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And Here We Thought We’d Lost the War [Public Opinion is Swinging Back Against Progressive Excesses]
National Review ^ | 07/22/2015 | David French

Posted on 07/22/2015 6:48:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Public opinion is swinging back, thanks to progressives’ excesses.

I woke up yesterday morning deeply confused. If there is one thing that I thought I’d learned over the past few weeks, it’s that history has a “side,” and I don’t happen to be on it. My views — pro-life, pro-traditional-marriage — were yesterday’s news. The rainbow White House, rainbow Facebook, and — most important — the rainbow Supreme Court all told me so. The culture war was over. All that was left was the mop-up operation. I should hightail it back to my “house of worship” — which the Left would leave alone (for now) — while it purged the academy and the marketplace of the last vestiges of bigotry and backward thinking. It was time to bankrupt the Christian bakers.

All of this was so crystal clear that imagine my confusion when I discovered that since the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision, three separate polls showed that support for same-sex marriage had declined. Not only that, but almost six in ten Americans now support the right of religious business owners to decline to participate in same-sex weddings — a sharp increase. At the same time, Planned Parenthood — the world’s largest abortion provider and the social-justice Left’s favorite organization — was reeling from revelations that its senior leaders appear to just love to talk about selling baby parts. After all, there are Lamborghinis to buy.

What’s happened? The Social Justice Warriors forgot that most Americans just don’t like mean people. And in one two-week span of American life, millions of SJWs helpfully and unmistakably labeled themselves with their rainbow profile pictures, then proceeded to act like hectoring, condescending, arrogant scolds — loudly and publicly — day after day. They were mean. They mocked Christians, celebrated the plight of a Christian baker’s family as it faced financial ruin for refusing to facilitate a gay wedding, and kept pointing at the Supreme Court and White House as if they represented some sort of cosmic scoreboard — as if the only conservative response was to take their ball, slink away, and go home.

The mere act of engaging the Social Justice Warriors is a win. Your words have the chance to persuade, and their overreaction has a chance to repel. I’m reminded of the way that the first great wave of political correctness was brushed back. A generation ago, colleges were passing speech codes and proudly calling them speech codes. This was the time when the term “politically correct” was considered a compliment — when the hostility to conservative speech was so profound that conservatives were shouted down in class, sometimes even by the professors themselves. For a while, the angry Left was ascendant. Many students believed — at least for a time — that extreme measures were necessary for the sake of the marginalized and historically oppressed. But then, people just kept being mean. Over time, moderates — including more moderate liberals — rejected the extremes, and by the late 1990s colleges became almost unrecognizably civil. Even today, with a new wave of repression surging across campuses, they still haven’t reached the depths of the Bad Old Days.

A generation ago, the social-justice Left tried its best to silence the pro-life movement — to treat the very utterance of pro-life sentiment as an affront against women. They failed, utterly. Pro-life speech is still of course constitutionally protected, and the pro-life movement is arguably stronger than it’s ever been. Indeed, it’s just received an incalculable boost through videos that show Planned Parenthood being Planned Parenthood. Unable to learn, the social-justice Left is going back to the old, failed playbook of the 1990s — trying its best to silence cultural conservatives on marriage, and in so doing they are once again showing their totalitarian colors. Once again, they’re being mean. Americans don’t like mean.

The mere act of engaging the Social Justice Warriors is a win. Your words have the chance to persuade, and their overreaction has a chance to repel. So speak merrily, conservative friends, and reap the benefits of liberal rage.

— David French is an attorney and a staff writer at National Review.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: gaymarriage; homosexualagenda; publicopinion; samesexmarriage

1 posted on 07/22/2015 6:48:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Never fear. Even if handed absolute power, Republicans will do their best to be sure that Americans regret voting for them.


2 posted on 07/22/2015 6:50:19 AM PDT by brownsfan (Behold, the power of government cheese.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Now that we have someone who is being blunt for a change on a number of issues, (Donald Trump), maybe the GOP may just be encouraged to grow a spine.


3 posted on 07/22/2015 6:51:35 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: SeekAndFind

They never were winning. Everything you see on the television is a lie.


4 posted on 07/22/2015 6:52:56 AM PDT by The Toll
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To: SeekAndFind
Well who didn't see that coming?

Maybe the cowardly RINO’s will feel safe and come out from hiding just in time to jump in front of the parade.

5 posted on 07/22/2015 6:56:49 AM PDT by Awgie (truth is always stranger than fiction)
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To: brownsfan

This isn’t about Republican representatives—This is about average, ordinary US citizens.


6 posted on 07/22/2015 6:57:46 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Biology is biology. Everything else is imagination.)
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To: SeekAndFind
More good evidence. Don't despair. Don't go off the deep end. Don't believe we cannot win.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poll-hillary-clinton-in-trouble-in-three-key-swing-states/article/2568720

7 posted on 07/22/2015 6:57:55 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
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To: SeekAndFind

After years...and I mean years of abuse at the hands of liberals, I can’t tell you how far it should “swing” the other way.


8 posted on 07/22/2015 6:58:17 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
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To: Biggirl
Now that we have someone who is being blunt for a change on a number of issues, (Donald Trump), maybe the GOP may just be encouraged to grow a spine.

