# is Social Media the beginning of the end for the conservative agenda?



## Ooh-Rah (Jun 13, 2016)

Is the out of control PC climate we live in today due more to Obama, or the inception of Twitter? (Circa  2006). It took a while for people to figure out what to do with it, but now it is a very powerful tool.  It is used by Hollywood types to push their causes and insulated beliefs, (Did you see the recent link with the dozens of Orlando related anti-gun posts?) or to organize an instant rally for whatever cause you want to pull for, and it is used by the easily offended to threaten a boycott of companies for such offenses as not firing an "offensive" employee or immediately pulling a product for whatever reason.

Twitter is used to mock, ridicule, and generally shame a person or group who does not parrot the popular cause of the day and dares to question the motives of those causes.  We think we have occasional dog piles here, a Twitter or Facebook dogpile can literally cost you more than hurt feeling or a few "hates".

While the current administration has done its share to push the PC agenda, I wonder if the environment would be similar without the advent of Twitter.   While I believe there would be legalized gay-marriage and a military being forced to implement women into every available role, you would still be able to debate those topics without being shouted down in a public forum.

How did this happen?  I think "we" let it happen, right under our noses. We would come here (our safe place) and laugh and joke about the rally for this, or the boycotting for that. But that's it, we did not voice our dissent publicly with the same vigor in which those whom we might oppose did. They continued to organize and mock the evil gun lovers or the misogynists against women serving in combat roles.   We came to our insulated sites and shook our heads, complained, yet always remained polite in public. Take the high road, don't fight like them.

The high road has led us to where we are now, and I do not believe there is much that can be done to stem the tide.  Based on what I've observed the past 8 years, a Hillary win in November will be the death nail to the values and beliefs I hold dear, and I genuinely believe there is little that can be done about it.


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## TLDR20 (Jun 13, 2016)

The PC agenda? Can you tell me what that is and why it is a problem?


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## AWP (Jun 13, 2016)

Democrats tend to be younger which of course translates into a greater willingness to embrace technology. I've maintained the GOP has lacked leadership for the last decade and any sluggish acceptance of social media is another sign, a lack of vision. Republicans ceded the initiative where social media is concerned. It does not help one bit that tech giants are liberal and I'm sure that caused some conservatives to initially shy away from the platforms.

Republicans need to attract younger voters and they will not do it with their existing platform. The party needs to change if it wants a larger share of younger voters.


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## Ooh-Rah (Jun 13, 2016)

TLDR20 said:


> The PC agenda? Can you tell me what that is and why it is a problem?



After about the 3rd edit that was supposed to be changed from "agenda" to "climate". But, I will not shy away from the fact that my first draft gave examples of topics that even just a year ago I considered a problem and now don't concern myself with anymore. (Gay marriage, transgender issues, the health care debate  to name a few).    I will add that in many cases  it has been your challenges and questions on this site that caused me to take a  more open-minded look at issues I have generally scoffed.

What I was ultimately trying to communicate, is that I believe social media has contributed to how easily offended we are as a nation now, and I that it is the more liberal Americans who have learned how to use the power of social media to leverage their perceived outrage and implement change.    A great example is the minimum wage debate and mandatory sick-leave.  As a business person, I believe the market should take care of those types of things; not the government.

Truth be told, I am in no way trying to attack the liberal left or those who use social media to move their causes forward, if anything I  admire their ability to organize and move an agenda.  I am disappointed that my more conservative brethren have not done so with the same vigor.  Specifically when it comes to matters of guns, capitalism, and general common sense.  And what I mean by that is that I do not think a sportscaster who slips and uses a non-politically correct word, or a newscaster who tells a slightly off-color joke on the air should automatically be fired, but that is where we are now.


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## TLDR20 (Jun 13, 2016)

I agree with you partially, but I think you cheapen your stance when you use blanket terms and a derogatory message to make your point. 

