This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1448637
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1448637
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I don’t understand the reference to “the historic Democratic ‘blue wall’ of Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio.” Ohio has never been part of the “blue wall.” The third state in the wall was Pennsylvania, which like Michigan and Wisconsin voted Democratic in 2020.
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I love it when the bullshit wears so thin even passersby can see the truth.
But I won’t be driving coast to coast anytime soon.
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Following the election of the first Black president, a Democrat, white voters who are “racially conservative” fled the Democratic Party for the Republican Party.
“Racially conservative”. Seriously? That’s the euphemism du jour for flat-out racists?
“As it grapples with the shift, the Republican Party has struggled to advance a policy agenda …”
Oh, they have a “policy agenda” all right. It’s hate. Cruelty is the point, and they want to institutionalize it as policy. That’s it; that’s the entire goal: It’s pink grievance in white cha-cha boots.
(ETA: And does it really take almost 2,500 words to explain that?)
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For example, given these areas of agreement among Millennials and Gen Z: In 2073, we may see the issue of same-sex marriage settled and the reality of systemic racism widely acknowledged.
I think we’re already getting past the point where same-sex marriage and acceptance of same-sex relationships is settled, due to more celebrities coming out of the closet and the influence of movies, TV, and pop music. This is why the R’s are focusing so heavily on trans issues now, not gays as a scare factor. It’s all they have left to go after.
Acknowledgement of systemic racism is going to be a much longer-term project, because that gets instilled from birth. It’s part of who your family is and what community you grow up in. It involves some very deep tribal wiring in our social primate brains.
Think of all the studies showing how people that genuinely believe they are not racists will unconsciously respond with racist tropes when fed the right stimulus. I think it will take more than one or two more generations to outgrow this, if we ever do in this country.
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currently, Gen Z is 9% white evangelical Christian and Millennials 11% white evangelical Christian. This has major implications for how the base of the GOP is likely to evolve given that white Evangelicals are currently 28% of the total electorate and 75% of them voted for Trump.
Can I get an Amen…
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Speaking of Christian nationalists, does anyone know what “Supreme Cross” means or is all about? I came across this recently after noticing some car dashboard decals with the word “Supreme” superimposed on images of crosses, and when I googled it I just got lots of links to hoodies with the word “Supreme” on it twice, one horizontal and the other vertical, crossing each other, but nothing else. Is this just some sort of fad among some Xtians, to express their devotion, or is it a Xtian cult thing? If this is so popular then why didn’t google yield any discussions of it? Just seemed kind of weird.
Old Diana Ross hoodie?
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Yeah, I think the collapse of the evangelical nutjob right will happen much more quickly than the article supposes. Church attendance collapsed very quickly in Europe, and although we’re way behind the curve, it has accelerated significantly here in the last 10 years.
I think the article understates the rate at which the changes are occurring. I think the recognition of gays and gay marriage is largely over. The trans issue is loud now, but I don’t think it will take 50 years to resolve. A trapped rat fights back, ferociously, and then it dies quickly and it’s all over. I think that’s what we’re seeing now.
That doesn’t mean I think there won’t be a struggle and that some places (the South and Idaho) won’t be armpits for a long time, but they’re loud right now because they’re losing.
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I agree with most of your opinion. However, I think our country has the puritan background that Europe doesn’t.
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I agree, we saw the same thing happen here in Quebec over the past generation. When I first visited with Ms Rowlf back in the mid-'70s, it was a very Catholic place - the school systems was based on Protestant (English speaking) and Catholic (French speaking) school boards, the majority of francophones went to church, married, there was quite a bit of “tut-tut’ing” at Ms Rowlf cavorting with her furriner boyfriend.
Then, suddenly Quebecers stopped going to church, Quebecoise women stopped marrying or taking their partner’s names or generally allowing themselves to be “told what to do”. Today, something like 600 churches have closed and/or been converted to other uses (one of my favorites is now a “gym and spa”!)
Historically, church attendence was at something like 90 percent. One generation ago it was down to 48 percent and by one recent measure, it’s now down to 4 percent(!!) (and it continues to fall).
So, perhaps one of the drivers for American Evangelicals freaking out is that they can feel the cold winds blowing from the North? 
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Don’t know, but I’m pretty sure Indiana is involved.
