They're Losing
When Republicans lose, America wins.
Because the modern-day Republican Party no longer represents the American people. Their descent into madness may have reached its apex with Donald Trump but the truth of the matter is that Republicans have been on a downward spiral for the last half-century plus. Starting with their complete embrace of the Southern Strategy, Republicans have known that their White majorities ruled via an outdated patriarchal structure would eventually run up against the inevitable change of progress in this country. The Southern Strategy was an overt effort to unite those southerners that would be turned off from the Civil Rights Act and to eventually merge these disgruntled White men with the emerging Evangelical movement creating the unholy alliance of the racists and religious right that would come together to try and stifle progress for women and people of color over the next half-century. Their mission was simple: to keep White, male Republicans in power at all costs.
But while this strategy may have culminated in the election of Donald Trump, it no longer has a path forward. That is because for fifty years Republicans have catered to their older, Whiter base in order to drum up fear and resentment of "the other." That may have worked in 2016 but the problem has always been that the Fox News audience isn't getting any younger. In catering to their White, Evangelical base, the GOP has ignored Gen Z, the latest generation to come of voting age. While the youth vote is always tedious at best the fact that 61% of Gen Z voted for Democrats can and should scare Republicans shitless. This is the most liberal generation to date and is one that is being raised at a time when it is liberal policies, not Republican, that are most impacting their lives. From marriage equality to the affordable care act to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' adroit pandemic relief to student loan forgiveness, Gen Z is feeling the impact of Democratic policies. That matters and is why they overwhelmingly voted the way that they did this past Tuesday.
Yet in addition to losing the younger generation, we also saw that Republicans are losing the narrative on key issues that Democrats have now come to own. In terms of healthcare, South Dakota became the latest red state to vote to expand Medicaid and Oregon now has enshrined a constitutional right to health care. In terms of workers' rights, Illinois voted to enshrine collective bargaining rights in its state constitution. In terms of educational equity, we saw Colorado easily vote for a ballot measure to provide free meals for all public school students. The people in these states voted for policies that would benefit the working-class and low-income communities and they did so overwhelmingly. No longer is there fear and trepidation about these so-called "socialist" policies but instead the realization that we are all in this together.
And that is what should give us all hope moving forward. The United States of America is a center-left country, much to the chagrin of the Republican Party. They've lost the culture wars. Sure, they'll be able to pick off a stray governorship here and there bemoaning some made up issue like critical race theory but deep down inside they know they're losing. Their base is dying and they are too myopic to realize that at some point they may have to actually listen and get outside their conservative media bubble to understand the issues and concerns of everyday Americans. Bobby Jindal told them to stop being the "stupid party" in 2013. Since then, they've only gotten stupider. They've doubled down on their culture wars. They've nominated countless election deniers. They brought forth horrendous candidates like Kari Lake, Dr. Oz, Blake Masters, and Doug Mastriano. All for the sole purpose of mollifying their old, White, racist base that yearns for a simpler time that never actually existed.
Take solace in all this. We're winning. It doesn't always feel like it, but know that there are more of us than there are of them. But they are still dangerous. The Republican Party is very much a cornered animal, willing to lash out to stay alive. We've seen this with their assault on voting rights. That is why is was so critical to win those secretary of state races in Nevada and Arizona because election deniers should in no way be in a position to oversee the vote. The 2024 presidential election will for the third time in a row be the most important election in our lifetime. The specter of fascism in this country has not yet subsided. Wounded, sure. But there are still 70 million Americans willing to go full authoritarian because it makes them feel better about their own insecure lives. They are here and they will vote in 2024.
We need to make sure they lose one more time.
Because the modern-day Republican Party no longer represents the American people. Their descent into madness may have reached its apex with Donald Trump but the truth of the matter is that Republicans have been on a downward spiral for the last half-century plus. Starting with their complete embrace of the Southern Strategy, Republicans have known that their White majorities ruled via an outdated patriarchal structure would eventually run up against the inevitable change of progress in this country. The Southern Strategy was an overt effort to unite those southerners that would be turned off from the Civil Rights Act and to eventually merge these disgruntled White men with the emerging Evangelical movement creating the unholy alliance of the racists and religious right that would come together to try and stifle progress for women and people of color over the next half-century. Their mission was simple: to keep White, male Republicans in power at all costs.
But while this strategy may have culminated in the election of Donald Trump, it no longer has a path forward. That is because for fifty years Republicans have catered to their older, Whiter base in order to drum up fear and resentment of "the other." That may have worked in 2016 but the problem has always been that the Fox News audience isn't getting any younger. In catering to their White, Evangelical base, the GOP has ignored Gen Z, the latest generation to come of voting age. While the youth vote is always tedious at best the fact that 61% of Gen Z voted for Democrats can and should scare Republicans shitless. This is the most liberal generation to date and is one that is being raised at a time when it is liberal policies, not Republican, that are most impacting their lives. From marriage equality to the affordable care act to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' adroit pandemic relief to student loan forgiveness, Gen Z is feeling the impact of Democratic policies. That matters and is why they overwhelmingly voted the way that they did this past Tuesday.
Yet in addition to losing the younger generation, we also saw that Republicans are losing the narrative on key issues that Democrats have now come to own. In terms of healthcare, South Dakota became the latest red state to vote to expand Medicaid and Oregon now has enshrined a constitutional right to health care. In terms of workers' rights, Illinois voted to enshrine collective bargaining rights in its state constitution. In terms of educational equity, we saw Colorado easily vote for a ballot measure to provide free meals for all public school students. The people in these states voted for policies that would benefit the working-class and low-income communities and they did so overwhelmingly. No longer is there fear and trepidation about these so-called "socialist" policies but instead the realization that we are all in this together.
And that is what should give us all hope moving forward. The United States of America is a center-left country, much to the chagrin of the Republican Party. They've lost the culture wars. Sure, they'll be able to pick off a stray governorship here and there bemoaning some made up issue like critical race theory but deep down inside they know they're losing. Their base is dying and they are too myopic to realize that at some point they may have to actually listen and get outside their conservative media bubble to understand the issues and concerns of everyday Americans. Bobby Jindal told them to stop being the "stupid party" in 2013. Since then, they've only gotten stupider. They've doubled down on their culture wars. They've nominated countless election deniers. They brought forth horrendous candidates like Kari Lake, Dr. Oz, Blake Masters, and Doug Mastriano. All for the sole purpose of mollifying their old, White, racist base that yearns for a simpler time that never actually existed.
Take solace in all this. We're winning. It doesn't always feel like it, but know that there are more of us than there are of them. But they are still dangerous. The Republican Party is very much a cornered animal, willing to lash out to stay alive. We've seen this with their assault on voting rights. That is why is was so critical to win those secretary of state races in Nevada and Arizona because election deniers should in no way be in a position to oversee the vote. The 2024 presidential election will for the third time in a row be the most important election in our lifetime. The specter of fascism in this country has not yet subsided. Wounded, sure. But there are still 70 million Americans willing to go full authoritarian because it makes them feel better about their own insecure lives. They are here and they will vote in 2024.
We need to make sure they lose one more time.