the thing about “democrats should take popular cultural positions” is that what constitutes popular is a function of an interaction between the public and elites. if a faction of elites start screaming about a vulnerable minority and another faction says they have a point, this shapes the public. - ThreadSky

jamellebouie.net • 7 hours ago

the thing about “democrats should take popular cultural positions” is that what constitutes popular is a function of an interaction between the public and elites. if a faction of elites start screaming about a vulnerable minority and another faction says they have a point, this shapes the public.

Reposted from Atlanta DSA

In a leaked recording, State Senator Elena Parent (D-42) said she’d vote for Republican transgender healthcare bans because trans rights are too “unpopular."

"You can go right to heck. I don’t think I will lose re-election based on you screaming at me"

Comments

jamellebouie.net•7 hours ago

the more democrats concede to the republican war on trans people, the more that signals to the public that trans people are a problem and should be stigmatized.

bronxriverdigital.com•5 hours ago

Last fall, the Republican running for a state office in my district had lawn signs that had only one message:

"Save Girls Sports"

He lost, and it wasn't close.

Not sure why they're so eager to concede this point.

leslielehmann.bsky.social•4 hours ago

That sign just signed the bigots. No one voted solely on trans issues that's not trans.
Once again for the back row.

We are not free until we are all free.

thursday-nexxus.bsky.social•5 hours ago

@murray.senate.gov
@cantwell.senate.gov
Please concede no ground!

freezed00.bsky.social•7 hours ago

A lowered tide beaches all boats.

freezed00.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Except for mega yachts way out at sea, that is.

piratesandpoets.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Then after Trans people which group is next? The rest of the LGBTQ community? Hispanics? Asians? Blacks? That is why people have to stand up to the MAGA Nazis. That is the name of their party. The name Republican is buried.

athiegnome.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Thank you for having our backs.

leaferi.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Agreed.

scottwithrage.gobirds.online•7 hours ago

Also, if you're willing to concede on trans people, the republicans will eventually force you to concede on someone else. That's how the GOP dominance politics works.

liberalkmd.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Rs make up an issue, get the media to pile on, and Ds keep conceding the issue.

chilicatsmom.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Hey baby, we all know the poem. Just because we know it doesn’t mean we need to get rid of it.

It’s a damn good poem. They’re coming for you next and you better fucking believe it!!!!!!

cnolen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Agreed and we all know it won’t end there.

thunderbubble.bsky.social•7 hours ago

True. The Democrats did the same with LGB folks until Biden spoke up for gay marriage rights, no? Time is a flat circle.

mwyarbrough.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Yep. Absolutely. The one thing I'd add to this sequence is that when Biden spoke up, it was after years of LGB activists ignoring Dems telling them to shut up, and as a result we shifted the culture. We're doing the exact same thing now, if only Dems would pay attention.

thunderbubble.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Thank you. That's what I remember too.

spudman.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Democrats aren’t conceding to that war though, it is just not happening. You’ve got one state senator actually conceding and a handful other Dems talking about sports. That is not “Democrats conceding the war” and we need to stop spreading this fiction.

wonderingslowly.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I agree. Although the other issue is that Dems sat on their hands for years as the far right demonized trans people, “wokeness,” DEI etc. and then act surprised when these issues become unpopular. Maybe if they had stood up and said something 4 years ago things would be different.

tallgayscott.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I’m old enough to remember when Reagan and his crew first demonized Dems by calling them “liberals” and instead of standing up and saying “Yes, I’m liberal and here’s why” most of them cowered and started calling themselves centrists.

jamellebouie.net•7 hours ago

it is interesting to me that certain folks can see and understand this dynamic when it comes to economic policy and the social insurance state, but seem to ignore it when it comes to people’s fundamental human dignity. (oops, guess i’m a dread moralist)

dribrats.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Oops, Jamelle is a dread moralist. If only there had been some kind of warning sign

raflw.bsky.social•6 hours ago

And when we manage to elect a trans Democrat, they have to carry so much of the burden for the whole party. Elected Dems are not educating themselves and are (often) failing as allies

tofufighting.bsky.social•4 hours ago

To me, the real kicker is: They're going to be painted as trans rights advocates no matter what they do. So not only would it be morally right to stand up for the oppressed, conceding the narrative to the GOP makes the GOP look like they were right and wins the Democrats nothing.

tujungadude.bsky.social•7 hours ago

https://bsky.app/profile/tujungadude.bsky.social/post/3ljhvr2m3sc2j

sloppysteaks.bsky.social•4 hours ago

If you don’t stand up for certain things unequivocally you’re basically admitting your entire project is about power and not helping people

azjpm.bsky.social•4 hours ago

My issues w/ this topic is that Republicans this topic like this one as a poster child against Dems.

They will say things like Dems want men using womens bathrooms and they will amplify this for their own benefit to impressionable voters.

Dems should distance this topic from their public forum

jamellebouie.net•7 hours ago

here is the thing, if you are thinking pragmatically, the response to trans health bans is to change the subject! “these people are targeting children so they can con you into stealing your social security and health care.” easy peasy! need a specific answer: “keep the government out of my family.”

pseudononymouse.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Stay out of my bedroom, stay out of my bathroom. That seems like a pretty popular answer. Keep government away from my kids!

spin4srv.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I watch professional tennis and when you see a press conference there are a lot of obviously trained answers. "I pay attention to my side of the court" etc.

Why aren't Dems media trained? Teach them the how not the what (they are not good enough to repeat talking points convincingly)

axialagegamer.bsky.social•4 hours ago

They ARE. The problem is that they are trained by Carvillite/Clintonite consultants, who either don't understand the Overton Window, or WANT their Democratic students to keep shifting it rightward.

spin4srv.bsky.social•4 hours ago

I don't see a consistent enough message/pivot to think any training they've had is actually getting in.

janehalldesign.bsky.social•5 hours ago

The energy that pols have spent in demonizing trans 🏳️‍⚧️ is astounding.
300,000 13-17 identifies as trans which represents 1.4% pop
1.3 million adult
925 trans kids receive puberty blocker and 1956 receive hormones
10 athletes out of 515,000 are involved in college sports and 5 in middle schools

atleebreland.bsky.social•5 hours ago

What’s really interesting is that Sen. Parent bravely stood up to protect IVF rights 15+ years ago when they were under threat from a personhood bill in GA — also an unpopular position in a red state.

I wish she understood that healthcare privacy is the same core fight for IVF or trans kids.

thebaylorj.bsky.social•3 hours ago

It's so easy! Like, even if you're squeamish about gender stuff or confused about pronouns (lol, get over it, but), all you have to say is "Making the lives of people in a very small minority a little more miserable than everyone else's is not a legitimate use of government power."
That's all!

joslint.bsky.social•1 hour ago

I like this one

montroseva.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It’s part of the culture of a “career in politics”.

Electeds are more scared of not being an elected than anything else. It’s about “I must stay in office” justified by the equally-dangerous “because no one else can do what I do”.

lromeranth.bsky.social•6 hours ago

so much talk about message discipline but to join the right in vice signalling “I am not expending my social/cultural/capital to help YOU!” is a clear sign of the lack thereof

carlana.net•7 hours ago

The messaging is very simple! "We think parents should be able to make decisions together with their children and doctors. They think Elon Musk should decide for your family, and if you disagree with his decision they will refer you to Child Protection Services (!)."

katymontgomerie.com•6 hours ago

I think a lot of people genuinely just consider trans people vermin and they'd rather sell out their own morals to hurt us than to take a rational, consistent or pragmatic position

natusm.bsky.social•6 hours ago

They have morals to sell?

makyris.bsky.social•5 hours ago

😥

vmcf.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Dems would do well to remember that trans people don’t just matter to trans people, most LGBTQ folks and their allies/families care deeply, and that is not an insignificant portion of the population. LGBTQ voters went for Harris at the same rate as Black voters-its their most loyal base

transsomething.bsky.social•5 hours ago

That's also part of the problem - they think that, when push comes to shove, LGBTQ people will vote for them anyway

lastdaysotheweimar.bsky.social•5 hours ago

People didn’t understand the grooming rhetoric was literally just “trans people are a horrible contagious disease, and the reason even one detransition story is horrible is that it means a real (cis) person was converted into a disgusting mutant unperson by the transes!”

stonemom.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Well, the right started out, famously, hating on black people. When that became too toxic to be obvious about it, they moved on to LGBTQ. When so many discovered they have gay friends and family, they moved to trans folks, who are like 1% of the population-a safe minority to demonize since...

stonemom.bsky.social•5 hours ago

fewer people personally know someone who's trans ...

annihilatethisweek.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I came here to say this exactly.

