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Ideological Purity vs Winning in 28. [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-05-13

The furor on DKOS recently about the David Hogg interview and Senator Gallego’s comments highlight to me a deep, systemic problem within progressive politics – the over simplification of complex issues into black and white, good or bad, left or right memes, to the point where centrist voters like me dare not even express an opinion that runs counter to progressive orthodoxy for fear of being shot down in flames, or worse yet, denounced as a racist, homophobic, misogynist bigot. It’s like suddenly everything has to be reduced to a zero sum game where no one is allowed to suggest that both sides of an argument might have merit, or that a right wing commentator might have a valid point.

Further, its no longer enough to just except that people who have different opinions just have different opinions. No – they must be demonized. They must be castigated in the harshest terms, and inextricably linked to the worst members of their identity groups.

You voted for Trump? You’re a Nazi scumbag who can’t wait to fire up the ovens.

You question the fairness of trans women competing against cis women? You’re a homophobic trans hating bigot.

You think men’s rights are important too? You’re a misogynist dick.

You’re a white man? You’re a privileged, coddled, undeserving moron who has had life handed to you on a platter.

And so on, and so on, and so on.

I would have thought that after the election of Donald Trump for a second time, progressives might have taken stock and asked a few tough questions. Like “Will alienating half the population help us win in 28?” Or, “Is branding Trump voters irredeemable morons the best way to get them to vote for us next time?” Or, “Is writing diaries on DKOS linking young white men with white supremacists a good way to get through to them?” Or, “Is it really necessary for us to agree about absolutely everything?”

It’s frankly bewildering to me that progressives are so incapable of recognizing a simple truth: more people voted for Trump than Harris, despite that fact that progressive policies are generally popular. Could it be that voters are turned off by the left’s insistence on ideological purity? That being “woke” is not the most important thing for them?

Here’s a final thought: When members of one religion disparage the members of another, its religious bigotry. When people of one skin color attack people with another is racial bigotry. When you demonize and denigrate people with political opinions that differ from yours, then yes, you too are a bigot.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/13/2322195/-Ideological-Purity-vs-Winning-in-28?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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