Theories

  1. Its literally just because Hillary Clinton sucks so hard and people didnt want to hear that shit from her
  2. Deplorables is too much of a vocabulary word, weird is a word everyone knows. So deplorable just comes off more elitist, from a woman who is already seen that way. To quote a friend I asked "I think deplorable has a negative connotation that speaks to core personhood, in a way that comes off as both mean spirited and elitist"
  3. The GOP hadnt gotten unhinged enough yet, so America wasnt ready for a campaign that is dismissive of them and still expected bipartisan respect and shit, but are now because the "weird" shit is so out there all the time
  4. "Weird" is simply a more effective word to describe the situation at hand
  5. Deplorables would have worked fine with the young people who can vote now but couldnt in 2008.
  6. Kamala and especially Walz are better representations of "not weird" than Hillary was a representation of "not deplorable".
  7. "Weird" hits them harder, insults them worse, and thus makes them spiral more in a way deplorable didnt
  8. Deplorable would have worked fine if it wasnt just a one off comment but a sustained campaign message (this one im thinking probably not)
  9. The Vance effect, he's just that weird.
  10. People who are tired of Democrats being respectful like weird a lot
  • the_post_of_tom_joad [any, any]
    ·
    1 month ago

    I figure whats gonna happen is Dems'll never get what made "weird" work. It's not the word itself it's the dismissal without disdain. "Weird" is different than normal. "Normal" is what fascists claim to be. Is you call them weirdos it ruins their argument, since part of the whole populism thing means they have be seen as normal before they can denounce "the other"

    "Deplorable" is as OP says, elitist. Anyone with chops can discount "deplorable" by singin' "friends in low places" and get right back to vilifying "the other".

    But i don't think they'll ever get that. I think they'll lean on "weird" until it's lost it's meaning. My personal guess as to why? They actually are elitist so they don't get the difference.

    • Thordros [he/him, comrade/them]
      ·
      1 month ago

      It's not the word itself it's the dismissal without disdain.

      This is basically it. It's flippant and dismissive, and signals that their argument isn't worth intellectually engaging with. No debate, just, "Yeah okay weirdo."

      • UlyssesT [he/him]
        ·
        1 month ago

        "Shut up, nerd" works so much better than most other tactics against Reddit-style debate perverts, too.