"Old and quite weird": Democrats finally discover new effective attack — and Republicans hate it
After nearly a decade of being forced to take Trump seriously, Democrats increasingly call BS on the whole charade
Sure, Donald Trump is a threat to democracy — a would-be dictator on day one who has called for terminating the U.S. Constitution so he can hold onto power even after losing a free and fair election. But while draped in the rhetoric of populism, Trump and his MAGA movement are not actually popular; the man himself has never won more votes than the person he ran against, a majority of Americans twice rejecting him and his off-putting cult of personality. That he was ever president is more or less because a few thousand swing voters in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania thought it would be fun.
President Joe Biden won in 2020 largely by promising to a return to normalcy and baseline competency. In 2024, Democrats are making a similar argument but more forcibly: They’re pointing, laughing and dismissing Trump and his circus as a total freak show to which we can’t return.
The only problem I have is I'm weird and I think weird is cool, I like weird people and I love towns that have a motto that is like keep Portland weird. I celebrate weird, but I guess it's time to normalize the weird I've been supporting and ostracize the truly weird
Weird is neutral on it's own, it's context and tone and stuff that gives it positive and negative weight
Weird as in countercultural is cool. Weird as in talking about wanting to date your daughter is not so cool.
That's disgusting, not "weird".
It's also weird. Normal people don't want to date their daughter.
No, it's not "also weird". Use a more descriptive word. We can't have one word be equally applicable to people that are slightly awkward and people that want to groom their children. Blindly grouping them together normalizes the latter and demonizes the former.
Also, "Normal" is a term used to make people feel othered. Consider what normal has excluded in the past (race, sexuality, gender, etc) and how disgusting we see that was now. Again, there are better words to use that don't contribute (intentionally or not) to binding truly vile behavior to benign characteristics.
It is also weird. Weird is a pretty broad and neutral term. It encompasses quirky and creepy.
I find it so odd you're strongly against the concept of normal while so gung ho about keeping weird as a thing. Weird is used just as much for othering.
I'm aware as you use it repeatedly for exactly that. I'm also aware that many people embrace their weirdness to take the power back from bullies and bigots. They should get to keep that without worrying about the term becoming a synonym for pedophile or fascist.
It already is a synonym for creepy, grotesque, and ghastly. This isn't a new use. When I pull out my paper thesaurus, that's what's there. It isn't becoming that; it is that.
It's also a synonym for funky and eccentric and quirky and kooky. It's not a word with an inherent judgement unless you think "different" is inherently good or bad.
What a comfort that your dictionary backs you up. That definitely mitigates the harm you're supporting.
I'm sorry you identify so strongly with your bullies taunts that you have trouble dealing with the reality that there is good weird and bad weird.
Ah, another traditional bully line - "You're too emotional!"
I'm starting to see why you don't think any of this is problematic.
I am genuinely sorry that you have your identity wrapped up in something people used to insult you. That seems really tough. I didn't say you were too emotional.
Weird is a loaded phrase. It was a gamble to see if it can track but in this way, against Trump, its working. I agree it was always my preference to be weird then be cool when I was young but this isn't that kind of weird.
To someone who is conformist being "weird" is the worst thing. If you aren't being weird is a badge of honor and people wear it proudly. This is why it works so well right now.
The kind of weird you embrace isn't the kind of weird he is. He'd hate it even worse if we said he was your kind of weird. When he's gone we can make weird great again.
"Don't worry, we're only gonna do this shitty thing for a little bit, we swear!" That's not a reassurance, it's just an excuse.
Calling out the weirdness of an objectively weird (and creepy, and megalomaniac, and venal, and abusive and dangerous) old man, who's weird by choice and despite all his privileges, isn't shitty.
It's the hope that his brand of weirdness becomes irrelevant and forgotten that I was referring to, not saying there would ever be a time to stop naming it what it is, or feeling obliged to make excuses for it.
It absolutely is shitty. You're not "calling out" trump & co. for some objective characteristic - you're lumping everyone that's ever been derided for being "weird", bullied, and generally othered in with them for cheap political points. Your excuse that it's only temporary is a hollow promise I expect even you don't believe. The damage is to more than just one person, and that doesn't get undone as soon as you decide you've had your fun and go home.
You are overthinking this and make it about you. This is meant to get under their skin because they are weird and cannot handle the phrase.
We expect you to not be so easily irked and intelligent enough to realize wat the spiel is here...