The Right’s Identity Politics Take a Bizarre Turn
MAGA activists are having a meltdown over a throwaway character in Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s political ad.
TL;DR
- MAGA activists are criticizing Sarah Huckabee Sanders's ad for work requirements, calling it 'anti-white' because the depicted character is a white man.
- This marks a shift in right-wing politics from indirect racial appeals (like 'states' rights' or 'welfare queen') to more overt identitarian messaging.
- The criticism stems from a belief that the ad unfairly represents white men, despite data on Medicaid-expansion enrollees.
- The article argues this focus on identity, even over policy details, shows the growing influence of identitarianism within segments of the American right.
- The piece contrasts this with older Republican strategies and suggests these activists lack the finesse of past strategists, leading to a bizarre public display.
- A separate point discusses the GOP's "culture-war Hail Mary" strategy focusing on trans issues just before midterm elections.