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dogknob

(2,431 posts)
22. Thanks. This pretty much sums up my Facebook experience in this election cycle.
Mon Nov 12, 2012, 12:21 PM
Nov 2012

Excellent. Thank you.

I am a (nearly) 43-year-old white male living in a district of California (Issa) where Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 2-1. Being car-free, nearly all of my campaigning in this election cycle occurred online. I did it relentlessly, mostly outside the comfort zone of DU. I hit Facebook almost daily. I wrote politically-slanted fan-fiction on a gaming site. I posted original music containing not-so-sneaky themes of power-abuse and suburban angst on Soundcloud. I basically dropped everything I could have been doing to help myself so I could wade into a chilly pool of apathy and goose everyone I could find.

Down-ticket was a huge priority for me when it became clear that Romney would be the nominee; that guy was bound to trip over his dick from the get-go, but inevitably most of the discussion ended up being about President Obama -- and it was always just a matter of waiting for someone arguing to get to what I knew was eventually coming:

Playing the "playing the race card" card.

Many people don't even realize how racist the phrase "playing the race card" is. Almost everyone picked it up from the OJ trial and it has served as a handy conversation-ender ever since. Folks who drop this line are almost always in denial; the MSM told them that the election of President Obama was "the end" of racism in America. Lots of white people are tolerant as heck until some brown people move in down the street, then they start worrying about their property value.

The trick is to hammer away at that myth while keeping one's cool and not hipping people to the fact that you are schooling them about their own lurking racism. Do not insult. Do not rant. Show don't tell. People have been conditioned to hate learning and resent those they identify as teachers. That's pretty damn sad, but I played along and changed the subtitle under my name to read "self-appointed know-it-all political asshole."

By the week of the election I had lost count of the number of Facebook posts that started with something like "I never get political on FB, but..." with "Thanks for posting this. Stuff like this is why I didn't block you from my news feed 6 months ago" running a close second.

I could go on forever about how we DUers need to cultivate an outreach strategy if we want to hold onto what we gained on Tuesday, but someone with 50,000 posts should probably tackle that. My stuff tends to drop like a rock around here.

Thanks for posting this Champion Jack Nov 2012 #1
NO WAY! do you know who the next GOP president will be? coldbeer Nov 2012 #13
2014 is about the mid-term and shifting the House and Senate. Spitfire of ATJ Nov 2012 #30
This is true... but even within the next two years Texin Nov 2012 #27
Dems woke up in 2010 that mid-terms matter.... Spitfire of ATJ Nov 2012 #31
Excellent post malaise Nov 2012 #2
It makes me slightly nauseous to consider that you are so right. northoftheborder Nov 2012 #3
This is totally what I get in conversations with my family Repubs... 2theleft Nov 2012 #4
Good insights. Thanks. n/t ProSense Nov 2012 #10
+1 nt ProudProgressiveNow Nov 2012 #18
What kills me is that these are the same people who scoff at the notion of "White Privilege" chalky Nov 2012 #38
Yep, it's the racism, stupid. The crazy old aunt in our attic, still up there. nt bemildred Nov 2012 #5
Thank you for the interesting post. russspeakeasy Nov 2012 #6
Truth to the power! BumRushDaShow Nov 2012 #7
Yup, progress. n/t ProSense Nov 2012 #11
Take America Back DearAbby Nov 2012 #8
Racism in America..won't go away... Tippy Nov 2012 #9
The rest is just smokescreen. Thanks! n/t Horse with no Name Nov 2012 #12
This reminds me Bainbridge Bear Nov 2012 #14
K&R! This white man truly believes in fairness and equality. Go Obama! Dustlawyer Nov 2012 #15
Don't Overlook Separate But Equal DallasNE Nov 2012 #16
+1000 nt ProudProgressiveNow Nov 2012 #19
G2geek's alternative conversation with Bob was genius... Turborama Nov 2012 #17
The left has to learn how to count BY TWO, not just by fours! TahitiNut Nov 2012 #20
Racism and sexism and homophobia are all mixed up in the fear... blackspade Nov 2012 #21
And that fear is femrap Nov 2012 #32
No arguement from me to anything that you stated. blackspade Nov 2012 #37
Thanks. This pretty much sums up my Facebook experience in this election cycle. dogknob Nov 2012 #22
great post! Viva_La_Revolution Nov 2012 #34
Imagine how Native Americans feel about white men having stolen their country. savannah43 Nov 2012 #23
Yes, this election was about right wing white culture Shankapotomus Nov 2012 #24
Well said. n/t dogknob Nov 2012 #25
Many have recognized zentrum Nov 2012 #26
Thank you. Very interesting. MsPithy Nov 2012 #28
Oh hell yes. dogknob Nov 2012 #29
Had dinner with my conservative Brother in Law yesterday. mick063 Nov 2012 #33
It's hard to imagine ProSense Nov 2012 #35
There's really only one race vlyons Nov 2012 #36
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