Literally can't believe this is still a thing. Heard two local "hardcore progressives" go off on how identity politics gave us Trump recently. My jaw dropped. For real? People are still making this argument online and IRL? Honestly thought you all would be embarrassed to bring that shit up after seeing DREAMERs threatened with deportation and our black neighbors' safety further threatened (cause the cops are already a threat) by the Nazis coming out of the shadows. Honestly if you're still saying that those of us fighting for an end to racist institutions, the right to access abortion clinics, Equal Pay and all the different things facing the communities we live in, the lives we live, should have just toned it down with all that "identity" stuff to win over Trump voters you should really just let that one go. Racism, sexism, immigration reform and economic justice are all things our candidates should be talking about regularly, as well as other things facing our communities. Watering down our message to please people who might have voted Dem in the 80s but really don't like seeing brown people at their Costco is not a strategy. It is a cowardly hedge and a morally questionable directive (tell people to stop fighting so loudly for their CIVIL RIGHTS????). But apparently this theory is still on a time loop of paralysis by analysis. How can we put it to rest???
Working together to try and end both discrimination and economic injustice is actually going well in my neck of the woods...I think that's why I was so enraged hearing this shit still being floated as some kind of intellectual analysis of 2016. I live in western WI, in an Obama to Trump county. HRC lost here by a painfully small amount of votes. After being dissappointed in the party after volunteering for a few years I got burned out and had to do something else. So this year I teamed up with one of the most ardent "Bernie Bros" I knew last year (I was vocal for Hill during the primaries) and we found common ground, set up a Drinking Liberally group, have organized people for action a couple of times, called out local racists in FB post that went viral, planned events and are now hoping to help out Randy Bryce and other candidates next year with our decent social media following. Our only goal is to make our area more fertile ground for progressive candidates. Bring the hippies out of the shadows.
To anyone still droning on about the evils of identity politics (now that we live under a White Supremacist administration I mean really??) think really hard to yourself about what you're saying to people whose lives depend on the fights for legislative reform you are treating like a nuisance. And to those still holding out hope for the Super Magical Messaging that encompasses everything...sorry...it isn't out there. Diverse voters. Diverse issues. Diverse lives. We have to hit a lot of notes. The way to win is with good candidates..diverse candidates from all walks of life to represent their voters. We need to help find them and support them!! No more of this crap!!