4hd8wind81ue8.bsky.social•5 hours ago

scratch a liberal and a fascist bleeds. Also why a lot of Dems jumped aboard the anti immigrant hate. Why the Dems fund ultra right wing candidates to move the overton window. There are quite a few dems who are not upset about what is happening and will go along with it.

jentrification.com•3 hours ago

me: it's 100 ppl in a room and 99 of them are trying to beat on one person. is that fair? does that make sense? why would you join in? so you can be next?

lerpen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

You nailed it. Thanks

onekneedjacks.bsky.social•7 hours ago

At least couch it in terms of highly popular government action: We're not carving up the civil rights act. We're not carving up equal protection of the laws.

fuguest8.bsky.social•6 hours ago

This is the easiest answer and it reveals how much anti-trans bigotry still really exists in society, even from people who are ostensibly trans allies.

theultrasecret.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The lack of moral imagination shown by the "take popular cultural positions" crowd is absolutely choking the Dem party of its vitality and its claims to leadership.

emily-today.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Also, do you like the government telling you what effective medicine you're not allowed to have because they think it's icky? Do you like vaccines and birth control?

emily-today.bsky.social•6 hours ago

And they do definitely think vaccines and birth control are icky. Also fertility treatments. Also, maybe, cancer treatment apparently?

nataliehouston.bsky.social•3 hours ago

I just like to point out that the amount of people in the United States over the age of 18 who identify as transgender is around 2 million. In a country of 330 million people...2 million...Transgendered people are just the latest distraction while the 1% steals all our money!!!!😡

mike10010100.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Seems like that's what Harris said, pretty explicitly.

https://bsky.app/profile/mike10010100.bsky.social/post/3lji6vsluyk2v

wrigleyfield.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Yes, she did. But now a big swath of the party’s elites and consultants apparently somehow think that’s why she lost

mike10010100.bsky.social•6 hours ago

"big swath"

Based on what evidence? A single video of a state senator?

dcbikebasket.bsky.social•6 hours ago

And lost

mike10010100.bsky.social•6 hours ago

So then it's *not* a winning message?

redshiftsinger.bsky.social•2 hours ago

But don’t you know, she lost because she “focused so much on trans people” 🙄

ogdavisxmachina.bsky.social•6 hours ago

She didn't do it
She did it, but didnt do it right.
Liz Cheney!

I should have a keyboard macro for this l.

craycraig.bsky.social•6 hours ago

This x1000. Jamelle is not wrong, but this has been tried, Harris and Walz did this and again, no one gave them credit. And then agreed with GOP framing of, yes trans people are bad.

xtan.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Panty police

haredurer.bsky.social•6 hours ago

"These people seem awfully interested in your kids' genitals."

bskylife.bsky.social•7 hours ago

“Government shouldn’t come between patients and their doctors” is super simple and consistent with broader Democratic messaging. This isn’t that hard.

ckjohnsonbk.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Coach Walz had a great answer (as usual): Mind your own business. No one likes a prude. No one likes a busybody. Both are captured in Walz’ statement.

keynesaddiction.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Yes, but they shut him down and told him to stop speaking like this. They said America would relate more to Dick Cheney and that VP should tour with Liz Cheney. These are the stupid people leading us.

fidelioscabinet.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The consultants are trained to believe that they need to capture the favorable attention of Big Media, but they’ve never stopped to consider who controls Big Media & what those people want.

Walz was making too much headway & the Big Media owners freaked out.

craycraig.bsky.social•6 hours ago

This is a lie, I don’t know why you all keep repeating this. Just say you didn’t listen to him on the stump

marchforsanity.bsky.social•7 hours ago

That's excellent.

cneal290.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Wish yglesias would engage with you so he could grow on this. Thanks for articulating the point well

rickywlmsbong.bsky.social•6 hours ago

in re: your specific answer, “y’all really wanna go down the road of the government telling people how to raise their kids?“ was one that seemingly worked well with a couple colleagues

dustinn.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I’ve had some success with “these people want the cops to look at your kids genitals”

ecarney.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Relatedly, "Do you really want to empower the government to override your doctor?"

Like, I question the judgement of any doctor who prescribed Ivermectin for Covid, but it's a question best directed at THEM, as opposed to being used to push a law that says, "No Ivermectin for anyone, ever."

bingusrelative.bsky.social•5 hours ago

It’s probably a bit of cynicism on my end but fuck me running it kinda feels like they’ve thought about it and said yes now. Basically as long as it hurts “deserving-group-x” more like how shit would close or shut down instead of integrating in good faith

ralphtheewiggum.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Also, I don't know why the answer to this isn't just "we aren't taking away anyone's civil rights or any other basic human protections. Period." Simple. Easy. Don't need to get into any dogfight about any of this.

shaunrichman.org•7 hours ago

"Mind your damn business" was a great line. It's really the essence of the pushback.

kle138.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I think many Americans agree with this, viscerally. Just like all Americans maybe aspire a little to make it rich, I also think all Americans want the government the fuck out of their bedrooms & doctors offices.

There are plenty of fights Dems could pick. It’s the fight itself they seem to lack.

tmoney2007.bsky.social•3 hours ago

All they have to do is confirm that the group obviously deserves the same rights as anyone else. Then you call out that the Republicans are hurting people as a means of distraction,... then you pivot to issues that affect everyone in the working class.

natusm.bsky.social•6 hours ago

They have always lacked the fight

roberts44163082.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Then someone will try to turn it into some kind of child abuse when it's a teenager with gender dysphoria being treated with drugs. That's a great way to turn up the outrage and bypass the complexity of the issue.

kerthulhu75.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Add it to the file of good ideas the consultants shot down.

radicalopathy.bsky.social•6 hours ago

The thing that gets me, is that the "Ds are losing because they're fighting for 1% of the population at the cost of the 70%. "That's how we win elections!" "Do that work at the grassroots levels and not the national level." An informed electorate, often disengaged about human rights beyond a point.

radicalopathy.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Middle class folks, who don't care about it all, like fiscal R policies and social D policies *when it applies to them*, are stuck on DEI astonishingly as much as the Nancy Mace types, want legal immigration solved before illegal immigration and so on. So we need some Kaepernick uncancelled action?

pt007.bsky.social•6 hours ago

📌

teddybrosevelt.bsky.social•7 hours ago

We saw this work! The Florida genital inspection bill!

jdtechie.bsky.social•4 hours ago

I feel like I've seen some pushback on the GOP's social obsessions (a lot of the "these guys are weird" framing by Walz and co.), but I agree it's disheartening it hasn't been a more universal response to say "stop trying to focus on kids' genetalia and more on gutting Medicaid"

jdtechie.bsky.social•4 hours ago

That said, MSM (in particular NYT) should take responsibility for allowing the transgender vilification take hold. Pamela Paul and others wrote a ton of poorly-sourced, offensive articles attacking transgender kids and then act shock it took hold in the political conscience.

wobblywalrus.bsky.social•7 hours ago

We should be diverting practically all social issue discussions into class warfare talking points

captainabraham.bsky.social•6 hours ago

If I'm not mistaken, Jewish rights in Nazi Germany were "unpopular" too.

stompybobo.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Yes, and importantly, do not jump immediately to accusations of bigotry whenever people share their concerns about such issues, and do not celebrate people and posts that do. Being charitable and patient is pragmatic as well.

