What would happen if enough minorities – Latinos, African Americans, Jews, Asians – abandoned their default political allegiance and split their votes this November?
If those within these groups who are taken for granted and wronged simply split their vote to reflect their current grievances, their political power would visibly increase overnight within both parties.
This is the unspoken reason why Democratic men don’t stage political strikes: it would infuriate the women in their lives and increase pressure at home.
Let me put it this way: Instead of a seat at the Democratic table, do not have If you serve you and your family, you will be given a seat at two tables, and both tables will be competing to serve you and your family. This is a pretty good deal, so why is it not being aggressively pursued?
Politics is the art (and science) of understanding what is possible and then making it happen.
Smart Republicans understand that a big swing in Hispanic support will win this election (or they will lose it if they don’t.) The Democrats’ blue walls of black, Jewish and Asian support are showing signs of cracking, and this vulnerability is garnering attention in election polls.
If enough of this group were to leave the Democratic camp, it would be a seismic shift in American politics. It would move the Democratic Party back to the center. This would be a good, beneficial development, and a far cry from where the Democratic Party stands today.
A whisper to disgruntled Democrats: Don’t register and vote as an Independent. It’s a political waste.
Independents come in two main political colors: embarrassed Democrats and embarrassed Republicans, and only 10% of independents are truly independents, or have no affiliation.
Traditionally, come election day, these two disgruntled voting blocs vote for the brand and party they accuse of tarnishing them. Doing so is a kind of political Stockholm syndrome, a state of identifying with and supporting the captive side. This is worse than a wasted vote. Independents know what the problem is, but they still contribute to the problem.
That may not be entirely fair. In the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterm elections, disgruntled Republicans and their adjacent independent allies crossed party lines to help Democrats win. In their defense, they wanted to restore the establishment and deep state privileges and get their more liberal spouses, children, and friends to stop hating them. (Kellyanne and George Conway are notable exceptions to this broad interpretation.)
But disgruntled Democrats and their quasi-independent counterparts aren’t responding. They’ve consistently failed to do their part, and as a result are sending out a confusing and illiberal message that it’s okay to turn up the woke heat when polling data shows the opposite.
Rui Teixeira Liberal Patriot— a must-read on Substack — captures the widening gulf between Democrats and their neighboring independents. The discontent is deep and widespread. But in contrast to disgruntled Republicans and their neighboring independents, disgruntled Democrats and their neighboring independents are demonstrating a structural inability to cross political picket lines and send a clear “no” message at the polls.
As a result, the madness of “repeat” Democratic partisan politics continues and will likely repeat itself this November, which is the main reason “we the people” have missed out on great things and why we are not currently enjoying a happy, well-adjusted, happiness-pursuit oriented 21st century.
Who can chart a path out of this illiberal woke madness?
Disgruntled Democratic men — or at least that’s what the polls suggest. The men in the racial Democrat crosstabs are understandably disgruntled, and more than fearing insanity, they want something better.
In contrast, women have remained committed to the ruling party and its woke policies. And herein lies the challenge.
This is the unspoken reason why Democratic men don’t go on political strike in the numbers we need: Because it would infuriate the women in their lives and increase the pressure at home — not just from their girlfriends and wives and daughters, but from their mothers and grandmothers and the women in their churches. The Blue Wall is defended fervently by women.
I come from an Irish, New Deal, Democratic family. My grandfather was a machine politician. But it was my grandmother who enforced political beliefs and morals. She has been dead for over a decade, but her politically moderate opinions and influence are still felt and carried through our extended family. Is my experience typical of Democratic families and spouses/partners?
I think so. But more importantly, what do politically dissatisfied Democrats on the sidelines who fear a tectonic shift think is holding them back? There are no public opinion polls to go by on this yet. For the answer, you have to look inward.
What’s a conflicted man to do?
Why not follow your political instincts at the polling booth?
Polling places remain “safe spaces” for now. You do not have to share your voting choice with anyone, including your loved ones. Vote based on what you think is politically best for you, your family, your job, and your country.
Once the election results have been counted (it may take several days for the results to arrive in Pennsylvania) and the message has been sent, there is no obligation to take credit for what happened.
Just say, “Wow.” Ask the women around you what they think happened and listen patiently. Shake your head in disbelief.
“oh.”
If asked for your opinion, say this: “I think that for the silent majority of American voters, the ‘bad orange boogeyman’ card we played was less scary than the ‘woke boogeywoman’ card or the ‘party in charge for the last four years’ card.”
You could add: “Going forward, my view is that Democrats need to find a common-sense middle ground that leads to wins, or they stand to further lose a base of support that they have taken for granted and underserved for so many years.”
If you think it would be helpful, add one more “wow” and leave it at that.
