Sorry to have gone so quiet, John. Of course, what you've described is also known as "spin." Normally we attribute spin to representatives of the government trying to shape public opinion. But spinning can be done by anyone. And it can take the form of outright lies, hyperbolic claims, bathetic assertions, and even paranoiac mutterings (or shouting if you're Tucker Carlson). James Carville is himself a spinmeister--and his complaint is its own form of spin on behalf of the long-dead Third Way. (Spin category: hyperbole.)
The real irony is some folks spin--or just lie--in order to achieve ends, even ends they think proper and moral. Carville is no Republican: he doesn't spin because he's a straight-up grifter or authoritarian. He is a true believer in an old-style "moderate Democrat." The problem with Carville is not that he is intellectually dishonest. He is spinning [i.e., exaggerating] "wokeness" for in defense of his team of Chris Coonses and Joe Manchins--whom he thinks are somehow the the future of the Democrats. And the problem with that is once more he just has things plain wrong. Chris Coonses and Joe Manchins and James Carvilles keep reading the tea leaves badly.
Carville's real gripe is that "wokeness" or "cancel culture" gives the Fox Newsies and OANs of this world ammunition. But seriously, right-wingers don't need either of those quasi-phenomena to dog whistle voters. They'll take anything available, or literally make it up (which they already do!). Carville's gripe is misplaced energy. Even if everyone acted oh-so-proper, does he think all that dog-whistling would somehow stop? He should know better and put his efforts where they can do more good. I'd suggest raising serious money for on-the-ground development of the Texas Democratic Party instead of bad punditry.
I've been saying two things recently to family and friends - that authoritarians and fascists exist only to eff things up and to eff YOU over. The Confederates destroyed the South while trying to enslave others while the Nazis smashed Germany while trying to exterminate "undesirables". The COVID disasters in India, Brazil, and the U.S. under you know who provide modern day confirmation of their nihilism, racism, and incompetence from downplaying the pandemic while it (initially) killed those they hated. Agreeing with them just leads to more death and destruction and is frankly a form of civic and personal suicide.
It's no accident that destruction of truth and reality is central to the authoritarian playbook. To smash reality opens the devil's playground for them to destroy democracy and impose cruelty and death on those they hate. Let's not get sucked into their garbage like Carville and instead re-focus our energies to crush these fascists.
The word "woke" originated with Blacks warning other Blacks about white violence. The demonization of the term has racist undertones. And I live in a liberal town that is 1/3 Latinx with a Latina mayor ... grassroots progressives here use the term plenty. James Carville is a privileged white guy living in a gated community and has no idea what "normal" people are like, so he invents this nonsense about language that came out of the progressive community coming from the "faculty lounge". He doesn't even grasp the meaning and reality of "communities of color"--which I suppose is why Chuck Todd asked Premila Jayapal what she thought of his idiotic ramblings as if he were someone worth caring about.
Interestingly - this is the first time I somewhat disagree with you John. People like Axelrod and Carville win elections. Until Carville showed up the Dems won exactly once nationally between 1968 and 1992. ONCE - and that was barely. Carville broke the national GOP stranglehold in 1992. Since Carville Dems have lost the popular vote once. BC (The 25 years Before Carville Dems had 2 elections where they won 1 state each.) And Axelrod oversaw a seemingly impossible task by getting a black American with an odd name elected President. He did this with a keen sense of the middle and by pushing his client to it.
The Democrats should have defeated the GOP in 2020 going away and the fact is we barely won. This is because of nonsense like "defund the police" and other woke foolishness. The unified government is entirely dependent on both elderly Vermont Senators NOT having a health crisis...either one of them exits - and Moscow Mitch takes the Senate reigns again.(No, the GOP Gov of Vermont will not appoint a Democrat) - After the catastrophe of Trump, Democrats barely won. Why? A few reasons but one is certainly moronic messaging from the Left.
Overall I agree with your take about the fascists intent to destroy. It matters that we see it, unpack it and point it out. But in terms of day to day politics numbskulls like Rashida Tlaib keep feeding the Right Wing machine EXACTLY what it wants - and it does harm. Rule one: Ya gotta win.
We don't need to fact check everything. That is a kneejerk liberal/progressive response. We need to make CONSERVATISM AND LYING SYNONYMOUS. Which would not be hard to do. Make conservatism toxic. They've negatively branded wokeness - we can easily brand conservatives as liars and frauds. Instead everyone on the Left reacts and "resists", and "goes high" believing if only we tweet the facts somehow we'll win the day. "Reacting" and "resisting" - i.e. forever playing defense in a game in which offense wins 90% of the time - is a progressive addiction and a disaster for democracy.
Carville is correct. Ya gotta win first and "wokeness" is errant nonsense that's doing massive harm to Biden's emerging - and astonishingly progressive - brand.
50-70 percent of politics in a democracy is perception. All winning candidates know this. All leaders know this. Biden is proving to be masterful at it in the most surprising ways.
