Marie, thank you for such a comprehensive breakdown of how it happened, election by election! This party-flip phenomenon gets discussed on the internet a lot, but with it being a nuanced history, of course it often gets exploited by bad actors to make racist arguments. I will use this article next time I see people drowning in the fake slop they're fed about history on social media.
I'm reminded of a conversation I was having with an acquaintance about California's Prop 50 (concerning gerrymandering, another nuanced topic that gets oversimplified by bad actors). He linked a video to defend his position that Prop 50 was wrong but gerrymandering in Texas was not wrong. I watched in good faith. For the most part, I understood all the flaws in this woman's argument, but at least I understood how people could be persuaded by it, even if she was (intentionally or not) misleading her audience about Texas's maps (using the phrase "racist maps" to mean "maps acknowledging the existence of race").
But then, oh my god. Her racist rant from the Upside Down starts at about 1:30 into the video. She lists benchmarks of Republican policies that benefitted Black people (prior to Nixon, as if today's MAGA party can take credit), and then drives her final argument home: "Democrats have always been the party of the KKK." I couldn't believe it. A grown man sharing this video of a grown woman (who is an appointed member of the governing body of the Republican Party in my very blue county!) pretending we could honestly be confused about which party that members of the KKK vote for in 2025. The editing too... jump cuts with each sentence, the camera getting closer and closer to her face, I was honestly getting scared that she was going to crawl through my monitor and murder me.
Honestly, if you don't need another example of this filth, you're excused from not clicking this link. But if you're curious about how this nuanced history is getting weaponized in online discourse today, you're in for a treat! I doubt she wrote this script herself; this feels much more like talking points that are drafted by powerful organizations, engineered to misinform the public.
Thank you, Timothy! I appreciate you viewing and reviewing this on our behalf, so we are spared the trauma. It actually took my breath away, just reading about it!
She looked like she was putting in a lot of effort to look very relatable at the beginning, like she just stepped inside after a lovely brunch on the patio, to open some mail and explain to her besties how gerrymandering was invented by Democrats. While an absurd premise, at least it fell within the normal boundaries of political content online. And then she became possessed!
I would have thought that money would have been the most important factor in how the Blacks would vote in upcoming elections as it is so much tied to affordability , but not so. The small poll indicates that faith and 1st amendment rights are perceived to be more prevalent than money( affordability). Go figure.
Marie, thank you for such a comprehensive breakdown of how it happened, election by election! This party-flip phenomenon gets discussed on the internet a lot, but with it being a nuanced history, of course it often gets exploited by bad actors to make racist arguments. I will use this article next time I see people drowning in the fake slop they're fed about history on social media.
I'm reminded of a conversation I was having with an acquaintance about California's Prop 50 (concerning gerrymandering, another nuanced topic that gets oversimplified by bad actors). He linked a video to defend his position that Prop 50 was wrong but gerrymandering in Texas was not wrong. I watched in good faith. For the most part, I understood all the flaws in this woman's argument, but at least I understood how people could be persuaded by it, even if she was (intentionally or not) misleading her audience about Texas's maps (using the phrase "racist maps" to mean "maps acknowledging the existence of race").
But then, oh my god. Her racist rant from the Upside Down starts at about 1:30 into the video. She lists benchmarks of Republican policies that benefitted Black people (prior to Nixon, as if today's MAGA party can take credit), and then drives her final argument home: "Democrats have always been the party of the KKK." I couldn't believe it. A grown man sharing this video of a grown woman (who is an appointed member of the governing body of the Republican Party in my very blue county!) pretending we could honestly be confused about which party that members of the KKK vote for in 2025. The editing too... jump cuts with each sentence, the camera getting closer and closer to her face, I was honestly getting scared that she was going to crawl through my monitor and murder me.
Honestly, if you don't need another example of this filth, you're excused from not clicking this link. But if you're curious about how this nuanced history is getting weaponized in online discourse today, you're in for a treat! I doubt she wrote this script herself; this feels much more like talking points that are drafted by powerful organizations, engineered to misinform the public.
https://x.com/e_barcohana/status/1972358519476338870
Thank you, Timothy! I appreciate you viewing and reviewing this on our behalf, so we are spared the trauma. It actually took my breath away, just reading about it!
She looked like she was putting in a lot of effort to look very relatable at the beginning, like she just stepped inside after a lovely brunch on the patio, to open some mail and explain to her besties how gerrymandering was invented by Democrats. While an absurd premise, at least it fell within the normal boundaries of political content online. And then she became possessed!
...and then someone I know watched it, and thought it was persuasive in conversation about gerrymandering!!! I am still laugh/crying about it.
Some people see what they want to see and never take the time to question it. For me, if something I read resonates, I lean toward it
People show you who they are., and it is scary
They have been deceived and have become deceptive themselves.
Very interesting, Timothy. MAGA tripe is such garbage and blatantly wrong.
Once again, a terrific article Marie. I always learn so much from you!
I love learning so much from the articles in the Preamble. This was no different. Thank you!
I always look for Timothy Patrick’s responses to articles in The Preamble. The response/comment is usually just as informative as the article!
I would have thought that money would have been the most important factor in how the Blacks would vote in upcoming elections as it is so much tied to affordability , but not so. The small poll indicates that faith and 1st amendment rights are perceived to be more prevalent than money( affordability). Go figure.