Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Will Stancil Profile picture
@whstancil
Aug 25, 2019 • 4 tweets • 1 min read • Read on X
Democrats control a significant majority of America's votes, its most prosperous regions, and the House. They have sufficient power and resources to meet GOP intransigence blow for blow, and the only reason they don't is squeamishness over maximalism
Meanwhile the GOP is exercising every lever of power available to it, and testing out new levers all the time, in a scorched-earth campaign to destroy every institution valued by the left, liberals, and even the center.
Obviously, Democrats should aspire for a politics where they don't have to be on war footing all the time, where there's room for comity and dialogue. But sometimes the war is brought to you, and you have to win the war it in order to secure the peace.
Exhortations about the importance of preserving Our Shared Norms are worthless when the other side has indicated it will only preserve any given institution up to the moment it interferes with their will to power, and thereafter gleefully detonate that institution.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Will Stancil

Will Stancil Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @whstancil

Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 28
The moment I heard that Puerto Rico line, I messaged some Dem friends and said "This is gonna be catastrophic." And right on cue, Trump's fascist rally is ballooning into a full-blown campaign crisis. The reason why is that it's a perfect storm: Image
Image
Image
Image
-shocking racism that hasn't been on a US political stage in 100 years
-basically every electorally important group was a target
-so bad that the GOP actually ran for cover, creating permission for press to chase the story
-perfectly validated weeks of Dem attacks on Trump
Just a full-blown disaster, and richly deserved: the campaign clearly decided it was a lock to win, and let all the worst creeps in its roster all come out and say whatever would get their blood pumping. Surprise, it turns out what gets their blood pumping is Nazism
Read 4 tweets
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 22
My working theory for What’s Gone Wrong is that the plethora of media sources have enabled extremist ideologies - not by LIMITING people’s exposure to ideas, but by INCREASING it. This enables people to select whichever narrative supports their inner emotional universe best.
Ultimately most of these extreme ideologies are about intellectual laziness and indulgence - substituting prejudice and simplicity and emotion for the hard work of thinking through complicated problems, confronting uncertainty, and developing a consistent set of beliefs.
The endless all-you-can-eat buffet of information in front of us, as it’s grown wider, makes it easier for people to avoid contradictions and difficult thoughts. They can always find some bubble that will indulge their worst, most incoherent beliefs.
Read 9 tweets
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 21
It's insane that the main policy proposal of one major-party candidate is "Carry out the largest domestic purge in history by a factor of twenty, and no, I won't be telling you exactly what groups will be removed" and the media is like "Cool! What's your plan for health care?"
If Trump follows through on his plan to remove 20 million people (again, he won't say who, because there aren't even 20 million undocumented immigrants in this country) that means one in every 15 Americans will be disappeared. Every workplace, every classroom, every street
We are talking about armed men coming and grabbing one in fifteen people - young people, old people, workers, mothers, kids, neighbors, customers. It's pure unadulterated insanity, it would destroy the social fabric, crush the economy, and morally stain the country for all time.
Read 6 tweets
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 18
the structure of media has changed, and it's changed what kinds of political messaging successfully reaches and persuades people, and democrats are the ones that have been getting left behind
HOW HAS THE STRUCTURE OF MEDIA CHANGED?

primarily, it's vastly more fragmented. instead of large centralized outlets, media consumption is fragmented across an incredibly wide range of TV, print, online, and social media outlets
fragmentation has happened at every level - e.g., people can choose between TV and TikTok, but also choose between more TV channels, and, online, choose the exact sources and accounts and websites the listen to. it's like a supermarket transitioning from one product to thousands
Read 14 tweets
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 18
One thing the Harris campaign seems to understand, explicitly or implicitly, is that you should perform the emotions you want the audience to feel, not tell them how to feel. Don’t tell them to be mad at Trump - actually be angry at him. Don’t tell them he’s too old - mock him.
Democrats are really bad about this in the often and I think it’s been terrible for them. People don’t want to be informed, they want to join in. This is why the right’s bullying is so effective - it models an interaction and encourages people to join.
Which interaction is more likely to elicit a FEELING of contempt? A laundry list of all the problems with that person, directed at you, or watching someone brutally mock that person? The former may leave you better informed but you’ll never feel it in your gut like the latter.
Read 5 tweets
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 17
This moment has gone viral because it's the most important question of the election. What's incredible is that it had to be asked by a construction worker because the political press refuses to focus on these questions or hold Trump's feet to the fire.
January 6 was a "day of love"? Trump tried to overturn an election with a violent mob. He encouraged the mob to invade the Capitol, and refused to call them back. As we speak, a court stands about to release evidence of Trump's utter contempt for democracy.
Most of his former staffers and officials have rejected him. More than that, they've called him dangerous, a fascist. Trump hasn't expressed even the slightest bit of contrition - he's called for military action against US civilians! He's said he'd act as a dictator!
Read 10 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(