Samantha Bee: identity politics is the dismissive term for what we used to call civil rights

[La Lioness Priyanka]

http://www.vox.com/2016/12/13/13936226/samantha-bee-identity-politics-democrats

“Identity politics is the dismissive term for what we used to call ‘civil rights’ and ‘equality,’” Bee said on her December 12 show. Also, she made sure to add, white and male is an identity, as is being Christian — the two fronts Steve Doocy’s Fox News roundtable and other like-minded media outlets feel are most under attack.

Basically, as Vox’s Matt Yglesias put it: “There is no other way to do politics than to do identity politics.”

What’s more, Bee said, standing up for civil rights can, and did, win Democrats elections. “You know what happens when Democrats stand up for transgender rights? They win,” she said, pointing to North Carolina’s gubernatorial race, which was recently called for Democrat Roy Cooper over Republican incumbent Pat McCrory, a staunch supporter of the state’s discriminatory anti-LGBTQ laws.

Also, why i will never trust any Democrat or Du'er who is dismissive about 'identity politics' aka 'social justice issues' etc.

[LexVegas]

1. ...

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. ...

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Right! On! Point! It bears repeating over & over & over again. The Dem party can't afford to lose..

its way. People who used this term willy nilly in this election cycle have earned my scorn, and I'll never trust them.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. +1

[JCanete]

5. Love Samantha Bee, but that is a simplification of a lot. I agree that identity is part of the

package...and part of what you are selling as a candidate and message. But is she unintentionally implying with her logic that Clinton lost because of not enough identity politics? Besides, standing up for people's civil rights and being in favor of a big diverse and inspiring tent is not running on identity politics in the same way that some have used the term. When Sanders says we can't just run on them, he's referring specifically to a candidate emphasizing that quality while subsuming any platform on actual policies that will help people of these identities and the American people at large. We can disagree whether or not that happened in Clinton's campaign, but at the very least we need to know what we're talking about when we say "identity politics" and it sounds like we have different definitions.

But yes, saying "When you fight for things that people can believe in you win" is a good argument. It misses the realities of corporate media influence and all the candidates who lose when fighting for those things, so I assume she's oddly enough, talking about the Democratic Party at large, which has often been tepid on social and economic issues(as in coming late to the movements as the wind blows), in a kind of nudging way.

Or maybe somebody else can unravel this for me.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. no, she is saying don't dismiss concerns of minorities and minimize civil rights issues

as merely 'identity politics'.

[JCanete]

7. Well that's the mainstream media for you for sure. nt

[George II]

14. Wha'? Samantha Bee is "mainstream media"? Did I misunderstand what you're saying?

[JCanete]

18. you misunderstood. I meant that is certainly how they are framing our campaign "mistakes."

No, Not Samantha Bee.

More divide and conquer BS by the mainstream media. They are mischaracterizing a criticism levied by Sanders and others into something entirely different, and not just gleefully mauling that message, but joyfully bludgeoning the DNC for caring about diversity and social justice.

[uponit7771]

8. +1

[George II]

11. Sorry, but characterizing what one doesn't agree with as "identity politics" is the simplification.

[JCanete]

15. dude! that was so helpful thank you! You can probably get a lot more posts in like this. nt

[killbotfactory]

23. Economic progressive policies and civil rights are aligned with each other.

It's really baffling to me watching so many articles and posts pitting them against each other.

[JCanete]

31. yeah I know, I don't understand it either. Trying to though. nt

[pnwmom]

9. Or anyone who dismisses these concerns as "political correctness."

As BS has done more than once.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. ugh. ugh. ugh.

[marybourg]

21. and "political correctness"

is what we used to call civility.

[George II]

10. Good for her. I've been following politics, etc. for about 50 years, never even heard...

...of the term "identity politics" until maybe two months ago.

She's great, and amazing that it takes a Canadian to "tell it like it is"!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. it existed on the right, it's just that the left has co-opted it recently

apparently beating up on civil rights is the cool millennial thing to do

[George II]

16. Ever notice that minorities are never referred to as "millennials"?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. or working class.