7amkickoff.com•6 hours ago

"these people want to check children's genitals at every bathroom"

jatl.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Its so easy, I don't get how they can't see this. And run simple ads based on these premises. It's not hard, its simple, and most people would agree with the sentiment.

mcdonalds.help•7 hours ago

"these guys are obsessed with bathroom stuff. this isn't a real problem" is a screamingly obvious countermessage and democrats are committed to never learning it

davidfrye.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I'd go with "keep these gross creeps who want to do a genital check at the bathroom door the hell away from my grandkids "

tension352.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Wasn't this the "mind your own damn business" path the Gov Walz championed?

mikehoncho.bsky.social•59 minutes ago

Came here to say this same thing! And to lament that it (along with “weird”) was dropped because brain-dead political consultants wanted to go back to bland nonsense.

arealblackman.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It's not as cut and dry as that though. Democrats have been screaming in favor of trans right categorically more than the few have against trans right. The second one of them attacks trans right though? All democrats not only did. But did all of america's history somehow.

arealblackman.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Which should sound extremely familiar to minority groups in america. Because when one or two of us does something fucked up. We all have to pay for it. Except. Straight white christian conservative men with money. Who are bulletproof from that sort of thing.

historysraven.bsky.social•6 hours ago

No, they’ve given lip service to the idea of protecting trans people. They’ve said slogans and have done things that, ultimately, don’t do a lot. And it’s not just some who attacked the trans community. The vast majority of Dems supported KOSA, which the GOP said they’d use to target trans kids.

arealblackman.bsky.social•5 hours ago

https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/5162133-democrats-bill-protect-transgender-service-members/

historysraven.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Shit, Harris absolutely refused to say outright she would protect my community when asked directly about it. “Follow the law” is hollow sentiment when the law can say “trans people have no rights.”

maximummary.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Hell, you can even acknowledge the discomfort. “However you may feel about your trans neighbors, they have the full rights every other citizen does.”

xanboni.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Seriously, just substitute any literally any other marginalized population in there and tell me if you would say that in public. There is no context in which this is an okay thing to say.

maximummary.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Note: This would need to be a single sentence in a longer positive defense of trans people.

goobyooh.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Omg! I honestly don’t understand why this isn’t the go to talking point. I wrote to the DNC and told them they need to get everyone on board with this. No more engaging in culture wars -especially those that call into question people’s basic rights- and focus what its being used to distract from.

somedude210.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I've argued for a long while that Democrats need to adopt a "Progressive Southern Strategy" that basically redefines the social fights into positions you can't object to, similar to your "they're coming for your kids" redirect. Same with dealing with Medicare/Medicaid. Lean into expanding it...

somedude210.bsky.social•7 hours ago

As "enhancement". Use the third rails as cudgels, and expand the social safety net by promoting "we want to keep Meemaw and Pawpaw healthy and alive for years to come". Hell, you could toss conservatives a bone and say you're ending Medicaid because of the Medicare expansions make it unnecessary

arealblackman.bsky.social•7 hours ago

They literally did. That's the real problem. Democrats have been running campaigns literally telling people...nazis even killed other nazis for not doing what nazis wanted. Saying...covid-19 will kill your entire family if you're not careful. That trickledown economics is bad.

kombiz.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I've now shared this in response to the politico third way article 3 times, but it's not popular. The lack of imagination and spine is depressing. voters aren't as mean as you think they are. Something even third way knew in 2022- 2024 on tran issues. https://www.thirdway.org/memo/gop-attacks-on-transgender-kids-fell-flat

ndrew.bsky.social•5 hours ago

“why are you so concerned about my childs penis or vagina” is a perfectly reasonable response to these freaks

akay444.bsky.social•5 hours ago

My response is "who will be inspecting childrens genitals? Is that a job you would like to do? Cuz you seem to be very interested in childrens genitals."

unchi.org•5 hours ago

Someone went off on me when I mentioned I have a trans daughter and I asked him, “why are you so concerned with my kid’s genitals? Do you want to ask for a date?”

He just about had an aneurysm.

chainmailedheart.bsky.social•2 hours ago

👏👏👏👏

mattwisnefske.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Also, "people just want to shit in peace" has a nice ring to it.

unknown-smoke.bsky.social•3 hours ago

They were so close with the “weird” attacks at the beginning of the kamala campaign and then they decided to halt the only thing even approaching an effective messaging strategy the dems had found to combat trump. truly a party run by losers

mkverson.bsky.social•5 hours ago

If the democratic establishment had left “weird” and “mind your own business” alone instead of carving that effective rhetoric out of the campaign we’d be in a different America today.

1000bookslater.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Let's fire it up again😺

liketexas.bsky.social•5 hours ago

“These guys are weird” was the perfect message

redshiftsinger.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Truly. It’s weird to be obsessed with children’s genitals! It’s weird to stress out more about the plumbing of the person in the next bathroom stall over than you do about how well your own plumbing is doing its job! It’s weird to hyperventilate about the mere *hypothetical existence* of a penis!

50megatonfbomb.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Not only perfectly reasonable, but correct.

ryanhinesdesign.bsky.social•1 hour ago

this is a culture war you've lost massively. for ex only ~24% of Americans believe transgirls should play on girls teams

so maybe consider another tactic. your views are extremely unpopular but the echo chamber is so tight that you don't even know it.

puppyfoot.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Yes! My responses are all along those lines: why would you want the government to make medical decisions about your children? To appoint genital inspections before sports events? To police our clothes?

saltraccoon.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Also the constant willingness to abandon principles at any pushback only shows voters that they have no fight and no moral foundation - and for some reason they cannot see that is the actual thing that is losing votes.

schipprecked.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Love it whenever someone can flip the script. I'll remember this one.

gravitasproblem.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Jamelle, that would actually be engaging in the hard work of politics, something that most elected Dems post-Reagan, view not just as gauche, but utterly beneath them.

hilde45.bsky.social•7 hours ago

They also don't see that "stigmatization" is a strategy that is endemically hard to control.

manuelfherrador.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Jonathan Haidt vibes

sababausa.bsky.social•3 hours ago

For longtime Dem strategist types like James Carville, whom the party is incapable of ejecting, a Core Memory is Jesse Helms demagoguing “homos in schools” over Harvey Gantt in the 1990 North Carolina senate race, and then Bill Clinton successfully reversing with DADT & the Defense of Marriage Act

sababausa.bsky.social•3 hours ago

In other words, they’re hoping to rerun the 1990s moral debacle and believe it worked well electorally

biglifejacket.bsky.social•2 minutes ago

Is that what it is? If you figure it out you're smarter than me

1000bookslater.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Because it's about sex. The pervasive religious fear of their kids being sent to an imaginary Hell for some sexual "sin" or other. Ask someone about "morality" - is something about sex their first concern, or are they worried about feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, justice for the imprisoned?

roberts44163082.bsky.social•6 hours ago

It's a perfect wedge issue: controversial, complex but only affecting a small group so they can't offend many of their supporters accidentally.

jakekuhne.bsky.social•7 hours ago

They're not conceding, they're actively contributing.

3fecta.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I have many issues with him, but when Michael Moore had that gay tour bus going across the country for his tv show, it was funny as hell, and the right attitude.

Be proud of your values. Only democrats would think doing the right thing is shameful.

distantreplay.bsky.social•1 hour ago

This has always been the fundamental weakness of "third way" positions. Ultimately they depend upon betraying entire constituencies in exchange for approval of the in-group norm. Leaders define new norms that more fully reflect core values.

crankyaine.bsky.social•56 minutes ago

And that Democrats are no better than Republicans.

nerdpaulnyc.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Yup, this is what happened with immigration.

praisethe-sun.bsky.social•1 hour ago

As long as it's not the minority of the rich being targeted by government policy. Anyone else is fair game.

itsmrfungible.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I get that some dems think trans people are a tiny minority that can be sacrificed to get votes. What they don’t get is that magas will still be bigots, and if they aren’t dehumanizing trans people, it will be some other group. They aren’t going to stop just because you agree with them.

gregrmurphy.bsky.social•6 hours ago

"I'm a Democrat but I'm going to vote like the Republicans to keep my seat" isn't doing Democratic voters much good

dawningawake.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I remember when Caitlyn Jenner came out in 2015 and was put on the cover of Vanity Fair. People were happy for her!

Trans people existed for decades before Fox decided it was an issue in 2021 and went to work shaping public opinion.

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-has-aired-86-segments-about-trans-people-president-biden-took-office

andrewagill.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I think what many Democrats (& pundits of any party) are missing is it's not that trans rights are unpopular because people *hate* trans people, it's that most people *do not give a shit either way* about trans people.

