SO why is it propagated so vigorously? Yesterday it was repeated 5-6 times in a single thread. When we run into things that we think are generally true, we rest our critical thinking we lower our defenses, we reduce our anxiety...
The meme -should- be true. It's generated by a judgment that ought to be biased in it's favor...
But its like a computer subroutine that was written to provide good service but that's vulnerable to exploitation. Viruses are meant to propogate such exploitations, repetitions of memes can do the same.
Why would people do that? As an hack/exploit, it can provide some cover via the surface truism for more pernicious stretches of the truism. It's an insincere apology of sorts...even if we feel the strain of a politician going outside the shared values, the meme is meant to soothe concerns...but OURS are better than theirs...even if sometimes ours violate what have been shared values.
And it's apparent that dem politicians do this, because over the years at DU there has been a LOT of conversation about dissatisfaction with DINOs.
That suggests the effects of the exploit were noticed but there wasn't much of a fix. And there really can't be when the accepted wisdom the party tries to run on is meant to benefit from the exploit. Being unfettered by shared beliefs with the base provides freedom for politician...freedom for example to triangulate, freedom to move toward things campaign donors want...so long as the 'ours are better than theirs' meme is in place and still functions to assuage anxiety about DINO like behaviors.
One of the most arrogant of the exploiters has a name-- Rahm Emmanuel-- he has said liberals are retarded (perhaps because we so easily fall for the exploit???) and have no where to go...(haughty arrogance based on hegemony of the exploit among party leadership).
Popularity of Elizabeth Warren challenges the assumption there can be no alternative, Chuy Garcia demonstrates the alternative is competitive. Bernie Sanders suggests alternatives can be grafted into the party...
The meme needs reinforcing to protect the exploit.
They need more repetitions of the assurances that those politicians at the margin of our shared beliefs, and our tolerance, are still better than theirs.
We are getting those repetitions.
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