Continuing this from the thread in !chapotraphouse@hexbear.net Have the Democrats finally hit on a good messaging strategy in calling Trump “weird?”

Original Post by @Philosoraptor@hexbear.net

Inspired by this post and the fact that I’m seeing a lot of regular libs start to coverage on “these guys are weird little freaks” as a messaging policy, which really seems to be bringing out the wojak-nooo in the far right. It’s working much better for them than all of Biden’s attempts to portray Trump as some kind of existential threat to amerikkka.

This is interesting, and only surprising in the sense that it is surprising to see the Democrats do something kind of effective for once. Fascists thrive on being seen as cool, powerful, and dangerous; those aesthetics are central to the brand. Every time Biden gave a big speech about how the future of democracy was on the line in the election, it played into that aesthetic. Every time CNN calls January 6 a “coup attempt,” it plays into that aesthetic.

Calling these people weird little freaks with weird dumb ideas and weird creepy fixations does not play into that aesthetic. It breaks the illusion that all the freaks at the RNC wearing bandages on their ears are actually normal and represent normal people. They aren’t, and they don’t. This is yet another thing that the left has known for some time now, but that libs seem to maybe be catching on to: taking these idiots seriously empowers them. Actually realizing that and using it is one of the smarter things that the Dems have done in a while.

  • WhyEssEff [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    It’s a strategy of ostracization rather than the previous strategy of horror, which is a breath of fresh air given that these nerds have been shown to get off on being seen as a threat.

    Othering chuds is particularly effective because they see the idea of normality as a holy grail that all must strictly abide by, but they think everyone secretly agrees with them and that they are the silent majority so thus they are normal no matter what they do and so they can project an inane amount of bravado and assumption of knowing the lore, because they genuinely believe everything they talk about is a serious issue that average-Joe Americans actually are entirely locked-in about.

    It’s literally just not taking the ideas as valid and shutting down the conversation because you don’t think that people would take it seriously if you don’t lend it the credibility of discussion. It’s PPB laundered through 50 think tanks to best suit the Dem platform. If nothing else, it is refreshing that liberals don’t start immediately yelling at you for being ‘uncouth’ with chuds by swinging back.

    I would call this a rare W but this is literally just them remembering that they have to do politics and not just respond to what is pushed onto them