• JillyB@beehaw.org
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    16 hours ago

    I actually disagree. I don’t think maga needs to be stamped out. It needs to be out-narratived. The Trump voters you think of that are fully racist and believe absolutely insane shit will never vote Democrat. But he has attracted a lot of voters who are just voting for someone that’s addressing their concerns. The everyday American is dealing with rising prices, financial insecurity, and a general feeling that the government doesn’t represent them well. I think a left wing candidate could easily come up with narratives that directly counter Trump’s talking points.

    • “We need high tariffs to bring back manufacturing jobs from overseas.” -> “We need a global minimum wage so foreign sweatshops can’t out-compete American manufacturing.”
    • “The flood of illegal immigrants is taking jobs and not paying taxes” -> “The illegal immigrants need to pay their taxes and earn their path to citizenship”
    • “The deep state is pushing unamerican ideologies from within the administration.” -> “corporations have poisoned government through regulatory capture.”
    • “The elites are running this country behind the scenes.” This one actually doesn’t need to change. Just point to different people when you say elites.
    • “We need to drill more oil to secure energy independence.” -> “We need more wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power so we aren’t so dependent on fluctuating global oil prices.”

    People are already primed to care about these issues. By just retooling Trump’s talking points, you can use them against him. I think this would work better than “stamping out” maga ideology. They already see themselves as the underdog and the government is out to get them. That would only embolden them and lend legitimacy to their claims. The more important thing is to make them seem like the weird assholes they are.