That means if you cater to the bigots, you don't win anything but you do lose.

neurospark.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I think the message Dems should strive for is “minority groups deserve protection”. Don’t single out one group, but be inclusive.

cave-malum.bsky.social•6 hours ago

How about "scapegoating is grade school bullshit." Either all Americans have the same rights or none of us do. Next question.

aubreygilleran.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Maybe it's because his own attempts at elite persuasion failed ("One Billion Americans," anyone?), but Yglesias seems to either feel that elite persuasion can't work or that only Republicans can be successful at it. Because if trans rights have become even slightly less popular, it's because 1/

aubreygilleran.bsky.social•6 hours ago

of a relentless propaganda campaign. I'm a North Carolinian. I remember the widespread backlash to HB2! The public didn't regress on this issue on their own. 2/2

vmcf.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I’m a North Carolinian too, and it makes me so damn mad we (the country) have backslid so much since then. It was amazing to see the whole country punish NC for the bigotry, and it worked! I knew it was bad when TX and FL started implementing their bigotry laws and no states or companies revolted

lunathepugsmom.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Also- she’s signaling that she will bargain with whatever is popular trend. She’s not a leader, she’d be easy to manipulate. And sounds like a horrible person anyways. I want to cry for this parent.

anothersockpuppet.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Small-time Manchin/Sinema.

arthurwyatt.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Sane loser playbook as immigration and doomed for the same reasons.

hellscapenavigator.bsky.social•6 hours ago

you can concede on how much money to spend on like, lead abatement. you can never concede on principles. abandon anyone, you abandon everyone.

lpitt.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Looking at you, @elenaparent.bsky.social 😔😔

funkfunky.bsky.social•6 hours ago

This!

ryanhinesdesign.bsky.social•1 hour ago

fun fact: outside of your echo chamber the majority of Americans hear someone described as "vulnerable" and roll their eyes.

they want to help them less not more.

bricks-54.bsky.social•5 hours ago

If you boil it down to the mathematical probability of winning a general election, running a campaign focused on the human rights of a minority is a loser with an American electorate poisoned by mass media consumerism and the growing influence of the church and its pro-capitalist business partners.

joef-3.bsky.social•4 hours ago

This is also true for every other leftist priority, of course.

The people who do politics professionally as democrats have a shockingly poor understanding of what politics actually is.

alliincali.bsky.social•5 hours ago

…And the more republicans begin to target another small minority. Democrats need to be the party of what is right! And what’s right is standing up for the marginalized

retiredwhitelady.bsky.social•5 hours ago

As we always do (because Rs are pathological) Ds have ceded the demagoguing narrative on this issue. Ds need to say, Rs are bullying vulnerable children and their families. Rs bully. End of story. (Sports? Hell, school sports programs exclude most kids - every child who wants to play should have an

retiredwhitelady.bsky.social•5 hours ago

opportunity- more intramural athletics in schools!!!! Also....see how no one cares about trans girls/women in boys/mens sports? Even tho a trans man won an Olympic medal? It's almost as if...it's about regulating one gender and not the other.......) And even tho dysphoria is reportedly more

retiredwhitelady.bsky.social•5 hours ago

prevalent among adolescent girls to the point people speculate about social contagion? No one worries about the boys....)

gbgee.bsky.social•6 hours ago

and tees up the next in line

michaelrosino.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Deans need to learn the difference between agenda setting and frame alignment….

michaelrosino.bsky.social•3 hours ago

lol this should say Dems but I think everyone else’s eyes also autocorrected that

goodtrouble121234.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Don't sell your soul to a hateful culture war perpetuated by foreign adversaries🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ #stopplayingthefool

konspikuous.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Whatever an elite is, I've no clue.

Be decent to everyone or fuck off.

robbedoflife.bsky.social•7 hours ago

her behavior is exactly why she'll lose re-election. treating a group of people like shit because "it isnt popular" is probably the most ignorant shit anyone could spout. i mean seriously because you think they aren't popular you decided to treat them like a fucking statistic rather than people

spin4srv.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I don't know why Dems cannot pivot.

"I don't want trans people around"

"Don't you agree that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect?"

It's not that hard. Embrace universal values which resonate with people rather than letting the opposition frame the argument.

harendt.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Thank you so much for this thread. For saying this.

elledubz.bsky.social•5 hours ago

She's playing games instead of voting how she feels. This is why people don't trust politicians.

dennisyedwab.bsky.social•6 hours ago

On that point, the real world example of VP Joe Biden coming out for marriage equality and surprising President Obama, who then also came out for it, essentially locked in D public opinion on the issue essentially overnight (I mean, not really, but still...)

which-witch-ru.bsky.social•3 hours ago

This woman represents Decatur, GA…a HUGE lesbian community…and you know how lesbians feel about human rights…we’ll march, protest, boycott AND organize so others do the same…she has a wake-up call coming…she has no idea who her constituents are.

teka21.bsky.social•2 hours ago

She needs a primary.

carnageunleash.bsky.social•6 hours ago

lepetersseattle.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Ah yes. The tyranny of the moderates. “Peace without justice is tyranny.”

harrylanders.bsky.social•7 hours ago

“These are the people who we will sacrifice for power.”

delcavallo.bsky.social•3 hours ago

It was a ‘popular cultural position’ that the earth was flat for quite awhile. I‘ll take observable reality over public opinion, thanks.

nessa65.bsky.social•5 hours ago

This is why trump won.

wywyfly.bsky.social•4 hours ago

and THIS is why no one trusts politicians. not that anyone didn’t know.

nihaosweetraymond.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Popular cultural positions have no business in politics. Segregation was popular. Slavery, popular. Misogyny, popular. How can we make mind your own damn business a popular cultural position? Oh yeah, I guess when it comes to school pew pews. Maybe that should jump it off.

nihaosweetraymond.bsky.social•5 hours ago

FYI - I am being facetious when I say was. We see you MAGATS.

rolandwall.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Democrats still seem to believe that they just need to pander to enough different voters and then make policies that will prove their skills in governance. Leadership is about setting moral tone and driving basic values, not twisting and turning to win a vague majority.

ralphhhenson.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The public was shaped when the majority finally discovered exactly what 'affirmative care' consisted of.

Until this last election, the VAST majority had no clue.

"WHAT?"

"They do WHAT to kids?"

ralphhhenson.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Back in MY day, mediocre white males were, if not a minority, certainly vulnerable.

Didn't think we'd ever rise to the top.

But here we are!

bensterboy.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Vote her out.

michaelhoffman.bsky.social•6 hours ago

It's like they forgot the whole "leadership" thing.

matgopack.bsky.social•6 hours ago

It's a way to abdicate the responsibility of political parties to have positions/convictions advocated for. It's easier to just shrug and concede on it if it doesn't affect them personally and they don't believe in anything.

davehere.bsky.social•5 hours ago

No matter what party a politician affiliates themselves with, those who would denigrate and take away any freedoms from any group for electoral gain is not worthy of the office they intend to hold. Those who do not defend the wrongfully oppressed are oppressors themselves.

stef47.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Spot on.

discopperpenny.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Her political career just ended.

cadystat.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Maybe she’s just a bigot too

crimsoncloak.bsky.social•3 hours ago

And trans rights aren't unpopular. The whole thing is rooted in a lie. Most Democrats do not consider trans rights controversial. They think Republicans' making a big deal about them is weird. This is once again a Democrat chasing Republican support instead of what their own voters want.

bederatliff.bsky.social•4 hours ago

This is literally in the Bible, just not in one of the books a lot of these people accept:
"... like the ruler of the city, so are all its inhabitants. An undisciplined king will ruin his people."
- Ecclesiasticus 10:2-3

bederatliff.bsky.social•4 hours ago

The thing about leadership is representation of the people is only as good as the character of the leader chosen

turnitup5000db.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Make her famous.

thewishchakra.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Jesus!! This is a moral issue at steak! Not a popularity contest. These are people's lives.

iwantyoustudio.bsky.social•1 hour ago

iwantyoustudio.bsky.social•2 hours ago

erenbrumley.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Here is a longer part of the conversation that illustrates your point.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGqIC2HO8af/?igsh=MWhicTdubThiYXBk

erenbrumley.bsky.social•7 hours ago

And more of that conversation from the constituent’s IG.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGovhEROwV1/?igsh=MTlvazRnOWF4a2Ez

kickboxmom.bsky.social•7 hours ago

She might now.

adriennedickinson.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Somebody must be willing to run against her, or . . . .

thedieselat91.bsky.social•2 hours ago

I am sick and tired of hearing that transgender people cost Kamala the election. She didn’t say hardly anything about this issue. It was typical republican smear tactics. Democrats should be discussing counter strategies not throwing vulnerable people under the bus.

aricmiehe.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Not all, but as a whole, Dems are where Republicans were 20 years ago. Republicans are where Nazis were 90 years ago.

balupuppy.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The Democratic Party should
Dump people
Like this senator.

