# Are Republicans Tiring Of Wars On “Wokeness”?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [August 7, 2023, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165 "2023-08-07T00:02:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/1 "2023-08-07T00:02:56Z")

</div>

An NYT piece (linked below) implies Republicans, in polls, are more interested in “law and order” than declaring war on “woke” institutions and corporations.

Is this true? Does it matter?

Is this because of pragmatic concerns?

Is this because Trump is mocking DeSantis, and people are just following the Poohed Piper?

**Excerpt:**

_The term [woke] has become a quick way for candidates to flash their conservative credentials, but battling “woke” may have less political potency than they think. Though conservative voters might be irked at modern liberalism, successive New York Times/Siena College polls of Republican voters nationally and then in Iowa found that candidates were unlikely to win votes by narrowly focusing on rooting out left-wing ideology in schools, media, culture and business._

_Instead, Republican voters are showing a “hands off” libertarian streak in economics, and a clear preference for messages about “law and order” in the nation’s cities and at its borders._

[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/us/politics/woke-republicans-poll.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/us/politics/woke-republicans-poll.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/2 "2023-08-07T00:08:56Z")

</div>

Poohed piper.

> [@](#):
>
> When presented with the choice between two hypothetical Republican candidates, only 24 percent of national Republican voters opted for “a candidate who focuses on defeating radical ‘woke’ ideology in our schools, media and culture” over “a candidate who focuses on restoring law and order in our streets and at the border.”

I’m wondering if this means little more than that they’ve decided to vote for Trump, and know the candidate who spends the most time on woke is the other guy.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/3 "2023-08-07T00:21:10Z")

</div>

I guess most people are figuring out “woke” means jack shit. Or else that it affects something they actually like such as Chick-fil-t, and don’t have the spine to give up on those chicken burgers. Just like gay marriage is largely a non-issue as most ‘Mericans know have a relative, know someone or ar a “friend of a friend” of someone gay. And these guy folks are not pedaphiles but if you didn’t know they were gay you’d be happy to have a beer or three with. And after a couple of beers, you even kinda sorta forget they are gay or realize it doesn’t fuckin’ matter.

The rage on transfolks is gonna fade just as soon as there is a new boogie man to hate COMBINED WITH the realization must trans folks want to go into a public bathroom, lock the stall, and pee in peace. While avoiding any kind of confrontation with a good ol boy secretly afraid harboring lustings and temptations he can’t control that can only be salved by beating the shit out of someone that isn’t an openly tattooed pure white blood heterosexual.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/4 "2023-08-07T00:29:12Z")

</div>

No they are not, and the never will. Sure it’ll be called something different in a few cycles, but it’ll be the same thing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/5 "2023-08-07T00:30:51Z")

</div>

Whatever it is they want, it sure as Hell isn’t “law and order”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/6 "2023-08-07T00:32:27Z")

</div>

I make the law and give you orders.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/7 "2023-08-07T00:35:21Z")

</div>

Republicans are interested in law and order like their presumptive nominee is interested in truth and morals.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/8 "2023-08-07T00:56:16Z")

</div>

What candidate who is “anti-woke” isn’t also spewing out messages in favor of “law and order” in the nation’s cities and at its borders?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/9 "2023-08-07T01:49:01Z")

</div>

Trump just “Truthed” this a few hours ago.

> [@Disgraced Former President Trump](#):
>
> The “shocking and totally unexpected” loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden. Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA

I’m not so sure there were actully any deep feelings behind woke, so it wouldn’t surprise me if MAGA is moving on to other things.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/10 "2023-08-07T02:01:59Z")

</div>

It seems that DeSantis is bleeding donors due to his culture war focus. “Go woke, go broke” just not the way they mean it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/11 "2023-08-07T02:24:30Z")

</div>

Now hes Crooked Joe. Not Sleepy anymore. I feel he stays up at night thinking of him.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/12 "2023-08-07T02:50:57Z")

</div>

TFG is still in a huff about Megan Rapinoe refusing to visit the White House in 2019? What a loser.

I’m also having trouble following his logic (yes, I know, exercise in futility) - the US loss in 2023 is unironically the fault of Biden and these ‘woke’ players but these same ‘woke’ players won in 2019 so… what, that was emblematic of what was happening under crooked TFG? We can just ignore their ‘wokeness’ and the fact that they spit in TFG’s face in 2019 when it’s convenient?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/13 "2023-08-07T03:11:11Z")

</div>

It’s hard to stay incandescently furious about the same thing for very long. I haven’t heard any Red Sox fans complaining about “Bucky Fucking Dent” in ages.

Fortunately (depending on your point of view) the right wing has an army of commentators trying to find the next new thing their viewers have always been mad about.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/14 "2023-08-07T03:17:07Z")

</div>

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> I haven’t heard any Red Sox fans complaining about “Bucky Fucking Dent” in ages.

