So, 538 discussed Gen Z republican voters, and how they are socially liberal, but still prefer the GOP and Trump over the democrats. Why? Because first of all it depends on the social issues. Much like me, they adopt a libertarian framework on social issues, meaning the left wins on stuff like gay marriage and abortion, but on the other hand, they think the dems are "too far left" on issues like race, guns, and immigration. Gee, really sounds like me. But then, on the other side of things, they are conservative on economics and foreign policy. On economics, they adopted a view from the recession that they made it and all you need is a little bit of fiscal responsibility. Uh, what? THat's dumb. But gen Z is a very young demographic and lets be honest, when I was their age, I followed a similar trajectory ideologically. Around 2008ish I gave up somewhat on the social issues and became more libertarian, but then stayed a tea party conservative. However, actual conservatism terrified me so I shifted left hard, and the recession taught me we actually did need government intervention, so I shifted left. I'm not sure these guys will make the same journey I did, as I cannot see how one can live through 2008's recession and still be a fiscal conservatism. 2020, I can KIND of see, because there's an argument to be made by the right that "we wouldn't need these policies if we didn't force people to stay home", which...has other issues, like people dying and spreading a deadly disease, but I can at least see the argument if you're young and dumb and don't think things through. But, I digress.
A huge reason I wanted to discuss this is because most reactions I see from this come from...the social left. And it's the exact kind of social left people like to dunk on. You know, how dare these people not place left wing social issues as their top concerns. They're not REALLY social leftists, they're just conservatives with 1 or 2 social issues. WHat do you mean they're too far left on race? They just support white male supremecy, blah blah blah.
Ya know what? Screw you guys. I am one of these guys, socially. The thing that draws me to the left more to the right is economics, and I'm one of those "bro" type economic progressives the social libs hate so much. I am a white male who cares more about UBI and healthcare than abstract social justice issues. And I'm an ex conservative operating out of a post conservative ideological framework.
On social issues, you guys should be happy. If I'm what the new social right looks like, congratulations, you won the culture war. I wanna repeat that. YOU WON. The religious right has been defeated. No longer will we obsess over gays getting married and abortion and crap. The vast majority of the next generation on the right supports your rights. It just doesn't mean we're "woke." I consider myself on the left because I grew up during last generation's culture wars. Today's "socially right" views among the under 45 or so crowd ARE what used to be reasonably left. And this is where I have so many issues with the left these days socially. I joined the left in 2012, at that precarious time where the religious right was just starting to finally decline, but before all this woke crap became mainstream. I remembered "atheism+" at the time, and how it as a failed movement because all that intersectionality stuff just didn't...advance causes. Inclusivity is well meaning, but sometimes it just comes across as obnoxiously self righteous.
And then gamergate happened, and I just avoided that whole mess as I saw the points both sides made and how it was just a dumb dumpster fire. And then in 2016 HRC fanned the flames by attacking white male progressives like me as "bernie bros". Which, quite frankly, damaged my relationship with the left. You act hostile toward me, my ideology, my identity, and the policies I support, and gee, you lose me as a voter, who knew? And the democrats and the left have just gotten worse since then. As I see it, the let unnecessarily racializes everything, making identity politics support a litmus test, and flexing on white progressives by going on and on about "the black vote" and gee, its like they dont want white progressives in their party. Seriously. If I was not an economic leftie, I WOULD be supporting Trump and the right. But because my economic views are at this point, left of the democrats, I find myself politically homeless as democraft shift toward idpol driven neoliberalism and the right toward cultural and economic conservatism.
Really, I'm not saying that these gen Z conservatives can all be won over. I do think that economic policy trumps social policy for many people (something these social lefties need to understand and stop being soo self righteous for it). But if the democrats dropped the idpol a bit,they could open themselves up to a lot of potential independents, like me, who are more socially moderate on issues of race, with little policy cost to the democratic party (lets face it im very likely to their left on race on actual policy due to their entrenchment to being "moderate" to please people who cannot be pleased). And over time I believe some of these gen Z conservatives could make their way to the left.
Seems to be a lot better than sticking to self righteousness, and, you know, shaming people for not obsessing with certain segments of policy they dont care about. Just saying. The social left should celebrate with the progress made, while still acknowledging some progress has yet to be made, and try to push its agenda in ways that bring people over, not pushes them away. For all the talk of big tent politics and ideological purity, the left doesnt practice what they preach on social policy. Only on economics.
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