This greets you as you cross into Indiana from Ohio on I-70…Just to let you know who’s in charge.
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Again, I think Paul Krugman got it right when he said in regard to our current politics, “How did we get here? Wealthy elites weaponized White grievance to gain power and then used that power to enrich themselves at the expense of the very people who gave them power all the time scapegoating minorities.”
In regard to the article we are commenting on, my first comment addresses this:
“the decades-old Republican coalition — which has brought together libertarians, evangelicals and military hawks — has to give.”
The fact is the 2016 support of Donald “George W Bush lied America into a disastrous war in Iraq” by “Necons” including Dick Cheney proves that foreign policy and security were never a serious part of the GOP coalition for at least 20 years.
My second comment is in regard to:
“whereas the 1980 election marked an ideological realignment in the Republican Party towards a fuller embrace of cultural conservatism and economic libertarianism.”
What this means is that the industrial feudalists, those who view " the golden age of America" being around 1900 when there was no federal income tax, rules supporting worker safety and exploitation to include child labor and most Americans lived in poverty with a few “lords” controlling 90+% of America’s wealth formed a coalition with the White nationalists, those who view the “golden age of America” being in the 1950s when top marginal tax rates were 90% and government benefits flowed freely to White people and especially White men and including Social Security excluded most people of color and were also discriminated against single women.
That is before 1964 the “crazies” were divided between the two Parties with the racists being Democrats and the feudalists/fascists were Republicans. After 1964 when the racists left the Democratic Party the in return for giving up much of what they had gained from Government in return for keeping their racism, the Republican Party, especially with Ronald Reagan, the most pro-abortion president in American history, agreed to give racism a platform in the GOP.
I completely disagree with this from the article:
" and religious issues emerging as a new, central cleavage in American politics."
As has been said many times, the overwhelming support of White Evangelicals toward Donald grab her by the …" Trump proves that “values” in front of the word voter is and has always been code for race. That is religion is the excuse but hatred is the reason.
The rest of the article is speculation about what will happen after I am over 100 years old. Except that I disagree with the article about America becoming a majority not White nation. Most Hispanics, which all those predicting about the decline of the White majority classify as not White, in fact consider themselves White if for no other reason then they are White.
Now there was once a time in American politics where Catholics, especially Irish Catholics, were not really considered White. However, as their numbers grew and it became apparent nobody could win an election without some significant votes from Catholics, they became White. The one prediction I will give is that sooner instead of later the same will happen with White Hispanics.
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Not sure it’s the same company that makes these:
https://stockx.com/supreme-cross-box-logo-hooded-sweatshirt-heather-grey
Making certain beliefs and belief systems more accessible and “relatable” is one way to attract more followers and get existing followers to be more devoted. Which in most cases and for all I know in this case is just fine. Everyone’s entitled to their beliefs and the spread their beliefs. But Xtian nationalism is a whole other thing and is basically the religious side of a broader fascist movement and I’m just wondering if this has anything to do with it.
Plus, I personally find that appeals to faith and devotion via popular culture and fashion is rather lame and ultimately waters down that faith and its meaning. It may be a way to get people interested but ultimately they need to get into the substance of that belief system to be genuine followers and not just trendy ones. Quality over quantity, always.
This.
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The original brand catered to skaters and hip hop fans.
VF collaborates with other companies. Evidently that includes letting them use the logo however they want.
But always remember and never forget - they can still win elections, even with those numbers, if the rest of us don’t show up.
The point of tomorrow’s election in Wisconsin is to begin the process of taking the WI SC back from the Walker/Vos team. We have to win, but first we have to show up.
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My grandmother had three babes when she got the right to vote. If she were still here to read this “Realignment” she would say a paragraph or two would address that there will also be a backlash when the first woman is elected President.
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My grandchildren seem to be almost completely blind to race in that they never name color as a primary aspect of a new friend they have met at school. They just never bring it up. However, my son-in-law is bringing them up in the LDS church, and we all know there are many subtle and not so subtle racist ideas to be found there.
I am not sure we can ever overcome our own history and ongoing systemic racism, and it is quite revealing that Republicans are trying to bury those very ideas so deeply that they can’t even allow discussion of them. I have resigned myself to the fact that if real progress is ever made it will be long after I have been absorbed into a tree.
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