If they hadn’t won World Series since, you would still hear about it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/15 "2023-08-07T07:52:27Z")

</div>

> [@Chingon](#):
>
> Sure it’ll be called something different in a few cycles, but it’ll be the same thing.

Agree.

The Republican party in the US is the party of heterosexual white supremacy. Their policy positions fundamentally and consistently boil down to “we don’t want _those people_ having any kind of control over us.” They oppose racial progressivism like affirmative action and similar policies because they won’t accept “the coloreds” telling them how they can talk and behave. They oppose sexual and alternative-gender progressivism because they equally won’t accept “the queers” making rules they need to follow. Ditto for environmentalism and everything else, on down the line. “_Those people_ don’t get to tell us what to do.” That’s all it is and that’s all it will ever be.

The _code word_ for this is what they get bored with, and is what changes. Used to be commies and socialists. Then it was liberals. Trump got a lot of mileage out of “make America great again” which just means “go back to a time when _those people_ knew their place.” The current code phrase is “woke,” which rolls all the same old stuff into a package with a new brand name. As long as it’s working to stem the tide of “those people” having influence, they’ll stick with it. But when the opposition figures out it’s the usual bullshit and develops a counter and it stops working, they’ll dump it and come up with a new euphemism. But it will be the same basic pseudo-ideology.

(I say “pseudo” ideology because there aren’t really any ideas to it, beyond the basic “fuck off, _you_ don’t tell me what to do.” Conservatism is basically tribal everywhere, but the US has raised and refined it to a rare degree with the whole “land of the free” thing, where a nebulous concept of liberty has been elevated to the status of religion. Honestly, from the outside, the US looks like a cargo cult, where instead of building runways and towers and hoping for food to fall from the sky, there’s a belief that waving the flag and singing the anthem and repeatedly shouting “freedom” is all that’s needed to create a functional country. But I’m digressing.)

So, yeah. The Republicans will never tire of their war on wokeness. They’ll just call it something else in a few years, and then something else again a few years after that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/16 "2023-08-07T10:38:04Z")

</div>

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> It’s hard to stay incandescently furious about the same thing for very long.

I think there’s a lot of truth to this. They will continue to cultivate incandescent fury as long as this is a good political strategy, but after a while they have to find the next thing. When people discover that trans folks just aren’t affecting them in any real way, they may maintain their animus, but the white-hot rage not so much.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/17 "2023-08-07T10:52:14Z")

</div>

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Fortunately (depending on your point of view) the right wing has an army of commentators trying to find the next new thing their viewers have always been mad about.

Every election cycle, the oligarchs role out the new line of bigotry for the GOP mob to rave about instead of paying attention to how crappy their lives are. It’s been gay marriage, trans rights, immigrants, etc.

Whenever those wear out their welcome, they just back to hating on black folks. It’s like Lynyrd Skynyrd ending the show with Free Bird.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/18 "2023-08-07T13:09:47Z")

</div>

I can’t add hardly anything to the excellent work by @Cervaise , @Stratocaster, and @madmonk28 just above.

The propaganda machine will keep spewing because the incandescent rage is very valuable to them. It sells books, merch, causes massive donations, and above all keeps the rabbles’ enthusiasm up so they’ll actually vote. And in their heavily incited lynch mob mentality, approve of whatever skullduggery goes on.

So in no sense are Republicans tiring of the War on Something Icky. They and their fuhrers live for that shit.  
  
  
Also agree with other folks upthread that this poll question amounts to a _very_ thinly veiled “Do you prefer Trump or DeSantis?” With the predictable outcome.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/19 "2023-08-07T13:35:38Z")

</div>

> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> above all keeps the rabbles’ enthusiasm up so they’ll actually vote.

Importantly, the use of bigotry keeps them voting against their own interests and makes them willing to use violence to defend billionaires’ tax cuts.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165/20 "2023-08-07T20:52:44Z")

</div>

> [@madmonk28](#):
>
> Every election cycle, the oligarchs role out the new line of bigotry for the GOP mob to rave about instead of paying attention to how crappy their lives are. It’s been gay marriage, trans rights, immigrants, etc.

Why do they care??? that is my question.

I know and, am friends with gay people. They are fine and _now not_ locked into something that they are not. It allows them to be a person in society, and not hide their identity.

I know of one Trans person. A cop. Fine. Don’t care. They are doing their job. Great.

Immigrants do jobs that no one else wants to do. Do these idiot WANT to pay $10 for a head of lettuce?

I just do not understand the bigotry and out right hate these people have.

What in the hell are they afraid of? A society where everyone can get along?

Difference is a good thing, not a bad one. The planet is getting smaller every day. They are not “Those People” they are **your people. Your neighbors.**

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-republicans-tiring-of-wars-on-wokeness/988165.md?page=2)
