Is that “rule by MLP fanfic creators”?
The inventor of the Friedman Unit isn’t the man I’d go to for worthwhile analysis.
Look, all I’m saying is a Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy ticket would sweep the Electoral College.
What he’s missing is that we’re not calling Trump’s supporters weird. It’s all about the politicians. And telling the working-class folks that the politicians aren’t like them is exactly what is needed.
Think Cordwainer Smith.
You’re correct of course.
And it’s also true that the R’s will try to paint this as “They are calling you good voters weird!”
This is what they did with Hillary’s “deplorables” comment.
The cohort who feels oppressed and humiliated by the elites are already in Trump’s pocket. The gettable undecideds—the low info, non-fanatics—would react the way we hope. “Yeah, those guys are pretty weird. I think I’ll throw in with the non-creepy, sane side.”
“Those people who already hate you for looking down on them, will react to this strategy by, uh, hating you.” Sorry, Friedman, I don’t buy it.
No, with Hillary’s “deplorables” comment, she said that about half of Republican voters were deplorable, and they all got offended because they all thought they were in the half she was saying wasn’t.
What? It’s common for a group that’s being attacked to assume that THEIR half is not being attacked, right? “Not me; it’s this other other yo-yo who is standing too close”!
Dan
And yet, in the wake of her comment, we saw a wave of Republicans proudly proclaiming “I’m a deplorable!”.
Yeah, Friedman hasn’t been paying attention. Or maybe he needed a column topic and made this up out of desperation. What he’s missed: those using ‘weird’ are using it about Trump, Vance, and those politicians supporting Trumpist fascism (including the authors of Project 2025). The entire right-wing agenda is being labeled “weird.” I haven’t seen any Democratic strategist or pol or pundit using it other than as a label for the Republicans in (or seeking) power.
And as several have noted, it’s a smart strategy. Back in 2016, many appalled by Trump emphasized his hatreds and his indecency and his viciousness—little realizing that all that was being interpreted by Trump’s fans as “strength.” And of course they wanted to vote for “strength.”
Same for the use of the word deplorable—as @Chronos just noted, Republicans took it up proudly. They chose to interpret it as ‘being a maverick’ and ‘disapproved of by the nanny-types’ and similarly “strong” traits.
However, there’s really no way to interpret “weird” as being strong or defiant or disdainful of nanny-types or anything else glorious or even positive. ‘Weird’ is odd weak strange creepy not-right people who are rejected by normal people.
There’s no way to recast that as admirable. No way for Trump’s cult to appropriate ‘weird’ and wear it proudly.
I mean, except for Weird Al Yankovic. He’s cool.
Well, yes. Obviously.
Shout-out to the Three Weird Sisters, too.
But other than them: creepy smelly oddballs.
Except for the ones in solidarity diapers and ear bandages.
Not to mention that the comment was made in the context of specifically pointing out that not all Republicans are deplorable and we should reach out to that second set.
Delicious!
There is good weird and then there is the other kind.
I’ve never thought of “weird” as necessarily bad. Being weird on purpose is fine. But it has hit a nerve for these bullies, so its use should continue.
The term, for me, that better applies (but can’t be used because of the fucking British) is “spaz.”
The least Lukovich could have done is spell Al’s last name right…
Perfect example of “If you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that barks is the one you hit”.
He spelled “Al” correctly…