[Lucky Luciano]

40. No shit - it popped into my lexicon around the same time as alt-right. nt

[NewJeffCT]

50. Republicans started identity politics

with Richard Nixon and his "Southern Strategy" designed to appeal to working class whites at the expense of working class blacks and other minorities.

[Eric J in MN]

19. No. Identity politics refers to the traits of politicians. Civil rights refers to the traits

Last edited Tue Dec 13, 2016, 07:44 PM - Edit history (1)

...of ordinary people.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. no. it does not. identity politics has been a right wing term intended to destroy civil rights

movements.

it has nothing to do with 'traits of candidates'

[George II]

41. When did "Identity Politics" come into being? Who created that term?

[kcr]

45. Wrong.

Whoever told you that was selling you something. If you didn't pull that out of somewhere yourself.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

47. Yup

[TomCADem]

22. Racism and Sexism Are the New Truth

If you say something that is racist or sexist, then you are praised for being truthful and telling it like it is, rather than being condemned for being a racist or sexist.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

26. ugh. what you said is so true, and so disgusting at the same time.

[Gothmog]

24. Samantha Bee is correct yet again

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. indeed

[SunSeeker]

27. K & R

[Parker DeWitt]

28. Sorry, Samantha

Identity politics is when you vote for (or against someone) because of who they are -- regardless of their qualifications for office. Usually, it refers to when people vote for someone who looks like them or shares some kind of identity with them.

So, when an Irish person votes for the unqualified Irish candidate solely because he's Irish, that's identity politics. The same goes for Christians, blacks, LGBT, women, you name it. When you ignore qualifications and vote for identity, that's identity politics.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

29. you know you're wrong, right? that is not the definition of identity politics. nt

[ehrnst]

35. "Identity Politics" is "All Lives Matter!!!" for the Left. (nt)

[ehrnst]

43. She was right about the people who actually f**king vote Democratic.

And how abandoning us will be STUPID.


"Invite white working class to the party, but don't let them take over the DJ table."

Sounds like common sense to me.

[ehrnst]

48. Yes, all those 'identity politics' folks were the ones who actually voted for Hillary

despite the rantings of some that she defeated.

[Hekate]

30. KnR

[brer cat]

32. Spot on!

K&R

[BumRushDaShow]

33. Exactly

There seems to be a lack of comprehension from some that for many marginalized groups including POC, LGBTQ,and others, "economics" becomes irrelevant when skin color or gender association come into play. The wealthiest of the wealthiest POC are treated just as harshly as the poorest. This should be obvious based on the way our current President and his family have been treated - notably in an unprecedented and outright disgusting manner.

[Starry Messenger]

34. k&r

Oklahoma is in the midst of a decision to put up anti-abortion warning signs in public areas, like bathrooms. Tell me how we are supposed to use economics to prevent that kind of shit? Just things like jobs doesn't prevent social apartheid on the basis of gender, race, orientation, and religion.

[ehrnst]

37. K&Rec!! (nt)

[Lucinda]

38. KNR

[Lucky Luciano]

39. Sounds about right to me. nt

[BainsBane]

42. It's a dog whistle the GOP has used for some time

Claiming attention to the concerns of anyone but white men is divisive. KellyAnne picked that up again after a well-known politician decried identity politics. She was actually insisting Clinton's campaign was divisive because of identity politics, while she refused to admit that Trump's endless racist comments were.

[TheFrenchRazor]

44. pretty much. nt

[La Lioness Priyanka]

46. Kick

[Cha]

49. Thank you, Samantha Bee!

Also, why i will never trust any Democrat or Du'er who is dismissive about 'identity politics' aka 'social justice issues' etc.

Same here.. mahalo, Lioness

[BlueMTexpat]

51. Absolutely. Spot. On.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

52. Right on, Samantha Bee.

And being a SJW is a GOOD thing.