The first thing I would ask, is what exactly did these PC martyrs say or do that got them fired. Next, do you think it is Joe Schmo pushing for Curt Schilling to be fired, or is it Boeing, Coca Cola, Target, and other advertisers. They don't want to be associated with bigotry, which is what some of the things that have been said, portray. 

Yeah people react to things others used to get away with. So what? People used to openly call blacks the N word, but the PC police policed that up. I still call things gay pretty regularly, I try not to as that implies there is something wrong with being gay, or attaches a negative thing to it, but I still do it. 

All that said certain militant people can get upset about anything. Militant conservatives get preemptively angry about issues that are not, while liberals do the same. Extremists are the loudest and therefore people think thy opinion is the majority of the other side.


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## SpitfireV (Jun 14, 2016)

People have always been cunts since the dawn of time.


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## CQB (Jun 14, 2016)

SOCMED is interesting, and a way of airing views directly, instead of being filtered by an editor or media moguls agenda. I don't subscribe to it wholesale but it's useful & PC can be a means to stifle solid debate.


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## Brill (Jun 14, 2016)

@Ooh-Rah ,nit seems the "left" is way more vocal and organized via social media than moderate or "right" voices. Even Nixon's silent majority were considered middle class Republicans who were too busy working and raising families to protest in support.

It appears the same could be said now. Where are the anti-Occupy movements? Where is the violence at Sanders or Clinton rallies? You voice opposition to Obama's policies and you're quickly labeled a racist. You oppose transgender issues and you're a bigot.

Trump called a judge who is US citizen a Mexican and the Internet exploded. The press recently said the Orlando shooter was an Uzbek, whose parents came from Afghanistan. He was actually a US citizen but was there outrage...none at all.  I'm sure my comments could be considered anti-gay and pro-Muslim...yeah, that's me to a T.

One thing that the majority of progressives, leftists, and Democrats ALL have in common is when they rebutte an issue, they are very often light on facts but extremely heavy on emotion.  Pick a news outlet with a "crossfire" type session or an article on the net with comments and you'll understand my point.

The skillful debate seems to be a dying art form. Too easy to just grab a meme off the net and quote a Couric sound bite.


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## Lefty375 (Jun 14, 2016)

Ooh-Rah said:


> Is the out of control PC climate we live in today due more to Obama, or the inception of Twitter? (Circa  2006). It took a while for people to figure out what to do with it, but now it is a very powerful tool.  It is used by Hollywood types to push their causes and insulated beliefs, (Did you see the recent link with the dozens of Orlando related anti-gun posts?)



Twitter and other social media tools are used by everyone to push their beliefs. If you don't like it, then don't follow those people. There is no reason to be "offended" by PC people, when they live in their little twitter/tumblr bubble.



Ooh-Rah said:


> or to organize an instant rally for whatever cause you want to pull for,
> 
> Rallies and cries for support have been used to spearhead agendas for the longest time. Nothing is new here, minus some people acting like it's a completely new thing.
> 
> ...


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## Ooh-Rah (Jun 14, 2016)

lucky l3fty said:


> Twitter and other social media tools are used by everyone to push their beliefs. If you don't like it, then don't follow those people. There is no reason to be "offended" by PC people, when they live in their little twitter/tumblr bubble.



Lucky.  But this is ultimately the point I was trying to make.  Okay, I don't like it, I don't follow them.  They live in their twitter/tumbler bubble, but that bubble is getting substantially larger; so while I ignore them, they shout louder and eventually the ol' squeeky wheel definitely gets the grease.  If we have core beliefs that are important to us, then we can not just ignore the over-the-top shouters, because they are getting results.  As I mentioned above, hitting closest to home is the minimum wage debate - MN is up to $9.50 now.  A $1.50 increase from just 2 years ago.  With about 500 people on payroll, that is an average of about an extra $1 increase per person, (because if you raise minimum, the people who are already making what the new number turns into, complain that now they are just making minimum wage). 