Nah. They're trying to make him out to be an evil boogie man. He's disrupting their luxurious, comfortable do nothing life styles.
That's really scaring them. They don't want to work for a living. Trump is calling them out on it.

9 posted on 07/22/2015 6:59:53 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: SeekAndFind

I’ve noticed that whenever someone stands up to a liberal, they win. Unfortunately, very few people stand up to liberals because the media usually targets these people and attacks them.

I love Trump because he will not back down. Just wait, the liberals are beginning to crack as I write.


10 posted on 07/22/2015 7:06:10 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Isn't it funny that Socialists never want to share their own money?)
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To: Arm_Bears

“This isn’t about Republican representatives—This is about average, ordinary US citizens.”

Yes. And when disillusioned what does a citizen do? Vote for the other party. Americans are put off by the leftist extreme of the current administration. It’s possible, but not likely, they’ll turn to a Republican as president. Given the recent track record of Republicans, this will simply serve to swing citizens back to the Democrat camp.


11 posted on 07/22/2015 7:24:26 AM PDT by brownsfan (Behold, the power of government cheese.)
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To: SeekAndFind

We’ll see.

Hell, public opinion is against Obamacare. Doesn’t matter.
Public opinion is against homosexuals forcing Christians to celebrate their behaviour. Doesn’t matter.

Public opinion is against Iran getting nukes. Doesn’t matter.

Public opinion, as of the last Gallup poll, is 50% against Hussein. Doesn’t matter.

Fascists just keep rolling. Doesn’t matter.

I have been reading Paul Johnson’s “Modern Times” (very long book—been doing it slowly among other reads...). One of the stunning truths he discloses is that the Axis powers of Europe weren’t really popular among the population as a whole. They WERE at one time, but the agenda eventually was revealed and the people were not happy. Didn’t matter. Fascists refuse to stop, even when their policies aren’t embraced by the other government entities or the populace.

Fascists control key positions with lackeys in the military, judiciary and media...and set about their agenda.

Just sayin’.


12 posted on 07/22/2015 7:26:45 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
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To: Cowboy Bob

Your post has Trump a conservative warring against the liberals. Other than his American exclusivist capitalism, please tell me how he is supposed to be this great conservative you say he is? There is nothing in his track record that suggests that he has ever been a fighter against liberalism. I shudder to think of the kind of people he would place on the supreme court.


13 posted on 07/22/2015 7:30:32 AM PDT by sasportas
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To: SeekAndFind

Public opinion doesn’t mean squat if we have A) an elected and unelected bureaucracy that has placed itself above the law and B) a public that doesn’t have the morals and/or intestinal fortitude to put the former in its place.


14 posted on 07/22/2015 7:56:20 AM PDT by Turbo Pig (...to close with and destroy the enemy...)
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To: sasportas
Didn't say Trump was a conservative. I said that when anyone stands up to a liberal. That includes the GOPe. I have noticed in the past that Boehner had inadvertently stood up to Obama...and Obama backed down.

Boehner was shocked...and immediately backed off and threw in the towel.

With regards to Trump, I do not know if he is conservative, liberal, or libertarian. What I do know is that he stands his ground. That is a very rare trait among politicians...and very refreshing.

Trumps support comes from people who are desperate for a strong leader. Trump fills that gap right now. When he begins spelling out his policies, he might start losing support...including mine. But for right now, he is making all the right enemies.

15 posted on 07/22/2015 8:21:09 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Isn't it funny that Socialists never want to share their own money?)
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To: brownsfan

You’re wrong brownsfan... the left overplays their hatred time and time again... AND we’re catching on to their tricks...


16 posted on 07/22/2015 8:31:19 AM PDT by GOPJ (They are not undocumented and they are not immigrants. They are illegal aliens. Lurkinnamloomin)
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To: SeekAndFind

Thank you Donald Trump for awakening and coalescing the silent majority.


17 posted on 07/22/2015 8:32:33 AM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Hillary - Ethically sleazy and politically stupid)
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To: The Toll

The ‘queer’ thing, for one instance, is like the over-the-top promotion of what turns out to be a shite movie.
They’re is still only 1 1/2 to 2%.

Never, not once, ever thought America had turned progressive. What occurred is that Americans always give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Just like the Nazis, Japs and Arabs, who mis-read this “benefit of the doubt” for fear and inability to fight back, the left is underestimating Americans.

The outlandishness of the left after winning a few skirmishes will turn on America’s Terrible Resolve to do the right thing to protect America, as always, just before its too late. There is a Conservative landslide coming in 16!


18 posted on 07/22/2015 10:37:19 AM PDT by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
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To: Cowboy Bob

Thanks for your reply, I understand where you coming from, and agree with much of what you said, however I am first and foremost a Christian conservative, Ted Cruz is for the things that mean the most to me, for a true conservative our best shot, with Walker close behind. If Trump winds up with the nomination, I will have to vote for him, whatever he really is, and I’ve really got my doubts, it is better than anything the rats have.


19 posted on 07/22/2015 12:28:37 PM PDT by sasportas
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