Did Any Dems Run Against "Woke?"

[JohnCA246]

It's such a vague term that kinda means anyone to the left of me that no one really identifies with. Did anyone try running hard against "it" whatever it is.

Hipster bashing is a potent force in L.A., especially by people most would identify as hipsters.

My larger point seems like a harmless missed opportunity. Surely every candidate saw one outlandish idea from a left wing activist they didn't like and could run against.

[Figueira]

It would be great if someone could run against "woke" without running against the concept of trans people.

[Schumer can go f*** himself!]

“Woke” isn’t really a thing at this point in the sense that its meaning at any given moment is completely arbitrary and derives entirely from whatever the person using the term is trying to discredit/attack/etc.  It’s meaningless buzzword that gets used because falsely accusing people of being “socialists” doesn’t work nearly as well as it used to.  I suppose sometimes complaints about “woke” are also code for “the n*gg*** and t**nn*s are getting uppity,” but usually I think it’s just a buzzword for “Democrat” rather than anything concrete or clearly defined that can be refuted.  For Republican purposes, Joe Manchin and AOC were equally woke.

[coloradocowboi]

I don't think it's going to work. One of the many reasons that Dems can't run as Republican lite is that we need to appeal to smart people. Our response has to be more serious.

It's not run away from "woke," but to respond to it every time with, "which do you want more to focus on transgender people and Christmas displays or a higher wage, better healthcare, and more time off?"

It's about message discipline, and maybe a teensy bit picking candidates in our primaries who can and will deliver the right message.

[Skill and Chance]

Yes, clearly Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzales did, along with Ruben Gallego (to paraphrase "anyone on my campaign who says Latinx gets a one way bus ticket to California") and several West Coast candidates for mayor/prosecutor.

[For Trump, everything. For immigrants, the law]

"Woke" is a completely meaningless buzzword at best, and a dog whistle at worst.

[ottermax]

Kamala Harris deflected almost every question about her identity, while Trump ran extensively on identity politics.

Frankly a large segment of the Democratic base wants to blame the election on misogyny and racism (which I personally find to be fruitless), and probably wants Democrats to focus more on identity. Harris actively pushed against this which probably helped her retain a lot of votes.

That all being said, Biden ran a fairly "woke" campaign and got the record for highest vote ever so maybe it isn't ever about "woke".

This season's "woke" issue was Palestine and clearly Harris and most Democrats shut that down.

[KakyoinMemeHouse]

There seems to be a weird obsession around here lately with "anti-woke Dems".

[Existing in the context]

There seems to be a weird obsession around here lately with "anti-woke Dems".

Leave it to the Democrats to learn all the wrong lesson from of a loss. Because why 2 weeks out we still talking about which segment of our base we need to publicly humiliate to reach the middle.

[JohnCA246]

I'm not saying the campaign was woke or that Democrats need to attack anyone...maybe save for like Cornell West who is an opposing candidate. I'm saying the term is so vague that Dems can use that language to reassure people they aren't iff the rails.  Ie..."let's end woke school management that want to ban homework or pass students that don't even show up." It's not attacking anyone really. Early Obama did that to great effect in his 04 speech "we know we have to turn off the TV to do homework." It reassures people that you aren't off the rails and you believe in accountability.

Heck attack RFK JR for being so woke he wants to ban vaccines and fast food and replace it with raw cow milk." Sure RFK send our troops to fight on that you woke moron. " No where should trans, professors as a whole, whatever be attacked.

[CentristRepublican]

Didn't Allred capitulate on the transgenders in sports issue? I seem to recall certain red avatars getting into a hissy fit about it.

[It's Time.]

Yes, almost all of those that heavily overperformed Harris did so by moderating on cultural wedge issues where the Democratic position is highly unpopular.

[Reactionary Libertarian]

That would be like Republicans running against the Religious Right. Dems are the woke party.  It is what it is.

[Open Source Intelligence]

They didn't run against it per se as much as try to run away from it, but the McCormick/Goodin gubernatorial ticket in Indiana. McCormick struggled to get traction early because she was a Republican as recently as 5 years ago and the Goodin LG selection got pushback because he was pretty much the last of the rural Democratic elected membership in the state and had a voting record against gay marriage, for carrying firearms, and restrictions on abortions.

[Don't blame me I voted for Harris]

I'm still not convinced being woke or anti-woke yields any significant electoral benefits. Dems lost because of the economy, full stop.

[JohnCA246]

I dont think it was that simple as economy or senate candidates wouldn't have won in WI, NV, AZ, MI, and GA and PA when inflation was much worse. Perhaps the messaging on the economy but still I don't think it's a coincidence that Fetterman despite having a terrible stroke in worse shape than Biden was by far the best performing swing state candidate in the most 2024 Trump state. He didn't look and talk like the other liberals even if his issues were pretty close.