She’s basically a republican now.

shreedaisy.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I thought this video was a hoax?

erenbrumley.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It’s not. It’s sped up so that it fits the time allowed in a post. Here is the constituents IG

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGqIC2HO8af/?igsh=MWhicTdubThiYXBk

balupuppy.bsky.social•7 hours ago

🤷🏻

balupuppy.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Do you have link/source re hoax?

shreedaisy.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Will look

tljcourier.bsky.social•3 hours ago

You know what to do.

naiaddesert33.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Disgusting. Also, BS; Democrats have been losing because they've been adopting the GOP's inhumane & deranged ideologies & policies instead of holding to their original policies & values.

handofsteel.bsky.social•6 hours ago

She be gone already.

cyndiboo.bsky.social•6 hours ago

She needs to be voted out for being a douche😒

hawaiian-ishkelly.bsky.social•4 hours ago

ayre.ca•6 hours ago

When she get's voted out, she can always get a job doing audiobook narration work at 2x speed.

minvisible.bsky.social•4 hours ago

primary her.

sameastheold.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Authoritarian abuse always starts with the most vulnerable and works its way up. The attempted erasure of the Trans community is the first test of our will to fight back and too many people are failing.

rogermiller.bsky.social•7 hours ago

No one lets go of anyone’s hand.

vallahha.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Is it just me, or did she sound like a little five year old trying to explain why carrots are bad for her. We don't need Democratic leaders who are willing to sell out their beliefs in order to retain her seat.

blutex24.bsky.social•7 hours ago

We Americans are very bad at local elections. Some real losers get elected by 10-20% of voters. This is on us.

larrylevin.bsky.social•50 minutes ago

Replace "trans rights" with "LGBT, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, women's" and see what her answer would be.

Is this person really in government not understanding why we have civil rights laws and how they're exactly not about popularity?

buchman.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I keep coming back to the girls volleyball team, who happily played with a trans player for 3 years until it became a cultural flashpoint.

cv-danes.com•7 hours ago

Primary hercand get her gone.

rialmi.bsky.social•3 hours ago

'straight to heck'... taking too many brave stands in the name of the right thing to even count....

konstantinjace.bsky.social•7 hours ago

And also, regardless of party or affiliations, politicians as a type are hyper competitive personalities and largely only care about Winning and Power. They are wired for the horserace, and for many many of them it's the only thing they are good at or interested in, usually failing at other pursuits

lulucaliente.bsky.social•3 hours ago

What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Character matters. Having it is also a winning political strategy.

capecodcritter.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Popular vs unpopular is mutually exclusive from right vs wrong.

fjf1.bsky.social•7 hours ago

In this age of communication, whoever rules the airwaves determines popularity. Popularity need not equate with compassion, factuality, urgency, or salience. I would think that Chris Hayes’ Siren’s Call would have something to say about it. (I’m only at the 2nd chapter.)

mandertang.bsky.social•2 hours ago

I’m going to say right now- I will be loudly screaming against pole sitting Dems. This mentality needs to go in the Dem party- Right the fuck now

godpod.bsky.social•4 hours ago

yes she sure as fuck will

cadystat.bsky.social•3 hours ago

I thinks she smited herself.

danifkaye0.bsky.social•1 hour ago

What do we do when both sides prefer to add to the manure pile instead of cleaning it up? :-(

sandman20.bsky.social•4 hours ago

The main thing I took from this abhorrent clip is that she has the most obvious fake chin I’ve seen since Farrah Abraham.

rramzee.bsky.social•1 hour ago

She asked her plastic surgeon for “The Jay Leno” look

nialmaloney.bsky.social•1 hour ago

She can just go straight to heck, gosh darn it!

donpbenz.bsky.social•3 hours ago

God, the language.

agninri.bsky.social•3 hours ago

lol

jagar451.bsky.social•1 hour ago

She sure the fuck should.

americasgonemad.bsky.social•3 hours ago

You may not agree and the Senetor seems like a dick sorta but she's right in that dems will 100 percent absolutely lose elections if transgender rights are brought up.

cadystat.bsky.social•3 hours ago

That is not true.

americasgonemad.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Unless titties, vaginas, penises, and asses are gonna bring down cost of living and save government instatutions ....the topic is a fat loser.

cadystat.bsky.social•3 hours ago

If you are ok with some people in America having no rights or protections, then by all means say that.

I wonder what would have happened if we just went belly up and conceded about slavery. Because elections were lost.

This is not a sign to drop it, it is a sign to push harder.

americasgonemad.bsky.social•3 hours ago

As a woman I understand https://all.to well.about getting shit done behind the scene and with a closed mouth. Its fucking Darwinian at this point so don't lecture me please and ty.

tfergsc.bsky.social•3 hours ago

dems aren’t the ones constantly bringing it up. they’re being forced to defend a very small & extremely vulnerable population so what they need to do is @jamellebouie.net suggestion to change the subject. blow it up for the culture war distraction that it is.

irishkathaleenie.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Institutions!

sydneymichalski.bsky.social•3 hours ago

She definitely might find out. I really, really hope she finds out.

bob1958.bsky.social•1 hour ago

My state senator. Yes she sure as fuck will lose next election. She’s toast

doingitdizzy.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Agreed 😈😈😈

harmonicalpha.bsky.social•18 minutes ago

Politics is a nasty business to be in.. sometimes, lot's of strategy is in place leading to a vote..

kle138.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Enragingly, the right answer right now is that Billionaires ARE hijacking our democracy. This isn’t “capitalism,” and Dems should free themselves to say so! But they won’t, because they “can’t.” What they can do is punch down. But the half-hate they’re offering can never compete with the pure stuff.

nikplee.bsky.social•6 hours ago

She is a democrat? She'll be changing parties any minute, I bet.

emmabrody.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Is she manic?
Or is it the video. In any event, she's a disturbed person.

gaildee.bsky.social•2 hours ago

I think the video is speeded.up

ohiohamlet.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I won’t vote for MAGA-lite candidates.

unpubmedia.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It’s not about getting re-elected. It’s about protecting human rights.

gingerkap23.bsky.social•3 hours ago

@elenaparent.bsky.social is about to lose re election.

Is Georgia here? Let’s do this!

mrxexon.bsky.social•6 hours ago

An we thought COVID flushed these people out...

ellan75.bsky.social•3 hours ago

UNPOPULAR, listen Bitch you will find out how “unpopular” YOU are quick enough.

tgr822.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Here’s the link to her contact form. Let’s educate this hate-filled monster on how decent people act.

https://www.elenaparent.com/contact

aotearoacraig.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Right. If 'taking popular cultural positions' means 'join the hate campaign against a minority', then no. Just no.
You don't beat fascists by becoming them.

donsbaseball.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Exactly. How about these folks take a position based on principle rather than popularity? I thought this was understood.

uumellmahaye.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Primary her

mrguything.bsky.social•1 hour ago

This is just campaign promises that are broken after they get elected.It's more of the same shit

stallfortime.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Vote her out. We don't need cowards in the line up. Especially at this moment

nathanfrommi.bsky.social•6 hours ago

One can acknowledge this person (a random Georgia State Senator) is wrong while also acknowledging that efforts (like Oliver Willis's) to make this representative of the Dem Party as a whole is inaccurate

ket.bsky.social•6 hours ago

how so?

tinkerbell2.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I can't understand every word on high-speed like this, but did Parent, a Democrat and a lawyer, say she wants to enact law to put transgender people in prison? That can't be what she said, can it?

hschoen.bsky.social•3 hours ago

No, she was referring to if somebody was in jail-Would they get transgender care.

beepboopclaptrap.bsky.social•6 hours ago

PRIMARY HER. UNFIT.

carolarmenesq.bsky.social•1 hour ago

What's popular is entirely unrelated to what is right.

starfire1974.bsky.social•5 hours ago

She’s right.

evilmam.bsky.social•5 hours ago

If Dems win only to collude in persecuting my trans family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues , then I have no reason to want them to win, honestly. If the price of seeing a D next to my rep's name is designating any group of citizens ineligible for civil rights, that price is too high

starfire1974.bsky.social•1 hour ago

The only way Dems win is to leave the progressive wing of the party behind. That’s not persecution that’s just saying we’ll protect you but we’re not running on the platform of putting them first.

evilmam.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Is it only the progressive wing of the party that upholds the 14th Amendment then?

steelergal126.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Guess she’ll find out!!

danthiell.bsky.social•6 hours ago

What drives me crazy is that Republicans now have a total grip on the government, and they did not achieve this by simply adopting "popular cultural positions," but by loudly driving a narrative to make their cultural positions more popular. Like, the example for Democrats to follow is RIGHT THERE.

cyriljthomas.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Two questions:
1) What makes them think being anti-trans will help them *win* elections? If a voter is that anti-trans, they’re voting republican
2) Why do they think they will stop at trans issues?

