that way, that’s the role they’ve been playing for as long as I can remember. Even during the Obama and Biden administrations, the Dems were behaving more like controlled opposition than the party in power.

    • DragonBallZinn [he/him, they/them]@hexbear.net
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      2 days ago

      I’d go even meaner. Bring back the mid-late 2000s edgy atheist lefty.

      We won’t win just by saying “you’re mean”, we need to make them feel like losers for being mean. Mock Americans for being stupid and of course that’s the reason they’re so mean to others, stupid people tend to be complete and utter assholes.

      • Arahnya [he/him, fae/faer]@hexbear.net
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        1 day ago

        That type of leftist was known for being very ableist and transphobic however, & more (going down the list of things normally attributed to reactionary white people.)

        Also the worst insult is to be called stxpid? We can do better than that. Plus it reminds me of what my shitty parents used to say “the worst thing you can be is stxpid” (they have a really bad case of internalized ableism)

        • Arahnya [he/him, fae/faer]@hexbear.net
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          1 day ago

          Image description: deflection insult meme. Where one person’s intended insult is deflected by the target “guy you dont like who will never care” hits someone unintended “person you care about with the same traits who now knows what you think of them” (original meme is about bodyshaming but also applies to insulting based on “stupidity”)

      • Wheaties [she/her]@hexbear.net
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        2 days ago

        The trick is doing it without being condescending.

        Gotta treat people like they’re smart enough to learn something new (because they are), while also recognizing that there are ways to frame things that make it more palatable.

      • RedSturgeon [she/her]@hexbear.net
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        2 days ago

        Aren’t we just going to repeat history? I truly believe most people aren’t actually so hateful, they’ve become what they are because of the circumstances that they were born in.

        I’m not saying this frees them from blame of their actions, but a lot of them had the potential to be so much better. It is painful a lot of them won’t let go of what they’ve become, but it’s ultimately their choice. Still I think we should try to save as many as we can.

        I understand where you anger comes from, just do also consider that the people who will deal with the outbursts the hogs are having, after getting insulted repeatedly, is going to be their own, potentially trans, family members. Who might be stuck there unable to move out, because all of us are getting crushed under the boot of big K.

        There just has to be something better we can do.

    • SevenSkalls [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      2 days ago

      I’ve heard Buttigeg say things like that before. We make fun of him here for being a spineless, neoliberal moderate, but I think he’s actually one of the Democrats’ best orators and the reason he’s so popular among the libs I know. Hell, he has a chance to become President just because of that.

      • Wheaties [she/her]@hexbear.net
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        2 days ago

        Yeah, but the doner class is just as locked into the duopoly as the rest of us. There is a cost to finding new candidates, and therefore a degree of maneuverability before your doners give up on the sunk cost and go looking elsewhere. There’s always the risk of pushing too far, but that should not mean you don’t push.

        Except of course Democrats are too cowardly to recognize their own structural leverage.