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
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
.
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.
Anderson Cooper also hit her with this in the 2016 debates, which, I can't imagine a question like this being asked regarding calling republicans "weird".
I mean, damn. Like, how do you even recover from something like this? I think this usage of "Weird" really tosses a smoke cloud up. Whereas, obviously for worse, Clinton called it as she saw it, or at least, said what people were "thinking". The problem though, is people will not be self-reflective and respond to that saying "You know what Secretary Clinton, I think you are right, I think I do have sexist, racist, homophobic, xenophobic and Islamophobic tendencies".
Tell someone they're "Weird" though? What do you even say: "I'm not weird, what are you talking about?". I don't know that I've ever seen someone fully recover from being called "Weird" in a context where most other people agree with the notion that they are weird. Which is, I think, where things are at. Like I said, this works within the Republican social circle too because people will deflect in the "I think they're talking about YOU Jeb" way.
"You guys are all weird"
"Don't lump me in with those weirdos, I'm the normal one"
"Sure thing, whatever you say 🙄"
It's nebulous, it's pedestrian as you say, it’s colloquial. You can see them on the back foot, the way people on Fox News are so annoyed with it. They're not mad, they are just, annoyed. It doesn't have the same energy.
It brings back the memories of being a kid and being yourself, only for your crush to see you and say “you’re weird” with a puzzled look on their face, before running away without any further context or elaboration, and never interacting with you again
:yea: