If the democratic party starts to represent MRA ideology

[boston bean]

so they can get more of the white male vote, they can count on losing many more elections via woman fleeing the party.

[gollygee]

1. That would be stupid

the Democratic Party can no longer win elections without women and people of color.

[boston bean]

2. You would think so.

but I'm reading that the democratic party doesn't represent white males and something must be done to correct that. Just the fact that they are for womens issues and rights, makes some white men very uncomfortable.

Looks like some want the democratic party to become the republican party.

[seabeyond]

3. with the literal attack on women, though i am not thrilled with the conservative tilt in the dem

party, i will always vote dem cause they are on womans side, hands down, compared to repugs.

when people say, i am not gonna vote cause....

i pffft, cause for me, it is a must in getting dem in for the supreme crt and other womens issues.

if they start spouting the MRA bullshit to get the white male vote, that would be the one thing that would make me walk, that voting for them no longer became worth it.

[Squinch]

4. If the democratic party tries to court THOSE white men, they will lose everyone else.

It isn't working for the Republicans, it wouldn't work for the Democrats. Because, well, the things THOSE white men want are just dumb.

[redqueen]

5. +1

Despite the belief so many seem to have that it's best to ignore the people who spew the shit (which of course I strongly disagree with), I would hope that any attempt to actually pass legislation to appease those throwbacks could never happen.

As for throwing out red meat to them, yeah that would certainly depress turnout among a critical demographic.

[CrispyQ]

9. I'm barely on board with the Democratic party as it is.

If they feel they have to court the vote of misogynists, bigots & homophobes, I'll proudly vote Green.

Hey party leadership, listen to Squinch: It isn't working for the Republicans, it wouldn't work for the Democrats.

[Flatulo]

11. That is a very key point. The GOP is losing many moderate white males with their

anti-choice drumbeat alone. Throw in a dose of religious authoritarianism, and there go many educated men who don't like being lectured to about morality by dirty old men.

On edit - lots of formerly conservative professionals I've worked with are on-board with income inequality issues as well. They've seen way too many companies ruined by incompetent brats who cashed in and absconded with many millions.

[Squinch]

12. In general, I have little disagreement with those old (like from the 50's or so)

Republican party platforms. The Republican party used to be a different animal.

I really think, though, that the GOP is SO extreme right now that any thinking, educated person is already long gone from it. Anyone with half a brain who is still voting Republican is either dim or simply not paying attention.

[Flatulo]

20. Agreed. I'm nearing 60, and the GOP of my youth had a lot of overlap with the Southern Dems.

Strong on defense, fiscally cautious, if a bit warmongering.

Today's GOP has exploded the debt, overstepped into peoples' privacy, and in general have their heads up their asses as regards the browning of America and the need for some serious tweaking of the tax code to kick a few fazoules down to the lower rungs.

[Squinch]

21. Also: strengthening unions and increasing equality. And with TR, they invented conservation

and environmentalism.

[seaglass]

6. I don't think there is any evidence that those specific ideas would entice white men to vote for

Democrats. The people promoting those ideas on DU already vote for Democrats I would assume, otherwise why are they here?

The men I know who don't vote for Democrats, don't vote for them for economic reasons.

[boston bean]

7. I was speaking mostly to the ideas that some have espoused

that even discussing feminist issues drive white men away from the party. And I say white men because they are the demographic that I usually see spouting this crap, and its quite evident that it is white men who don't vote overwhelmingly for dems.

[Squinch]

13. I wouldn't assume that someone promoting those ideas votes for Democrats. I always assume that

if someone is promoting such obviously backward ideas on DU, they are trolls. Those Freepers who brag about how they post on DU all the time and disrupt.

[seaglass]

14. That's what I don't understand about it. It seems there are two choices:

1.) You vote for Democrats even though they don't support these initiatives - so then why would it make any sense that it is a determining factor for anyone else?

2.) You don't vote for Democrats because they don't support these initiatives - I ask again, then what are you doing on DU?

[Squinch]

15. I've had conversations here with people who state outright that they don't vote for Democrats

because of "the feminists."

Long time DUers.

Not too brainy, but there you go.

[seaglass]

16. I think they're just being whiny and stupid and I would question if they really felt that way if

they aren't also racist and homophobic. It's all of the same mind-set.

[Squinch]

17. I agree. I just assumed that particular poster served up plenty of racism and homophobia with his

main course of "Feminists hurt my feelings!"

[redqueen]

22. No fuckin way. Can you imagine someone saying they don't vote for dems

because of 'the (other minority group)'?

Hard to think they'd still be on DU after spewing that kinda shit.

[Squinch]

23. I think they're here for the purpose of spewing that kinda shit.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. +1

[redqueen]

25. Well lucky for them that juries sympsthize with them, and misogyny isn't against the TOS. nt

[Squinch]

26. Yes. Otherwise they would not be allowed on Democratic Underground. As it is, their intentions

NOT to vote for Democrats are tolerated here just fine.

[BainsBane]

29. Repubicans often say the Democrats are the party of minorities

REPUBLICANS say it. If something like that upsets you, you aren't a Democrat.

[seabeyond]

19. if a white man would vote dems EXCEPT for those old, loud feminists, i mean... everything else in

dem is fine but the fems.... says a hell of a lot about that man. ooosh. lol

[YoungDemCA]

27. This is a key point

It's not as if white men, AS A GROUP, are such a progressive demographic-relative to most other demographics-on a whole host of issues.

Appealing to the fragile egos of reactionary, bigoted white men who vote Republican is a piss-poor strategy for the Republicans, and should be a total non-starter for the Democratic Party, too.

[ismnotwasm]

8. I thought women were a democratic base

Last edited Tue Apr 22, 2014, 02:35 PM - Edit history (2)

Or at least tend to ore often vote for democrats. What would be more effective than courting a hate group ideology, is to court women, minority and the LGBT communities.
The fastest growing minority is Latino's who tend toward conservatism. Reaching out to that base with a solid for immigration reform would help, especially with future generations. Listening and acting on the grievances of Black people would help, including modified affirmative action programs-- especially for collage for youth, as well as recognizing and at least suggesting plans to change the institutional racism that exists. etc.


It would be hard to court conservative White men, from my observation. The right callously uses women's lives for politically points, stokes the racist fears of white men of losing the benefits of being White-- as well we should---so while the MRA talking points are found everywhere, the right the left, here, I can't see how using then would benefit politically.
Unless they were carefully hidden, or cautiously coached. Our silly rabbits who try to pretend they are not MRA's never have the guts to admit to it, but they also never make any damn sense.

How would you go about making part of your political base the enemy? Evo-psych is a wash out, the right has co-opted destroying reproductive rights and the American People don't easily forgive infidelity or examples of treated women like shit.

[YoungDemCA]

28. Excellent post

There's no practical reason to cater to reactionary right-wing white men, because they really aren't growing as a demographic-if anything, they're shrinking in influence and numbers. That's why they're scared, and that's part of why they are lashing out by attacking women's rights, gay rights, the poor, minority rights, etc. (you can particularly see this at the state level).

Reactionary bigots who wish for the Democratic Party to cater to their irrational fears and prejudices can get bent.

[el_bryanto]

10. That's seems pretty likely

Are there signs that they are doing this?

Bryant

[BainsBane]

18. Because the GOP isn't reactionary enough

Let's work to move the Democrat to their right.

It's not going to happen. Women and people of color are the Democratic Party's principal voting blocks. There is no reason to double-down on discrimination to appeal to reactionary white men.

[GeoWilliam750]

30. Like global warming and rising sea levels

The demographic tide is unstoppable.

It is not necessary to sell out our core constituencies - women, minorities, labour.

The Democratic party must remain the party of the people - the place to go for those who are powerless.

Eventually, most white men will realise that it is the party where they belong as well.

Register and vote - and make sure that others do the same.