QOTD: Republicans And The "Woke" Term

 

Oliver Willis provides a valuable insight into what the MAGA movement means when they use the term "woke":

"The term comes from the Black community and is tied to the long fight for racial justice and equality. It has been traced all the way back to “Scottsboro Boys,” a protest song recorded by Lead Belly in the 1930s advising Black people to “stay woke” and be aware of racist policies in the deeply segregated South. [snip]

Trump, who rose to political prominence for promoting the racist 'birther' conspiracy theory about President Barack Obama and racist stereotypes about Mexican immigrants, hates the Black Lives Matter movement. So opposing Trump and bigotry from other Republicans was seen as “woke,” of which the right quickly took notice.

Being against “woke” has become the right’s new definition for opposing social justice, as it has always done—opposing women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice.

It’s no mistake that the war on 'woke' has manifested itself in the form of Trump administration policy, rules, and executive orders meant to roll back civil rights and erase the achievements of people who aren’t straight, cisgender, white men." (our emphasis)

The MAGAt terminology has seeped into the mouths of some (e.g., Bill Maher) who also twist the term to equate to "cancel culture" or pursuing LGBTQ+ rights.  Willis' explanation sets them straight, not that they'll care.

 

"Cracker Barrel Has Fallen!"

 

Brent Terhune relays the sad news that the aptly named Cracker Barrel has fallen victim to the woke mind virus:

Poll: "Woke" Not Working As A Grievance Buzzword

 

Oops.  The main Republican culture war attack line seems to be, like their cult leader and his vertically challenged rival, a loser.  Sad!  From a new USA Today/ Ipsos poll:

Republican presidential hopefuls are vowing to wage a war on "woke," but a new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll finds a majority of Americans are inclined to see the word as a positive attribute, not a negative one.

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed say the term means "to be informed, educated on, and aware of social injustices." That includes not only three-fourths of Democrats but also more than a third of Republicans.

Overall, 39% say instead that the word reflects what has become the GOP political definition, "to be overly politically correct and police others' words." That's the view of 56% of Republicans.

The findings raise questions about whether Republican campaign promises to ban policies at schools and workplaces they denounce as "woke" could boost a contender in the party's primaries but put them at odds with broader public opinion in the general election.

Independents, by 51%-45%, say "woke" means being aware of social injustice, not being overly politically correct.

“Most Americans understand that to be woke is to be tuned in to injustices around us,” said Cliff Young of Ipsos. "But for a key segment of Republicans who make up the Trump-DeSantis base, 'woke' is a clear trigger for the worst of the politically correct, emerging multicultural majority."

For a more comprehensive explanation of how "woke" evolved from how it was initially employed to a being a duplicitous, racist, right- wing buzzword, see this.

(Photo:  keep plunking your magic conjuring word, Tiny D/ Daniel A. Varela, Miami Herald)