# Demonizing older voters **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 3, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonizing-older-voters/823949 "2018-11-03T21:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonizing-older-voters/823949/101 "2018-11-07T22:44:53Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > The point is not worthy of address when it’s so hypocritically stated. Maybe some time before the heat death of the universe the left will learn that that is not a winning tactic. I’m confused; are you suggesting that there’s some way the left could argue that _could_ sway ancient racists (or young racists, or people in thrall to russians/criminals, or whatever)? Because frankly I’m not seeing it. Which makes the argument “stop criticizing racism because if you do the racists will stop being racist and start behaving like decent people” seem like a crock. At best. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonizing-older-voters/823949/102 "2018-11-08T00:01:25Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I’m confused; are you suggesting that there’s some way the left could argue that _could_ sway ancient racists (or young racists, or people in thrall to russians/criminals, or whatever)? > > Because frankly I’m not seeing it. > > Which makes the argument “stop criticizing racism because if you do the racists will stop being racist and start behaving like decent people” seem like a crock. At best. It’s not hard to argue against bigotry without being bigoted. I’m sure the erudite crowd here would have no problem doing so if they had that inclination. The fact that they don’t implies quite a lot. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonizing-older-voters/823949/103 "2018-11-08T00:07:33Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > It’s not hard to argue against bigotry without being bigoted. I’m sure the erudite crowd here would have no problem doing so if they had that inclination. The fact that they don’t implies quite a lot. So your entire problem is that people are saying “Fuck old people, because they suck and are racist!” rather than “Fuck the old people who suck and are racist, who just _happen_ to be the vast majority of old people!” Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonizing-older-voters/823949/104 "2018-11-08T00:12:45Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > So your entire problem is that people are saying “Fuck old people, because they suck and are racist!” rather than “Fuck the old people who suck and are racist, who just _happen_ to be the vast majority of old people!” > > Is that correct? You don’t see any issue with that sort of blanket mischaracterization or inaccurate insult? It’s a free country, still, use the rhetoric you feel you must. Don’t be surprised when it backfires. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonizing-older-voters/823949/105 "2018-11-08T00:22:25Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > You don’t see any issue with that sort of blanket mischaracterization or inaccurate insult? It’s a free country, still, use the rhetoric you feel you must. Don’t be surprised when it backfires. As noted, I don’t believe it’s possible for it to backfire. The racist old fucks aren’t going to vote for decent people no matter _what_ good people say or do, and any non-racist old fucks will realize that we’re not talking about them anyway, because they’re not stupid. And besides that, I’m not at all certain that it’s inaccurate. What kind of numbers do you have about how many old people suck? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonizing-older-voters/823949.md?page=5)