site banner

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.

Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.

We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:

  • Shaming.

  • Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.

  • Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.

  • Recruiting for a cause.

  • Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.

In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:

  • Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.

  • Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.

  • Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.

  • Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.

On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.

13
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Given the current leadership of the RNC I think it would go to Don Jr if he wanted it, which I think he probably would.

There's no way career politicians with actual experience running campaigns would allow it to go to Don Jr. without a fight. Haley has pledged delegates who would see there chance. Whoever the VP pick was would argue that he gets Trump's delegates. Desantis would see his chance and argue he was more popular than either of them. On the other hand, if the RNC pushes one of the above three it will be harder for the other two to argue against them. There still might be a power struggle, but it wouldn't be as public.

Haley might try and fail, but Desantis I imagine has more political sense than do that; going against a popular figure like Trump (and by association his family) damages a Republican's brand. Jeb is a joke and a non-entity now. Rubio had to go into hiding for years to recover. The Cheney name is dirty now. Haley might have destroyed her political future. Desantis probably gave up on the primary just in time not to damage himself for 2028.

I think too inexperienced to take the convention, but I could see him cutting a deal for the VP slot.

Is he any less experienced (politically) than Trump was when he ran for the first time?

agree. when has experience ever been a major deciding factor? Palin anyone?

Politically he's probably more experienced, but in terms of executive experience, it's all been working for his father.

Do you think so? He is inexperienced. That said the memetic force would be very strong to push him through.

The only way it wouldn’t be Don Jr is if Don Jr (and the rest of the family) endorsed whoever it ultimately ended up being, since without the family the Republican candidate would probably lose due to infighting, people voting RFK Jr because of ‘crony’ RINOs taking over Trump’s legacy etc. Don Jr seems to have political connections and if they run someone else he’s finished, because in 8 years a) a Democrat would probably win again anyway and b) the Trump family would be largely forgotten, especially without the patriarch.

JD Vance is buddies with Don Jr, is quite possibly the VP nominee, and has the requisite style and experience. I would have bet on him if this had been successful.

It could be Vance, but I think if it was Vance there would be a lot of competition from within the party. If it was Don Jr I think there would be mostly deference outside the moderate business con wing, and even there I think they’d eventually accept it.

Don Jr vs Jared Kushner. That'll be the best.

Jared is happy with the Arabs giving him money, and I can see President Don Jr continuing to let him and Ivanka be in charge of Middle East policy (and thus profit from it). I don’t think either Jared or Ivanka will succeed Trump politically.

Kushner is too pro Israel and is on the nose.

Nothing about Kushner’s behavior over the last few years suggests he wants to be president. I think he might agree to Ivanka running, but she doesn’t want it either.