Is Graham Platner the Democrats’ working class equivalent to Republican veneration of Tim Scott and other black conservatives?
I investigate this matter in my latest American Conservative column:
Whether Platner’s political career is over or not, his elevation illustrates the left’s desire for masculine, white, working-class candidates. The party is insecure about its lack of appeal to the demographic that made Trump president. This deficiency makes Democrats worry they’re out of touch and wimpy. Platner seemed like the perfect rebuttal to criticism that the Blue Party is too elitist and woke, until the discovery of the very non-woke tattoo.
Read the rest here.
What's so stupid about this calculus is that, even with the replacement underway (which is hopefully being curtailed thanks to some of the administration's efforts) Democrats actually need those white working class voters. The republicans, if they were actually focused on playing to their base instead of alienating them (anti-racism, delaying SNAP, free market economics etc.) do not need minorities. The 'based black' does nothing for them electorally. Even if republicans could get every black vote by catering to all their hateful shenanigans, many of those blacks either live in areas they will A) never win or B) don't need to worry about winning. It's virtue signaling for it's own sake without any practical political benefit.