I suspect that 90% of who a Democratic is supporting in the primary is based on the issues that the candidate is talking about. Mayor Pete is running a more optimistic, centrist campaign. I personally think that is fine and dandy, but some gay or lesbian people might favor one of the more progressive candidates.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
I suspect that 90% of who a Democratic is supporting in the primary is based on the issues that the candidate is talking about.
I agree. Too much attention is paid to the activist fringes because all the drama grabs media attention. I mean, my God, how many Democrats are lesbians worried about whether they should support a straight woman or a gay man? But it makes for good press, I guess, and gives Stephen something to talk about other than how horrible mainstream gays and lesbians are. That’s a blessing and helps fund Mayor Buttigieg’s campaign coffers with a $25 donation every time Stephen mentions Mayor Buttigieg.
Mayor Pete is running a more optimistic, centrist campaign.
I support Mayor Buttigieg because he is an intelligent, thoughtful center-left candidate. Buttigieg is much like President Obama in that regard — despite the long-running Republican insistence that President Obama was a wild-eyed leftist — and I supported President Obama in 2008 from the moment he announced his candidacy for the same reasons that I now support Mayor Buttigieg.
I don’t expect Mayor Buttigieg to gain traction unless Vice President Biden falters, but I will continue to support Mayor Buttigieg as long as he remains in the race.
It will be interesting to see what happens if Mayor Buttigieg starts to get traction or joins the ticket as a Vice Presidential candidate. I’ll bet that the Republicans will be pounding the “faggot, faggot” drum, just as they did in 2004-2006.
posted by Jorge on
I’ll bet that the Republicans will be pounding the “faggot, faggot” drum, just as they did in 2004-2006.
Oh, no, not that lie again.
Couldn’t you at least be original and accuse Republicans of pounding the “tranny, tranny” drum in 2015-2017?
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Tom: I’ll bet that the Republicans will be pounding the “faggot, faggot” drum, just as they did in 2004-2006.
Jorge: Oh, no, not that lie again.
The fact that the Republican Party, concerned that the party might suffer a loss in the 2004 Presidential election, deployed a systematic strategy of leveraging conservative Christian fear about same-sex marriage to increase turnout among that base. The party introduced anti-marriage amendments in state legislatures throughout the country, and participated in a well-thought out disinformation campaign (see, for example, the hysterical writing of David Blankenhorn, later demolished as lies piled upon lies under cross-examination in Perry v. Schwarzenegger) to gin up fear and loathing among conservative Christians, has been well documented. Ken Mehlman, who headed the Republican National Committee, acknowledged the strategy and apologized for his role in implementing the strategy, after coming out some years later. You can call that history a lie (or at least get in touch with the times and call it FAKE NEWS!) but facts are facts.
Jorge: Couldn’t you at least be original and accuse Republicans of pounding the “tranny, tranny” drum in 2015-2017?
No, because “tranny, tranny” is not applicable.
Mayor Buttigieg is gay, not transgendered. If Mayor Buttigieg is on the ticket, “faggot, faggot” will (most likely) take the form being tested by Tony Perkins and others from the conservative Christian segment of the Republican base, the “sheep in wolf’s clothing”** meme, attacking gays and lesbians as selfish, unreasonable and unyielding beasts determined to destroy conservative Christianity.
Republicans market-tested the “tranny, tranny” drum a few years ago, and got no traction because even the most benighted understand that forcing that transgendered men use women’s bathrooms is moronic. “Tranny, tranny” continues to have traction only among conservative homosexuals obsessed with the issue***, and that group doesn’t amount to much in Republican politics.
==========================
* As you well know, but refuse to recognize, is that “faggot, faggot” does not posit that Republican politicians use the word “faggot”, but instead an historical allusion to the “nigger, nigger” politics that George Wallace developed after his failed run for Governor in 1958. From Wikipedia:
In 1958, Wallace ran in the Democratic primary for governor. Since the 1901 constitution’s effective disfranchisement of the state’s blacks, and most poor whites as well, the Democratic Party had been virtually the only party in Alabama. For all intents and purposes, the Democratic primary was the real contest at the state level. This was a political crossroads for Wallace. State Representative George C. Hawkins of Gadsden ran, but Wallace’s main opponent was state attorney general John Malcolm Patterson, who ran with the support of the Ku Klux Klan, an organization Wallace had spoken against. Wallace was endorsed by the NAACP. Wallace lost the nomination by over 34,400 votes.
After the election, aide Seymore Trammell recalled Wallace saying, “Seymore, you know why I lost that governor’s race? … I was outniggered by John Patterson. And I’ll tell you here and now, I will never be outniggered again.”
In the wake of his defeat, Wallace adopted a hard-line segregationist stance and used this stand to court the white vote in the next gubernatorial election in 1962. When a supporter asked why he started using racist messages, Wallace replied, “You know, I tried to talk about good roads and good schools and all these things that have been part of my career, and nobody listened. And then I began talking about niggers, and they stomped the floor.”
** Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
*** Why conservative homosexuals are so obsessed is beyond me, but you need read no further than IGF to understand that “tranny, tranny” is an obsession among that group.
posted by Jorge on
The majority of the women POLITICO interviewed for this story did not want to speak on the record, citing a desire not to damage Buttigieg’s campaign. But especially when compared with the laborious ascent of Hillary Clinton, Buttigieg’s swift rise in national politics hints of male favoritism, some said.
There’s always some Democrats who find a way to feel butthurt whenever a young up-and-comer outperforms an older, established figure waiting for “their turn”.
Oh I’m sorry was that too homophobic?
For a time I think I considered Buttigieg the favorite to win the nomination, but I’m no longer optimistic of his chances. His main competition for the center is Biden, and after so many attacks and embarrassments, Biden just won’t die.