Apparently “lead by example” is lost on consultants

amp01.bsky.social•6 hours ago

We do not need leaders like this. Freedom is for all.

mediocrecoder.bsky.social•6 hours ago

“Dems need to appeal more to the center”

Be more racist, misogynistic, homophobic and xenophobic, appeal to the white supremacists and you’re in!

tinamouse.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Here is what I saw in 2024:
Biden was the most trans-positive administration in history and trans activists told Harris to eat shit and stayed home because "Gaza".

Being shit unreliable allies gets you nothing.

Screaming at Dems to make doomed votes gets you nothing.

thembo.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Sounds like instead of getting out there and helping Dems earn votes, you're online making stuff up about trans people and then getting mad at them for it.

markidactyl.bsky.social•6 hours ago

You realize getting more transphobic because you saw trans people opposing a genocide is not a moral or strategic position right

scienceftw.bsky.social•4 hours ago

The least reliable voting bloc for the Dems are suburban conservatives, and they keep bending over backwards to appeal to them no matter how much they keep voting for the GOP.

Doesn't seem like your theory holds much water.

novapsyche444.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Why did you put Gaza in quotation marks?

Anyway, Harris had sat down for an NBC News interview w/Hallie Jackson wherein she backed away from trans support, reducing her previous enthusiastic backing to wanting everyone to have "dignity and respect."

https://youtu.be/iO6Ta86wCDI

novapsyche444.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Why did she do this? Her team had received advice from UK's Labour Party. As Politico reported on Oct. 18, "[Jon] Ashworth warned his U.S. comrades to develop solid responses on transgender issues, after Labour colleagues faced repeated media questions about whether women can have penises."

novapsyche444.bsky.social•4 hours ago

The Politico article can be found here:
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-allies-rage-uk-labour-campaign-help-kamala-harris-keir-starmer-us-election

bamamontana.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The lgbt vote came out for Harris to a degree only surpassed by black women.

cuw.bsky.social•6 hours ago

So you became a transphobe because the candidate who ditched her vp for Liz Cheney lost? Wow I’m sure you were so supportive before.

historysraven.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Ignoring, of course, KOSA and how he threw trans athletes under the bus with his Title IX interpretation. More over, being the “most trans-positive administration” is meaningless when he still failed to meet the bare minimum.

historysraven.bsky.social•6 hours ago

But here’s my question to you: Why do you think being somewhat better than any other administration means we should ignore everything else they did that was horrible. Because while supporting and aiding genocide should be enough to lose support, that’s not the only thing Biden and the Dems did that

historysraven.bsky.social•6 hours ago

was abhorrent. There’s the way they turned on immigrants. There’s the way they gave lips service to BLM while doing everything in their power to give more money to police. There’s their anti-BDS stance. Their anti-sex worker stance. Oh, and of course, during the campaign, Harris decided to campaign

historysraven.bsky.social•6 hours ago

with a war criminal and his torture supporting daughter.

popeimpious.bsky.social•46 minutes ago

With any luck she’s going to crash through the Overton Window and into the gutter below.

weeznbeez.bsky.social•4 hours ago

This is an important point, and I also want to add: if you’re a member of the liberal party and you aren’t, at a bare minimum, committed to the protection of rights for minorities, you are completely useless as a political force.

weeznbeez.bsky.social•4 hours ago

She is building Republican power, not Democratic power. And to be clear, she’s not doing this for political reasons, she’s doing this because she’s transphobic and has decided she doesn’t need to hide it anymore.

dee-vida.bsky.social•4 hours ago

I know this is gonna sound crazy, but what if politicians didn't "take positions" and just told us what they actually believe? Is that not a good and decent strategy for Dems? It worked for Trump, and even his base agrees that his opinions are garbage, but they appreciate the "honesty" 🙄

itsdavesanders.com•3 hours ago

Because it leads to uncomfortable conversations with corporate donors when you need to run again. A lot harder for people to pin you down if you never declare you stand for anything…

So, like most things, the answer is: “money.”

crazyeddie404.bsky.social•6 hours ago

It's worth remembering that this basic approach to politics is indiscriminate, and all that needs to happen for them to, say, repeal the Civil Rights Act is for some consultant to tell them that DEI is terribly unpopular and racial segregation is polling well in purple states.

crazyeddie404.bsky.social•6 hours ago

"I'd sell you down river for the right price because I'll do anything to get more power!" is a hell of a message but Democrats have doubled down on it for nearly a decade now.

notchandrive.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Then they wonder why they are losing voters?

mikeracanelliart.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Ah yes the “if I just give the bully my lunch money every day, he won’t beat me up” mentality. Fucking geniuses the dems are. 😂

judyds.bsky.social•4 hours ago

sean-pc.bsky.social•2 hours ago

"Too unpopular"=fuck you, I'm not losing my cushy job.

worfwworfington.bsky.social•6 hours ago

You could have said the same thing about Gay Civil Rights in 2005 and Black Civil Rights in 1969.

At some point, you've just got to do the right thing. No matter how unpopular it is.

barryfreed.bsky.social•7 hours ago

And that’s what leadership looks like

beezuss.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Trans people existed without medical intervention for millennia, and now within a span of a few decades are demanding medical transitioning at the earliest possible age, complete access to women's spaces, socialized medical transitioning, etc. And there can't be a debate? Give me a break.

roxy-roller.bsky.social•7 hours ago

If all you're ever going to do is react to popular opinion then why are you in politics? God forbid you take a principled stance on something that is clearly morally correct like civil rights and work to *shape* public opinion to your side!

heatherglass.bsky.social•5 hours ago

There’s a strain of thinking which afflicts some in my own party in the UK that the job of a representative is to be a ‘voice for local people’. I’ve never quite understood why you’d go through such a brutal selection process for a punishing job just to be a mouthpiece

joekalicki.bsky.social•6 hours ago

What's the point of getting me Democrats elected if they're willing to vote against our human rights anyway?

yungdolma.bsky.social•5 hours ago

It also implies a lack of leadership that these idiots have. They don't want to "go out on a limb" for any good cause.
They are cowards.

peaceprawn.bsky.social•7 minutes ago

Additionally, if cultural positions are now defined by the authors of Project 2025, we will quickly “too unpopular” our way to the 1800s.

jesseny.bsky.social•3 hours ago

This is like when Bernie Sanders said we should support anti-choice Democrats in order to get more Democrats elected. I’ve never forgiven him for that.

dirtibit.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Chasing what is popular is never a good strategy. That’s why I was so unpopular in high school. Try-hard trend seekers never win.

What I realized in college is that you should identify historically successful and classic axioms of truths and base your identity on the ones you resonate with.

ronchica.bsky.social•7 hours ago

She doesn’t get it does she? Transgender is the canary in the coal mine. We desert the most vulnerable, based on made-up problems and targeted hatred, we are going to have much bigger problems.

torontowill.bsky.social•7 hours ago

But they’re not canaries, they’re people. I know you don’t mean it that way, but in that metaphor canaries are a warning before real people get hurt. This isn’t just a warning, we’re watching miners die.

ronchica.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Totally. It is just a metaphor that most people understand. I view this administration as already committing mass murder with the USAID cuts.

its-the-squirrels.bsky.social•5 hours ago

She needs a solid Democrat opponent in her next election. She’s done.

crimson-rove.bsky.social•4 hours ago

I'm so glad she's not my fucking Senator, of course I'd have a petition to have her YANKED and YEETED from office going around that Day.
What an absolute Garbage Person.

notquietmodemd.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Generally speaking, deciding what you should wear based on popularity is reasonable.
Deciding which humans should be denied basic human rights based on popularity is obscene and immoral.
There’s a huge difference.

john-schroeder.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Reprehensible. Again, primary every democratic rep/sen that isn't fighting this like the 5 alarm fire it is. Get involved locally with your democratic committee, start helping the next gen of dem leadership. We need younger, smarter, tougher, more courageous.

hartsigns.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Fucking weak

oppositionco.bsky.social•7 hours ago

My bottom line is this, all humans should have the SAME basic rights to exist and live and work and obtain available healthcare without government interference. Period. It doesn't matter whether I personally agree with ANYTHING about the individual or not. #OppositionCoalition #Patriot

pcrritesgood.bsky.social•5 hours ago

This.

