Liberal Hatred for Susan Sarandon is a Symptom of People Who Refuse to Acknowledge Their Own Failure

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Oscar-winning actor and progressive activist Susan Sarandon sparked a good deal of controversy during the primary stage of the presidential election when she expressed doubt to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes about whether she could bring herself to vote for Hillary Clinton in a “lesser-of-two-evils” situation. It was a common question at that time among

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"The right wing of the Republican Party has spent an enormous amount of time and energy over the past decade running primary challenges against moderate Republicans and replacing them with fire-breathing extremists. Many said this would render the party increasingly unacceptable and unelectable outside deep red states. That hasn’t happened. Instead, far-right Republicans have moved not only their party but the country as a whole to the right; they’ve shifted the terms of the debate and are poised to pass the most radical and comprehensive legislative package this country has seen since 1968.

This is what an ideologically disciplined and unified party with a coherent vision for America, a genuine messaging strategy and the ability to play the long game can do. It’s not a recipe that guarantees winning, by any means; elections are unpredictable beasts. But in a two-party system you’re bound to win eventually. And ideological discipline means that when you win you’re ready to shove your agenda down America’s throat wholesale and change the country for generations. It’s an extraordinary accomplishment. Democrats wondering how to make radical change in this country could do a lot worse than to pay close attention to what the Republicans have done for the past 20 years-and what they’re about to do next."

[amw]

I loved that article that you posted, and I wish it had created more conversation because I think it's a very important conversation for the American left to have. That said, there is one point in there that is not entirely true, and that is this idea that America is lurching wildly to the right. It's more complex than that.

Without a doubt America is getting far more nationalist and xenophobic, but that's a trend all over the Western world. At the same time, gay people are more accepted than ever - gay marriage is legal, DADT is over, DOMA is gone, the AIDS travel ban is gone. Even one of the most iconic right wing personalities is a shameless fag. Shit, I don't even think you're allowed to say fag any more, even if you are gay. Progress! And despite the hideous attempts to police where we go to pee, us transfolk are finally coming out of the shadows. Non-binary is actually a fucking thing, finally. I can assure you, 10 years ago it was not. People are starting to talk seriously about a not completely pitiful minimum wage, death penalty is being resisted by drug companies, "pre-existing condition" is a bad memory... I mean, by worldwide standards, America is still an embarrassingly conservative backwater, but compared to 10 years ago it has come a long way.

So, it's relative, you know.

[adelheide]

As the saying goes, Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line. Party unity is more important to them than anything--family, country, God. While that does present a united front, it also leads to inflexibility and an inability to respond to changes in society.

The Republican Party made a concerted effort in the late 70's to mover further right and to get a stranglehold on power. Now, much of what the Republicans cling to as principles are being rejected by the public. They are not above selling hate and fear to keep people following them but people are starting to fall away. Being that rigid is not sustainable over the long haul.

Republicans spent years convincing people that feminists were fat, hairy-legged, and manless. To the point where young women today, even though they are clearly feminists, eschew the title. This is just one example of how their messaging (constant, persistent, over decades) can change public opinion. But they are not the arbitors of public opinion. Society changes far faster than they do and eventually, people are going to leave their archaic attitudes behind. Because they cannot adapt to change, they will be left behind.

Getting Democrats to agree on things is like herding cats. That is their downfall. It is also their strength. Just like multiculturalism is the strength of the U.S. It's messy, it's chaotic, and it sends a lot of different messages. But it's also elastic and flexible, better able to respond to the needs of people and society.

I don't think Democrats should adopt the unity-above-all-else strategy of the Republicans. I do agree they need to coral the cats more but their message should stay the same. Their strength is their acceptance of many different points of view. They need to express that in a way that shows unity but not rigidity.