There’s a new “movement”, #walkaway, on Twitter that appears to be going viral. It’s called “the walkaway movement to abandon liberalism”. It appears to be obvious astroturf.
Twitter account “New Knowledge” makes the case:
Googling “Walkaway Movement” shows a number of results declaring it a “danger to Democrats” and stating that it’s “gaining steam” and that “freethinkers are abandoning the left”. The list includes some of the usual suspects such as Breitbart.
To me, it’s obvious bullshit. Do they really believe that people are going to fall for this? This kind of deliberate pollution of the internet irritates the hell out of me.
People on the right may fall for it, but I find it hard to believe that many on the left will “abandon liberalism” because they think others are doing so. Do the people behind this really believe that it will achieve something?
You go to some conservative sites and you’d think the walk away movement is the second coming of christ, but then you try to find some more legit sources on the subject and it soon becomes clear that it is very overhyped.
But that’s not to say it couldn’t become a thing. I work in a blue area with lots of black guys and it is pretty apparent that the Democratic platform is highly problematic for a lot of them. You have guys who are black and very against abortion, you have very religious black people that are not really going to warm up to atheists who belittle their beliefs and say stuff like “worshipping some sky man,” the metoo movement is a little scary for a population used to being judged guilty of all manner of things with little evidence. Etc. If, hypothetically, their was no longer a belief that Republicans are patently racist, neonazi sympathizers probably the Democrats would lose a lot of support.
Most people aren’t very committed to any philosophy let alone ones as sweeping as “liberal” or “conservative”. It’s not like there’s some underlying unfying reasoning connecting their abortion rights, Affirmative Action and free trade positions.
It’s about whether they’ll take action based on their professed philosophy. Liberals talk big and act little. The conservative side never hesitates to vote for their bottom line, and neither does the liberal side. The conservative base votes reliably, the liberal base needs to be exhorted to come out an vote. Conservative is like a religion, it attracts true believers, liberals are just bystanders.
I don’t see anyone changing their political values over this, but I could see some people buying into it enough that they get dispirited and stay home on Election Day.
They just stay home. I don’t think many people change their political philosophy, but it’s a question of whether they’ll act or stand by. The liberal side seems to become complacent with the status quo and not realize the other side is relentless. Look at which side campaigns on rolling back change.