Leaders become leaders because THEY LEAD.

If something is maybe or maybe not popular and someone decides to stand up and lead and say this is what we should be doing... people will follow and it will become popular!

midge42.bsky.social•1 hour ago

It’s as though democrats forgot that people can be persuaded. Our opinions aren’t hardcoded. Instead of being reactive, be visionary.

The most compelling one I ever heard: “We all do better, when we all do better”. It was a clear vision and an aspirational view of what we could be.

every1panic.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I believe she means human rights. We are all humans, right?

trump-is-a-virus.bsky.social•7 hours ago

So she is ignoring her constituents...definitely a fake dem.

trump-is-a-virus.bsky.social•7 hours ago

She is a lying sack of shit.

trump-is-a-virus.bsky.social•7 hours ago

She is a fake democrat

bryanroot.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Sounds like it’s time to vote her out

jerry-gr.bsky.social•54 minutes ago

Popular is a nebulous word. My popular and your popular may not always match. Welcome to America.

angiesuniverse.bsky.social•5 hours ago

She is a vile, corrupt, evil bag of cells.

mgogorman.bsky.social•50 minutes ago

This is how Centrists deliver us into the hands of Fascism
Hitler didn't come to power in a coup or by winning an election
He was invited in by a Centrist party to keep the Left out

hschoen.bsky.social•3 hours ago

What kind of state senator talks to a constituent like that? and she sounds like she’s on fast-forward . She’ll probably turn into a Republican now. Psycho.

anotherreallisa.bsky.social•5 hours ago

What on earth is power for if not to uphold justice and human rights?

joanne47.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Ugh

peebsy0.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I think fake leftists like to promote the idea that democrats should be authoritarians just like Republicans.

Calling your representative a POS and then expecting a genuine response is weak.

jimtalbotjr.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I feel there are a lot of liberals and Democrats who wish marginalized people would just shut up and vote Democrat without asking for anything. This feels extremely paternalistic. As if they believe they know what is good for them or that they have no other choice.

kerthulhu75.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Turns out 'the other party is actively trying to kill you' loses some of its appeal when it's repeated often enough.

But then I've been harping on community building for a while.

belleofthebeast.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Wait...is it trans health care? Or tax dollars paid trans surgeries while in prison?

Because that is a big distinction.

Go ahead, bash me all you want for being honest.

dragon-bait.bsky.social•6 hours ago

The concept of “elites” is in-American.

deanandsam911.bsky.social•5 hours ago

The problem is then you lose and someone like Trump wins.

vesemir66.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Your job is the least you should worry about if you start attacking/harming people based upon gender, religion or skin color.

dnoto7.bsky.social•3 hours ago

When you don’t have consistent values you fight for as a party this is what happens

bluesoulfree.bsky.social•1 hour ago

I didn't understand how bans on certain humans improve other humans' lives. What gets accomplished if a trans person can't buy a car?

smarer.bsky.social•2 hours ago

yes. and a cowardly stance to take. Just stick up for vulnerable minorities no matter what

hdhackman.bsky.social•4 hours ago

We don't need a mirror image of the Republican Party just to be in power. And with all the countless and more important issues to fight Republicans on, this is the hill Democrats want to die on? Transgenders in girls sports, don't fucking care. A Russian asset as president, most definitely care.

dan-punday.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Yes. The core idea of DEI is full of popular stuff. "Gender ideology": ideas about gender, which everyone has. Heck, if you explained that colleges were teaching critically about race (CRT) how many people would be against it? These became "popular" cultural positions because of the right's attack.

sirensyndicate.bsky.social•3 hours ago

We recognize the need for something different to a different community and we stand in solidarity . If they thrive we thrive. I know if I look around and see 400 people. I know the groups so I know we all agree Equal Rights. We trust each others individual needs so we support what they request .

sirensyndicate.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Not necessarily . Yes in an elite group with an agenda ( Project 2025) they will convince the people it is what they want. In bigger cities Atlanta, NY etc we love the diversity in our city and we want each other to thrive. We make citizen coalitioms based on common goals but we also recognize tl

technicalsquirrel.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Precisely. This is why eggs are pricier than ever, but nobody really cares.

Elites decided that low egg prices were popular when it was time to ratfuck Biden. That task completed, high egg prices are now a liability to Trump, so the propaganda machine has depopularized eggs.

torontowill.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The spinelessness of it really upsets me. It’s not leadership to look which way the mob is walking and step in front of them.

jonesro.bsky.social•29 minutes ago

O really? You sure about that? She's marked for primary now for sure.

anitahanjob.bsky.social•5 hours ago

What has she done wrong? She has voted and fought for these communities. The issue was prison funding. That is not a popular take and she is in Georgia. This purity test is getting really old from the righteous loser sect they helps the Right. Did you see the EFFECTIVe ads Trump ran on this issue?

novapsyche444.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Back-flip apologetics.

birdsinapuddle.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Mom of a trans son here. What do we need to do to stop being sacrificed??? Seriously, tell me. Families like mine & our doctors have been trying to educate, have opened up our personal lives for public scrutiny. Over and over. And we keep getting shit on. We are exhausted and scared.

faithwilson.bsky.social•5 hours ago

She seems to overlook the fact that the GOP has manufactured panic around transgender people for the sole purpose of mobilizing their base, especially since they can no longer rely on abortion and same-sex marriage to do that. It's not an "organic" form of public opinion, it's entirely generated.

roberts44163082.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Too delicate to say Hell, but she certainly understands when she's on the safe side of a wedge issue. What does she actually believe when she's not doing political calibration?

njdevs53.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Reading this, I'm immediately reminded of the basement scene from Lincoln.

"If in pursuit of your destination, you plunge ahead heedless of obstacles and achieve nothing more than to sink in a swamp, whats the use of knowing true north?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2q4hrk5nkA&t=171s

njdevs53.bsky.social•6 hours ago

We know where north is. We all agree that's the destination. But let's be strategic in our politics. Frankly, that's what's been severely lacking for quite some time now.

heliant.bsky.social•7 hours ago

@hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social please get your caucus in line. Thank you very much.

imchuckmiller.bsky.social•6 hours ago

There are 3 or 4 reasons that I wouldn’t vote for this woman.

cvilledems.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Protection of the rights of minorities, including racial and ethnic minorities and LGBTQ people, is a core value of the Charlottesville Democrats, written into our bylaws. We will never abandon these principles.

clairecloutier.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Either we have principles, or we don't. Principles are not based on popularity. (Plus, it seems clear that trans targeting is a test case to gauge if they can move against other groups.)

daoist.bsky.social•7 hours ago

same assholes, a day after losing the next election: "Yes, all of these staunchly progressive voters stayed home because I haven't gone far enough to the right. That's definitely it."

mattvadnais.bsky.social•5 hours ago

So weird that a party that reads polls in a country dominated by misinformation isn’t popular.

wingador.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Anti Ukraine sentiment is popular with certain segments because the leaders of those segments say it's unpopular. It's up to leaders to lead public opinion. Dem leaders need to drive the bus on the importance of civil rights and how that affects everyone.

dorkimata.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Primary her ass.

dorkimata.bsky.social•3 hours ago

This is why you can’t depend on the Dems. They really don’t understand the dire situation America is in. They still think they can win elections by being as horrible as the Republicans.

turblescelbor.bsky.social•3 hours ago

They are too in love with capitalism, which cannot function without dividing the working class. Racism was constructed for this purpose, and transphobia is now being honed into a weapon to maintain the capital class as well. Dems will never be as good as the modern GOP at this kind of cruelty.

rondomane.bsky.social•3 hours ago

American's have no desire for an alternative to capitalism. They want this.

turblescelbor.bsky.social•2 hours ago

I would tend to disagree. The overwhelming majority of americans are not politically engaged at all, and are increasingly dissatisfied with our economic system. The ruling class on the other hand definitely does not have an interest in alternatives to capitalism and works hard to keep it in place.

rondomane.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Increasingly dissatisfied as the terror that we bring to everyone else in the world is brought back to them. As I said, they don't care about capitalism. They care that it's going to start hurting them now.

turblescelbor.bsky.social•20 minutes ago

True. Being in the US right now feels like I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

historycat.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Americans don't give a shit about capitalism or socialism or the rest.

