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
Sep 24, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read • Read on X
you know, I used to wonder "how did so many presumably intelligent people talk themselves into appeasing or downplaying the fascists for so long, in some cases literally dooming themselves to being shot by the fascists"

anyway I no longer wonder this
look I'm sure Nate's smart and all but I'm still pretty confident that if there's a guy trying to be a dictator, you say "he's trying to be a dictator!!!" as loudly as possible, not carefully maneuver through a 17-point strategy developed with StAtIsTiCaL MoDeLiNg or whatever
"Ah, remember the famous lesson of European fascism: if only ordinary citizens had spoken up less loudly, and less often, and been more equivocal, Hitler could have been thwarted"
Anyway can't think of any other reasons Nate Silver would desperately want to steer the conversation away from non-electoral threats and back to WHO'S UP IN ARIZONA???

• • •

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 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
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 11
My crazy idea is that Obama should take the shocking angry bit from his rally speech last night - “so many people are failing America making excuses for Trump instead of talking about what he is” - and spend three weeks blitzing every TV program and newsroom he can with it
Uniquely among all private Americans, Obama can walk into any room and immediately command attention. If anyone could single-handedly get the media to refocus on the terrifying stakes posed by Trump’s character and record, it’s him
I know it’s not really how he operates but it’s the final stretch and not a single person in America has the gravitas - especially with the kind of elite tastemakers who drive election narratives - that he does
Read 4 tweets
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 10
Sort of, but it doesn't really work. I suspect the vast majority of political media that reaches a lot of people is what might be deemed "earned social" - neither direct campaign communications, like ads or podcasts, but also not traditional mainstream news.
That's the thing that Trump and MAGA have gotten really good at: earned social chatter. It's nonstop, it's everywhere, it filters into every little pocket of social and digital communication, it's unavoidable.
Democrats are frankly terrible at it, in large part because they're boring and they aspire to be boring. No one is discussing your boring economic policy in their group chat or discord channel, sorry. It's too dull to even come up.
Read 4 tweets
Will Stancil Profile picture
Oct 10
people keep responding with things like "there's nothing changed on the ground! there's just people on social media feeling doomy" and guys, yes: that's the vibe shift! that's my point! we're all sharing a brainwave these days
regardless of whether it affects the voting or not (I vote "it probably affects it a little, but not a lot") you can sort of feel the wind change. because as much as we like to think we're thinking about this stuff independently of each other, we're not at all.
I think people dismiss these kind of zeitgeisty shifts because there isn't anything firm to pin them on, but the fact that lots of people notice them all at once leads me to believe there's something real happening here. we're all absorbing the same narratives at the same time
Read 4 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!

:(