Some people argue that the left needs to be more respectful of the complaints and demands of voters on the right. That sounds reasonable in theory. What about in practice? Who are the right anyway? How are they defined? Gallup poll data as of Dec. 1, 2023 indicated that Biden and DJT were basically tied in approval ratings at about 41% favorable. If that data is reasonably accurate, about 59% of Americans feel that both are unfavorable.
The now radicalized and authoritarian Republican Party no longer puts out policy platforms, so one cannot get a feel for current policy priorities there. Recent polling suggested that the top priority for Republicans is border control. But since Republican voters elected Republican politicians who just killed any chance for border control legislation, it is impossible to reconcile what the rank and file voters claim they want with who they vote for.
Other items on the Republican list of things that need to be done seem to be getting inflation under control, improving the economy generally, the high cost of health care, deregulating businesses, eliminating the socialist deep state and putting Christianity back into government and society. Like with border control and immigration, there is significant disconnect between Republican opinion about abortion and the politicians they vote for. Recent poll data indicates that 66% of Republicans favor abortion rights with some restrictions, but the politicians they elect tend to pass laws that restrict abortions more than what the rank and file seem too actually want.
There is a fair number of policy ideas that most Dems and most Repubs claim they support. That makes it hard to understand exactly what the right is so vexed about not getting. When policies that a majority of Dems and Repubs support are not implemented, it is usually (~85% of the time?) Repub politicians backed by special interest lobbyists and money who block what the people claim to want. What policies? These for example:
About 61% of Repubs want an official declaration that the US is a Christian nation, but after that, it gets messy as to what that would mean. The messages the Repubs give off are conflicting: Most Republicans Say Christian Nationalism Is Unconstitutional — But Still Support It:
As far as I can tell, there are two main groups of Repubs. The elites and the rank and file. The elites have the power and are calling the shots. They have to use dark free speech to deceive the rank and file into belief that they want what the ranks and file wants.
What messaging should the left be offering to the rank and file right and center? Should the US be declared a Christian nation with the Bible controlling the law and overriding the will of the people? What is the will of the people in this point? The will of the elites running the Christian nationalist wealth and power movement is crystal clear -- it wants bigoted Christian Sharia law run by bigoted, corrupt Christian Taliban elites. Meanwhile, 54% of Americans have never even heard of Christian nationalism.
What the rank and file right wants looks to me to be sometimes incoherent and sometimes significantly overlapping with what most Dems want. I do know what the radical right authoritarian elites want, i.e., much more opacity, power and money, with a lot less transparency, social burden (consumer protection laws, etc.) and environmental burden (anti-pollution laws, etc.).
Maybe the best message the left can offer to the rank and file center and right is a respectful ask for them to consider who is blocking progress on the things they want. For example, who blocked the border control bill that most Repub elites and rank and file claimed they wanted? Or, should the left respectfully tell the right that they both want lots of overlapping things and please tell the left how to deal with the politicians that Repub voters put in office?
Given the cynical bad faith and ill-will that Repub elites operate with, is it even possible for anyone to talk rationally with them? If not, who should rank and file Repubs be talking to?