They've been trained that capitalism is the only way they won't be robbed, and that's what they care about.

rondomane.bsky.social•46 minutes ago

While being systematically robbed lol

historycat.bsky.social•16 minutes ago

Exactly.

nstenhouse.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Also I think what you’re talking about is *actual* popularity, where elites have changed broader public’s actual views. Often what elected Dems think is popular is based on vibes from what pundits are yelling about & their own gut feeling of what kinds of things are popular, not based on poll data

davidicouldbewrong.bsky.social•1 hour ago

We have bigger problems than sex change options. https://cbwrong.blogspot.com/2025/03/is-america-for-sale-it-sure-looks-like.html?m=1

brandonmarchand.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It really seems like Democrats just react to the current narrative while Republicans work to shape it.

The only reason transgender issues are part of the current debate is because Republicans made them so. Maybe the Dems could learn a lesson and fight back instead of folding.

tonezib.bsky.social•4 hours ago

I like politicians who stick to their values and word regardless if it's popular or not. That way you get what you paid for.

ffswtf.bsky.social•4 hours ago

When you are an elected official, your job is to protect ALL of YOUR STATES CITIZENS regardless of race, creed, religion, or gender.
She basically just put in her notice and gave up her job to a new, non dehumanizing progressive candidate. 🤷‍♀️

jontiki.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Makes no sense

annakaysama.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I think she may have just lost reelection...

familiaralien.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Holy fuck I sure as hell hope so! The dems needs a big scrub in general of all these "um we need to kill trans people to save trans people" idiots.

familiaralien.bsky.social•2 hours ago

They are a liability not only to all marginalized Americans but every American just in general (since lots of shit the republicans want for America would just kill people in general, like antivax nonsense and gutting food regulations).

annakaysama.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Exactly! I don't want to hear that cowardice is a political strategy.

ok-now-what.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Especially when the alleged "popular cultural position" is "it's ok to discriminate on the basis of sex."

Like dude, Bostock, which held that "sex" includes being transgender, was decided just five years ago. It's good law! Gorsuch wrote the opinion! 5/6 justices in the majority are still there

ok-now-what.bsky.social•2 hours ago

And so like, especially for a female Senator, this would seem to be something You Should Care About???

The court's direct analogies were firing women for having young children, forcing women to pay more for benefits, and punishing same-sex sexual harassment.

Does she not see where all this leads?

teajunkie.bsky.social•5 hours ago

What was a "popular cultural position" in 1930s Germany? Should the Democrats have taken it?

welarson.bsky.social•5 hours ago

The right put in a lot of effort to make trans rights unpopular over the last ten years or so. If not for that effort, it wouldn't be on the radar.

contentsoul.bsky.social•7 hours ago

This is misguided, and shows that many Dem and Republican elected reps are making decisions based on whatever they imagine will affect their “reelection.” They’re just trying to hold on to their salaries and power, instead of protecting our constitution. There’s no good outcome from this strategy.

berserkerpiglet.bsky.social•3 hours ago

The thing about representative leadership is that it isn’t so much about being where the people ARE but about where the people want you to lead them TO. It’s in the title. The job of a leader is not to repeat where people are. Otherwise businesses would stay in garages and we’d praise their leaders…

berserkerpiglet.bsky.social•3 hours ago

for doing so. The point of a rep leader is to take the essence of a people and go somewhere else with it even if it’s uncomfortable. If your people want to treat people equally, which is supposed to be what democrats stand for, and if they aren’t there for trans rights, it’s your job as a leader to…

berserkerpiglet.bsky.social•3 hours ago

CONVINCE them on the value of that because that’s equal treatment. If you can’t do that that’s just repeating what they say. That’s not a leader. We’ve got copy machines for that now. We need people who can lead, and that’s scary. And hard. And if people can’t do that then yes we need those who can

queerkitty.bsky.social•5 hours ago

There’s also poll after poll saying attacks on trans people are unpopular with the public, we saw that throughout the election.

brattykat.bsky.social•47 minutes ago

The fact she can’t even say “hell” when she wanna you to go there should tell you this is 100% about her bigoted religious beliefs

mashedtomatoes.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Also why the position that "I prefer open bigotry because it exposes who people are" has always been ridiculous.

If we all end up swimming in a sea of bigoted language and opinions, because it goes unchecked, that bigotry then becomes public discourse, opinion, and policy.

brianwroten.bsky.social•2 minutes ago

A good reminder here that accelerationism has never worked.

tamaracharese.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Seriously! Even MLK was unpopular. Obamacare was unpopular while The Affordable Care Act was popular.

sstein.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Also, "Don't be a raging asshole" might be a popular cultural position.

justmejoepdx.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Every single time the GOP brings up nonsense like this we need to talk about EQUAL rights.

MAGA launched inflammatory rhetoric, they go nonstop on their bigotry and when Dems respond they say “all they talk about is identity!”

We have to shift this, stop legitimizing their bullshit.

fubarspeaks.bsky.social•1 hour ago

She should lose ré election for no other reason than her dismissal of her constituents concerns.

majortom70.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Don’t vote for these cowards! We should bend the Republicans to our side of decency, & not b a coward and folding to their bullshit!

benevoluspf.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Wow, she has no future outside of Georgia, at least until she switches parties.

berniebro69.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Also underappreciated is that, at least in my experience, even people who are uncomfortable around trans people generally think the people who obsess over hating trans people are far more offputting and insisting otherwise is just missing a point in favor of the normies.

berniebro69.bsky.social•6 hours ago

trans issues is kind of a wild thing where I truly think the most popular position is for people to stop talking about it and for the pro trans people, who are morally correct, to go back to doing court cases advocating for trans men. I think most people are just exhausted by this as an issue.

crazyeddie404.bsky.social•6 hours ago

The sick part is that 99% of all issues involving transpeople boils down to "Systemic sexism was not designed to handle edge cases, therefore we have to invent NEW ways to oppress transpeople."

berniebro69.bsky.social•6 hours ago

oh yeah I totally agree, and I hope I was clear that even tho I think the above is what most people believe it isn't what I believe.

jessewhiting.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Just a total embarrassment of a party right now. Literally stands for nothing.

hortonsis.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Bitch be a DINO.

jessbheart.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It's like an insulting joke that the Dems for over a DECADE have just refused to stand up for basic decency and science.. Like, imagine how easy of a slam dunk political stance it *should*be when literally all of medical science is on your side.

JUST TELL THE TRUTH.. don't entertain trans panic. EZ

sblock02.bsky.social•1 minute ago

This bitch doesn’t need a job

luke-givens.bsky.social•7 hours ago

More power to do what exactly? Concede even more ground to the Republicans?

deebell.bsky.social•2 hours ago

She deserves to lose her cushy job.

craigdanz.bsky.social•6 hours ago

The centrist course correction seems to always be to validate the opposition’s bad faith! If dems are constantly agreeing that cities suck, rural areas are more “real”, efforts to be kind and acknowledge others is “language policing” it comes off as agreeing dems are bad.

https://bsky.app/profile/santiagomayer.com/post/3ljfyzjgn5s25

chiffonelle29.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Omfg! What a qunt

johnbrownproject.org•37 minutes ago

It should be popular to treat people like people.

This woman thinks it's ok to punish people she thinks aren't good enough. It is deplorable.

John Brown was right.

wtfdor.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Same taxes, same rights 🏳️‍⚧️

omniaostia.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Recent years suggest that when a Dem -does- take a popular position, the strategists cluck their wormtongues and they either knock it off or get frozen out.