At an average of 32 hours per week, this equates to about $832,000 in additional payroll over the course of a year.  Those in favor of the increase brilliantly used Twitter and Facebook to emotionally plead their case, for the most part those against it tried to use their influence with the legislature.  Unfortunately, that tactic is dying...what the elected officials care about are not being publicly called out, and the causes that will get them reelected -


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## AWP (Jun 14, 2016)

"Media" is the plural of "medium" which encompasses everything from TV to print to Twitter to handing out pamphlets on a street corner. Social media is a lazy and cheap way to reach thousands and even millions with a message. We can tune them out, but others won't.


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## Etype (Jun 14, 2016)

Freefalling said:


> Republicans need to attract younger voters and they will not do it with their existing platform. The party needs to change if it wants a larger share of younger voters.


Hopefully, this is what Trump does.

It's good to have a Republican candidate who's not s stuffy, old, white, overly religious, Dudley do-right.


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## DocIllinois (Jun 14, 2016)

Etype said:


> Hopefully, this is what Trump does.
> 
> It's good to have a Republican candidate who's not s stuffy, old, white, overly religious, Dudley do-right.



"A new national poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds by Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, finds Hillary Clinton the clear front-runner over Donald Trump to win the White House in 2016."

Harvard IOP Spring 2016 Youth Poll

Perhaps Messrs. Trump and Lewandowski can create a heap of pandering, populist garbage directed at young voters to counter this.


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## Gunz (Jun 14, 2016)

SpitfireV said:


> People have always been cunts since the dawn of time.



There it is.


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## Etype (Jun 14, 2016)

DocIllinois said:


> "A new national poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds by Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, finds Hillary Clinton the clear front-runner over Donald Trump to win the White House in 2016."
> 
> Harvard IOP Spring 2016 Youth Poll
> 
> Perhaps Messrs. Trump and Lewandowski can create a heap of pandering, populist garbage directed at young voters to counter this.


I don't know how to feel about a Harvard poll.


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## Red Flag 1 (Jun 14, 2016)

DocIllinois said:


> "A new national poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds by Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, finds Hillary Clinton the clear front-runner over Donald Trump to win the White House in 2016."
> 
> Harvard IOP Spring 2016 Youth Poll
> 
> Perhaps Messrs. Trump and Lewandowski can create a heap of pandering, populist garbage directed at young voters to counter this.



I expect that will be the outcome. The people who voted obama into office will be voting again. The GOP will not get completely behind Turmp, they did not put everything behind Romney; so the GOP will do what they always do?. I pray it will be somehow different this time, but I will not hold out much hope. 

I think, that one day you and I will have a pint two in a pub, with peat burning on the grate. I look foreword to that.


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## Gunz (Jun 14, 2016)

Etype said:


> I don't know how to feel about a Harvard poll.



I know how I feel about Harvard Polls. Like flushing twice.


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## Red Flag 1 (Jun 14, 2016)

Ocoka One said:


> I know how I feel about Harvard Polls. Like flushing twice.



Well, there is that to consider :-/.


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## DocIllinois (Jun 14, 2016)

Red Flag 1 said:


> I expect that will be the outcome. The people who voted obama into office will be voting again. The GOP will not get completely behind Turmp, they did not put everything behind Romney; so the GOP will do what they always do?. I pray it will be somehow different this time, but I will not hold out much hope.
> 
> I think, that one day you and I will have a pint two in a pub, with peat burning on the grate. I look foreword to that.



I'd like the GOP get fully behind Donnie to see just how far down the rabbit hole one party can collectively be led.

Unless he's a Hillary plant.  Either way he's the right man for the job, complete with hilarious Tweets.


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## policemedic (Jun 14, 2016)

DocIllinois said:


> "A new national poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds by Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, finds Hillary Clinton the clear front-runner over Donald Trump to win the White House in 2016."
> 
> Harvard IOP Spring 2016 Youth Poll
> 
> Perhaps Messrs. Trump and Lewandowski can create a heap of pandering, populist garbage directed at young voters to counter this.



With luck, her administration must deal with a Republican controlled Congress.


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