1/ I think there is a lot of truth in this thread. Though I would finesse by saying that my interactions with Corbyn supporters has been mixed. Here’s what I think I have learned (thread)
2/ Yes there are a lot of tubthumping zealots who, in their public speech at least, will back any defence of the leader. I have no idea whether they believe what they say publicly or if it is at least partly performance. These people are probably *unreachable* and *unpersuadable*
3/ There is also a second group, however, who I have spoken to quite a bit on twitter and I would call the reasonable middle, who support Corbyn passionately (or near-passionately) and who are interested in getting to the truth of things but (1) feel repulsed by what they see as
4/ right wing malevolence towards Corbyn, reflecting the more extreme ends of their own movement, and (2) feel talked down to by mainstream commentators who sometimes (and I take responsibility for this myself) approach them like children who need a spanking for being so naive.
5/ I think that the second group is really important. My sense is many increasingly see the (real, perhaps unsolvable) problems with Corbyn’s foreign policy focus and associations with antisemites but see the right wing malevolence as evidence of the danger of deposing him
6/ And also - this is most important - they still see, on balance, that Corbyn’s Labour is the only hope in the next few years of achieving a left wing government. That combination of reasonable middle and radical fringes keeps the Corbyn movement resilient
7/ My view is that for those who see Corbyn as problematic, there is no point attacking radical fringes as though it is satisfying, they are unreachable (similar to what public attitudes research says re human rights), to affect change you have to reach out to the middle group.
8/ To do so it’s crucial to find connection points, speak in a way which isn’t patronising and, frankly, triggering (so don’t parrot the language of the Daily Mail) and from a starting point that many who support Corbyn are neither naive or mad
9/ They are the opposite - they want a better society and see Corbyn’s Labour and socialism as the best way of achieving that. I think the opportunity to reach out is here now as many are feeling uneasy and unsure because of the wreath stuff etc but it needs a change of tone
10/ Incidentally I see the above as an issue with how the Jewish community has approached Corbyn. I think there has been a lot strength in the approach taken in face of hostility but there is also room for a more moderate line. I have been trying in a small way to show that