Mayor Pete has some of the same novelty as a Republican woman or African American–a tough contender, not what you expect, gives a purer and less biased form of party orthodoxy, etc. I think he does far better things for the politics of this country than an opportunistic career or legacy eel like Hillary Clinton, Romney, Biden, Jeb Bush…. Which isn’t to say they wouldn’t be great presidents, but I don’t think they’re very good Americans, no, I don’t. I cannot abide some of Buttigieg’s faults.
5 Comments for “Identity Group Politics Isn’t Working to Mayor Pete’s Advantage”
posted by Mike King & David Bauler on
I suspect that 90% of who a Democratic is supporting in the primary is based on the issues that the candidate is talking about. Mayor Pete is running a more optimistic, centrist campaign. I personally think that is fine and dandy, but some gay or lesbian people might favor one of the more progressive candidates.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
I suspect that 90% of who a Democratic is supporting in the primary is based on the issues that the candidate is talking about.
I agree. Too much attention is paid to the activist fringes because all the drama grabs media attention. I mean, my God, how many Democrats are lesbians worried about whether they should support a straight woman or a gay man? But it makes for good press, I guess, and gives Stephen something to talk about other than how horrible mainstream gays and lesbians are. That’s a blessing and helps fund Mayor Buttigieg’s campaign coffers with a $25 donation every time Stephen mentions Mayor Buttigieg.
Mayor Pete is running a more optimistic, centrist campaign.
I support Mayor Buttigieg because he is an intelligent, thoughtful center-left candidate. Buttigieg is much like President Obama in that regard — despite the long-running Republican insistence that President Obama was a wild-eyed leftist — and I supported President Obama in 2008 from the moment he announced his candidacy for the same reasons that I now support Mayor Buttigieg.
I don’t expect Mayor Buttigieg to gain traction unless Vice President Biden falters, but I will continue to support Mayor Buttigieg as long as he remains in the race.
It will be interesting to see what happens if Mayor Buttigieg starts to get traction or joins the ticket as a Vice Presidential candidate. I’ll bet that the Republicans will be pounding the “faggot, faggot” drum, just as they did in 2004-2006.
posted by Jorge on
I’ll bet that the Republicans will be pounding the “faggot, faggot” drum, just as they did in 2004-2006.
Oh, no, not that lie again.
Couldn’t you at least be original and accuse Republicans of pounding the “tranny, tranny” drum in 2015-2017?
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Tom: I’ll bet that the Republicans will be pounding the “faggot, faggot” drum, just as they did in 2004-2006.
Jorge: Oh, no, not that lie again.
The fact that the Republican Party, concerned that the party might suffer a loss in the 2004 Presidential election, deployed a systematic strategy of leveraging conservative Christian fear about same-sex marriage to increase turnout among that base. The party introduced anti-marriage amendments in state legislatures throughout the country, and participated in a well-thought out disinformation campaign (see, for example, the hysterical writing of David Blankenhorn, later demolished as lies piled upon lies under cross-examination in Perry v. Schwarzenegger) to gin up fear and loathing among conservative Christians, has been well documented. Ken Mehlman, who headed the Republican National Committee, acknowledged the strategy and apologized for his role in implementing the strategy, after coming out some years later. You can call that history a lie (or at least get in touch with the times and call it FAKE NEWS!) but facts are facts.
Jorge: Couldn’t you at least be original and accuse Republicans of pounding the “tranny, tranny” drum in 2015-2017?
No, because “tranny, tranny” is not applicable.
Mayor Buttigieg is gay, not transgendered. If Mayor Buttigieg is on the ticket, “faggot, faggot” will (most likely) take the form being tested by Tony Perkins and others from the conservative Christian segment of the Republican base, the “sheep in wolf’s clothing”** meme, attacking gays and lesbians as selfish, unreasonable and unyielding beasts determined to destroy conservative Christianity.
Republicans market-tested the “tranny, tranny” drum a few years ago, and got no traction because even the most benighted understand that forcing that transgendered men use women’s bathrooms is moronic. “Tranny, tranny” continues to have traction only among conservative homosexuals obsessed with the issue***, and that group doesn’t amount to much in Republican politics.
==========================
* As you well know, but refuse to recognize, is that “faggot, faggot” does not posit that Republican politicians use the word “faggot”, but instead an historical allusion to the “nigger, nigger” politics that George Wallace developed after his failed run for Governor in 1958. From Wikipedia:
** Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
*** Why conservative homosexuals are so obsessed is beyond me, but you need read no further than IGF to understand that “tranny, tranny” is an obsession among that group.
posted by Jorge on
The majority of the women POLITICO interviewed for this story did not want to speak on the record, citing a desire not to damage Buttigieg’s campaign. But especially when compared with the laborious ascent of Hillary Clinton, Buttigieg’s swift rise in national politics hints of male favoritism, some said.
There’s always some Democrats who find a way to feel butthurt whenever a young up-and-comer outperforms an older, established figure waiting for “their turn”.
Oh I’m sorry was that too homophobic?
For a time I think I considered Buttigieg the favorite to win the nomination, but I’m no longer optimistic of his chances. His main competition for the center is Biden, and after so many attacks and embarrassments, Biden just won’t die.
Mayor Pete has some of the same novelty as a Republican woman or African American–a tough contender, not what you expect, gives a purer and less biased form of party orthodoxy, etc. I think he does far better things for the politics of this country than an opportunistic career or legacy eel like Hillary Clinton, Romney, Biden, Jeb Bush…. Which isn’t to say they wouldn’t be great presidents, but I don’t think they’re very good Americans, no, I don’t. I cannot abide some of Buttigieg’s faults.