Sorry to have gone so quiet, John. Of course, what you've described is also known as "spin." Normally we attribute spin to representatives of the government trying to shape public opinion. But spinning can be done by anyone. And it can take the form of outright lies, hyperbolic claims, bathetic assertions, and even paranoiac mutterings (or shouting if you're Tucker Carlson). James Carville is himself a spinmeister--and his complaint is its own form of spin on behalf of the long-dead Third Way. (Spin category: hyperbole.)
The real irony is some folks spin--or just lie--in order to achieve ends, even ends they think proper and moral. Carville is no Republican: he doesn't spin because he's a straight-up grifter or authoritarian. He is a true believer in an old-style "moderate Democrat." The problem with Carville is not that he is intellectually dishonest. He is spinning [i.e., exaggerating] "wokeness" for in defense of his team of Chris Coonses and Joe Manchins--whom he thinks are somehow the the future of the Democrats. And the problem with that is once more he just has things plain wrong. Chris Coonses and Joe Manchins and James Carvilles keep reading the tea leaves badly.
Carville's real gripe is that "wokeness" or "cancel culture" gives the Fox Newsies and OANs of this world ammunition. But seriously, right-wingers don't need either of those quasi-phenomena to dog whistle voters. They'll take anything available, or literally make it up (which they already do!). Carville's gripe is misplaced energy. Even if everyone acted oh-so-proper, does he think all that dog-whistling would somehow stop? He should know better and put his efforts where they can do more good. I'd suggest raising serious money for on-the-ground development of the Texas Democratic Party instead of bad punditry.
I've been saying two things recently to family and friends - that authoritarians and fascists exist only to eff things up and to eff YOU over. The Confederates destroyed the South while trying to enslave others while the Nazis smashed Germany while trying to exterminate "undesirables". The COVID disasters in India, Brazil, and the U.S. under you know who provide modern day confirmation of their nihilism, racism, and incompetence from downplaying the pandemic while it (initially) killed those they hated. Agreeing with them just leads to more death and destruction and is frankly a form of civic and personal suicide.
It's no accident that destruction of truth and reality is central to the authoritarian playbook. To smash reality opens the devil's playground for them to destroy democracy and impose cruelty and death on those they hate. Let's not get sucked into their garbage like Carville and instead re-focus our energies to crush these fascists.
Never forget - GOP Delenda Est!
The word "woke" originated with Blacks warning other Blacks about white violence. The demonization of the term has racist undertones. And I live in a liberal town that is 1/3 Latinx with a Latina mayor ... grassroots progressives here use the term plenty. James Carville is a privileged white guy living in a gated community and has no idea what "normal" people are like, so he invents this nonsense about language that came out of the progressive community coming from the "faculty lounge". He doesn't even grasp the meaning and reality of "communities of color"--which I suppose is why Chuck Todd asked Premila Jayapal what she thought of his idiotic ramblings as if he were someone worth caring about.
Interestingly - this is the first time I somewhat disagree with you John. People like Axelrod and Carville win elections. Until Carville showed up the Dems won exactly once nationally between 1968 and 1992. ONCE - and that was barely. Carville broke the national GOP stranglehold in 1992. Since Carville Dems have lost the popular vote once. BC (The 25 years Before Carville Dems had 2 elections where they won 1 state each.) And Axelrod oversaw a seemingly impossible task by getting a black American with an odd name elected President. He did this with a keen sense of the middle and by pushing his client to it.
The Democrats should have defeated the GOP in 2020 going away and the fact is we barely won. This is because of nonsense like "defund the police" and other woke foolishness. The unified government is entirely dependent on both elderly Vermont Senators NOT having a health crisis...either one of them exits - and Moscow Mitch takes the Senate reigns again.(No, the GOP Gov of Vermont will not appoint a Democrat) - After the catastrophe of Trump, Democrats barely won. Why? A few reasons but one is certainly moronic messaging from the Left.
Overall I agree with your take about the fascists intent to destroy. It matters that we see it, unpack it and point it out. But in terms of day to day politics numbskulls like Rashida Tlaib keep feeding the Right Wing machine EXACTLY what it wants - and it does harm. Rule one: Ya gotta win.
We don't need to fact check everything. That is a kneejerk liberal/progressive response. We need to make CONSERVATISM AND LYING SYNONYMOUS. Which would not be hard to do. Make conservatism toxic. They've negatively branded wokeness - we can easily brand conservatives as liars and frauds. Instead everyone on the Left reacts and "resists", and "goes high" believing if only we tweet the facts somehow we'll win the day. "Reacting" and "resisting" - i.e. forever playing defense in a game in which offense wins 90% of the time - is a progressive addiction and a disaster for democracy.
Carville is correct. Ya gotta win first and "wokeness" is errant nonsense that's doing massive harm to Biden's emerging - and astonishingly progressive - brand.
50-70 percent of politics in a democracy is perception. All winning candidates know this. All leaders know this. Biden is proving to be masterful at it in the most surprising ways.