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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
I know leftists hate the word "optics" but one thing that got the Right to where they are used to be knowing which parts to say out loud.
- Undecided: So the Right said you guys are all looters, drug dealers, rapists, and thieves. I think I heard something about a Satanic pedophile cult too? That can't be right. So I wanted to pop over, hear what you're about.
- Left: Okay, hear me out: what if there weren't cops?
- Undecided: Oh! That, uh, that's really what you're going with?
- Left: The Right thinks cops are a good thing. Vote for me and I'll get rid of cops.
- Undecided: Okay, then. I think I've heard all I need.
- Left: They're crooks too, by the way. We're bad, but they're worse. We're a lesser evil.
- Right: No, we're not! We're the good guys, totes. The left are crooks.
- Left: The left are crooks! Horrible crooks! But not as bad as the right!
- Right: Support the police and vote for us! We'll arrest the crooks!
- Left: Not if we get rid of cops!
To say Democrats have a messaging problem is an understatement.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.If "Defund the Police" is indeed a policy that people want to implement, it will need to be sold to the general public. And if being associated with it did indeed harm the Democrats, then it's a problem. So while I'm also concerned about diluting the necessary reforms, I can also understand why Democrats aren't fans of the idea. I mean, sure, high risk, high reward, but sometimes the risk really is just too great.
Oh God! Natural light!It's mostly just a question of framing, really. You could easily emphasize that the police are currently overworked and sent to handle situations that they are not properly trained to handle, which is true anyway, and thusly it is a good idea to fund programs and institutions that will take over some of those duties. In fact I believe some states are already implementing some of this, like New York which is not sending police to handle mental health crises anymore.
Edited by Draghinazzo on Dec 10th 2020 at 10:14:18 AM
Right. Defunding and/or outright abolishing the police is the scary part of the policy. Even if it's the goal (which it basically is, since everyone who actually understands what it's about agrees that cops are causing a lot of problems), it shouldn't be placed front-and-center as the movement's public mission statement.
Once you explain to someone what it actually means, it's a great thing! But if you have to explain what it means before people can support it, it's a bad slogan. Eliminating or dramatically reducing the police is the quiet part, but the movement came right out of the gate screaming the quiet part to everyone who will listen.
Don't sell the goal. The goal is scary in a vacuum. Sell the positive steps that will reach the goal.
Edited by TobiasDrake on Dec 10th 2020 at 5:18:56 AM
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Also the post I linked noticed that Biden's current stated position is opposition to the Death Penalty and Kamala Harris has been against it even when a prosecutor.
The Slate article I posted last page pointed out that "reduce funding" was received more positively than "abolish" and "redirect" even more so. So the slogan can end up about 7 letters different to be more effective.
I do. They were thinking they were pissed, angry, and wanted justice. Of course people were going to latch on to whatever sounded like it expressed what they were feeling. Moral of the story: Don't make slogans while angry.
Is there any evidence, though, that 'defund the police' made people less likely to vote for Democrats? No Democrat ran on defunding the police, AFAIK, though some were more positive toward more radical reforms.
EDIT: I saw this on Twitter and wanted to make sure it was legit, but this is from a press release from her government website: Link
Title IX was designed to give women and girls an equal chance to succeed, including in sports. Allowing biological males to compete in women's sports diminishes that equality and takes away from the original intent of Title IX.
Edited by nova92 on Dec 10th 2020 at 6:23:01 AM
Speaking of Texas becoming it's own country: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/529713-texas-lawmaker-to-file-bill-calling-for-vote-on-secession-from
I find it hard to take Obama's claim it changed anyone's minds on the Democrat's seriously. It reeks of them seeking a scapegoat for their losses.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.

I think Obama and Biden were wrong as anyone who was against the Democrats were going to accuse them of hating the police anyway. The people who supported Trump were always going to.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.