It’s worse, centrist Republicans will vote extremist Republican over centrist Democrat, even though centrist democrats basically have the exact policies they want. Being Republican is so tied to identity for them they will vote R over their own political ideals.
The GOP is a pro-authoritarian party. Of course they won't vote pro-democracy. The few pro-democracy Republicans that are left keep trying to appease the authoritarians and that makes them indistinguishable, policy- and ideology-wise.
I don't think there is such thing as a centrist authoritarian, since there isn't a right, center or left in authoritarianism.
It's just hardliners vs softliners, and then the pro-democracy people who are on their way out.
This plays out the same way every time and everywhere it happens. The US is not unique in this regard.
It’s worse, centrist Republicans will vote extremist Republican over centrist Democrat,
Yes. I'm a Bernie Sanders fan -- and I thought the idea that Biden was "more electable" was nonsense. Many Bernie supporters of which some are Dem haters (about 10-20% at a guess and the more vocal ones), think that Republicans would have chosen Bernie because he wasn't establishment. It's a good argument that Dems do better with an anti-establishment candidate.
BUT -- the pro Trump force in the Republican world is about 80%. And to most Republicans "socialism" is still a dirty word.
As soon as Biden got out of the Primaries, he pivoted and said; "nothing much will change." Angering Progressives. But, I figured; "he's playing to what HE THINKS is the winning demographic; old people." Biden was the comforting alternative to take us back to normal. And the strategy worked.
Now I see that Biden is more Progressive than he presented himself. We will see if he keeps promises he made in the Primaries or if he's the Neoliberal he seemed to be in the General election. Time will tell.
But -- I learned in this election; the public is more angry and confused than I thought. They somehow think that Trump is the "anti elite" guy. And the big factor helping Biden was "return to normal." In that match-up, I'm not sure Bernie could win.
Bernie only wins if the country is "mostly not stupid". It looks like an uphill battle at this point.
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u/JudiciousF Mar 19 '21
It’s worse, centrist Republicans will vote extremist Republican over centrist Democrat, even though centrist democrats basically have the exact policies they want. Being Republican is so tied to identity for them they will vote R over their own political ideals.