Tucker Carlson’s interview with the activist revealed the mainstream right is being flooded by extremism – and it’s now impossible to contain

  • runiq@feddit.org
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    2 days ago

    “We look like clowns”

    Good observation, you do! But probably not for the reason you think.

    Edit: Also, what the fuck is ‘the mainstream right?’

    • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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      2 days ago

      The mainstream right is primarily center-leaning folks who believe in traditional Republican talking points and don’t really examine the underlying racism. For example, they believe welfare moms are a problem. They consider spending money on the arts wasteful and regulations to be anti-business. They believe in aggressive America-first foreign policy.

      Many of them just want to exist in a world where they can do what they want and most everyone is basically like them.

      Overtly anti-queer conservatives are the evangelicals, the “moral majority”, and are a significant but niche faction. And then obviously you have white supremacists who are even more niche. But the mainstream tolerates both because a world where they don’t ever have to feel uncomfortable around people whose speech they can’t understand or men kissing is fine with them. They don’t hate minorities, but they just don’t really care about them either. Mostly they think themselves good people and everyone should strive to be just like them.

      That all being said, I think the growing rift between the left and the right is radicalizing some of the mainstream, due to vocal extremists driving the conversation and politicians trying to stay relevant in online discussions. To the point where it wouldn’t surprise me if mainstream right isn’t the minority.

      And I say all this knowing the question is probably rhetorical.

    • mister_flibble@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      People who bought the line of bullshit about Republicans being financially responsible at some point in the 80s, decided that was enough engagement for one lifetime, and proceeded to turn their brains off and have exercised precisely 0 critical thinking about anything even remotely political ever since.

    • Diplomjodler@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It used to exist. They were the people who were concerned with keeping up an appearance of respectability and avoiding extreme rhetoric in public. All of that went out of the window with Trump, of course.

    • CallMeAnAI@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Fiscal conservatives who don’t like abortion, but aren’t on the fascist train.

      The Mitt Romneys of the world.

      Not the Nick’s.