July 30, 2024 - 10:40am
The Democratic Party’s latest attempt to rally support for Kamala Harris’s presidential bid has laid bare the growing chasm between its ageing establishment and its progressive base. Coming hot on the heels of “White Women for Kamala”, on Monday night over 150,000 viewers tuned in to watch “White Dudes for Harris”, another virtual fundraiser that managed to rake in $3.5 million — nearly double what the women made — while simultaneously alienating both the Left and the Right. The event, ostensibly aimed at mobilising white male voters, instead offered Hollywood celebrities and serious political figures engaging in a bizarre exercise of self-flagellation.
The call opened with manbunned event organiser Ross Morales Rocketto proclaiming that when white men organise, it’s usually “with pointy hats on”, a less-than-subtle reference to the Ku Klux Klan which set the tone for an evening of awkward attempts at self-deprecating humour. Jeff Bridges, channelling his role as The Dude in The Big Lebowski, declared: “I qualify, man! I’m white, I’m a dude, and I’m for Harris”, a sentiment that encapsulated the event’s mix of faux enthusiasm and surface-level allyship.
As the call progressed, it became increasingly clear that the Democratic Party is struggling to reconcile its various factions. Older politicians such North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper spoke practically about polling and winning over white male voters in red states, while younger figures such as California Representative Eric Swalwell resorted to clunking jokes about Donald Trump’s age, now that he’s the elder of the two main candidates.
The Hollywood contingent didn’t fare much better. While Joseph Gordon-Levitt offered a thoughtful analogy about the difference between a good businessman and a con man, others appeared visibly uncomfortable. Slumped so low in his chair that he was almost off screen, actor Josh Gad recounted how he bawled when America failed to elect a female president in 2016, a story that seemed more likely to provoke eye-rolls than inspire political action.
The call’s attempt to address issues of representation and privilege took an even more bizarre turn when Adam Conover, host of Adam Ruins Everything, launched into an extended rant about white actors in Hollywood. “I tell them to shut up,” he said of white actors who claim they didn’t land a job because of their race. While his intention may have been to highlight systemic inequalities, the anecdote came across as tone-deaf and self-congratulatory. It also neatly encapsulated the event’s core problem: offering performative allyship without addressing the actual concerns of the demographic it was supposedly trying to reach. Throughout, white male voters watching were not presented with a compelling reason to support Harris.
Perhaps the most telling moment came from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who declared: “The vibes right now are incredible […] the momentum is extraordinary.” This focus on “vibes” over substance perfectly encapsulates the Democratic Party’s current predicament. In its rush to appear inclusive and progressive, it has lost sight of concrete policies — not one mention was made of boys falling far behind girls in educational attainment, for example — that might actually appeal to those crucial wavering voters.
Meanwhile, some Left-wingers objected to the heterosexuality of the event, positing that some high-profile gay, bisexual, or transgender men might have brought some much-needed energy and diversity to proceedings. The number of attendees and the sum of money raised suggest that there’s an appetite for this kind of performative politics within the Democratic base, but by trying to please everyone the party risks pleasing no one. The Left feels alienated by the focus on straight white men, the Right sees the event as yet another example of liberal virtue-signalling, and the centre-left men targeted by this kind of exercise were offered nothing save “vibes” as a balm for their worsening educational and career prospects.
For now, it seems the party is content to keep riding the wave of cringe all the way to the bank. But as enthusiasm over Harris’s ascendance wanes, that strategy may not be sustainable. The Democrats may soon find that no amount of self-deprecation can make up for a lack of clear policy goals and a coherent message. Vibes alone won’t win elections, whatever the “white dudes” say.
Oliver Bateman is a historian and journalist based in Pittsburgh. He blogs, vlogs, and podcasts at his Substack, Oliver Bateman Does the Work
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SubscribeSounds like a fun bunch to hang out with – can’t wait for the next meeting. I’ll have to dig out my little red book with all those ‘white men suck’ jokes.
The Democrats are a racist clown freak show now because of the demented activists who run the show. Yes, this is cringe, but it’s also deeply pathological, weird AF and massively racist. Not sure why that word wasn’t mentioned in the article?
Thank you for mentioning that. I must be getting Stockholmed, or maybe just weary. Because I had failed to grok the obvious: this was explicitly a racialized event! We all breathed a sigh of relief in the ’80s because it felt like we had finally repudiated and discredited racial segregation in the ’70s, but lo and behold, the neo-progressive left has brought it back, roaring onto the stage in full force, hastily applied pancake makeup unable to truly conceal the ugliness we all recognize.
Don‘t understand, what this constant virtue signalling by celebrities is supposed to achieve. They always stand for the same main steam leftish causes and usually are far off the mark. During COVID we were told by all the same actors/celebrities/politicians to get vaccinated, stay inside and enjoy the family (great for them in their big houses and gardens) and wear masks, so we don’t kill our fellow citizens. The story then changed during the BLM demos, where the virus didn’t seemed to care, when tightly packed crowds demonstrated, destroyed and damaged hundreds of shops and public buildings.
People only get annoyed by this constant virtue signalling and it produces mostly eye rolling and resentment…
The party of Jim Crow, and now DEI, remains stuck on race. It’s comical how short memories are. All of these white dudes, and the white gals, summarily rejected Kamala in 2020 when she was just as female, just as Indian, and just as black. She has done nothing to distinguish herself in the interim, yet these virtue-signaling know-nothings act as if they found a new puppy under the Christmas tree. That’s an accurate analogy, considering the habit that white liberals have of treating minorities as pets.
Of course the South was Democratic, Lincoln was a Republican. After the Civil Rights Act, all of the “Dixiecrats” bolted to the Republican Party, which was more conservative than the Northern Democrats.
It’s ancient history one way or the other.
I’m not sure if laughter or tears are the proper response to this. Perhaps tearful laughter? 😉
You’ll be crying plenty when your moron god-king loses in another landslide!
Nah, laughing at the vote blocks that won’t be able to afford food soon. You get what you vote for.
The same poop on the surface of the water 🙂
” “I tell them to shut up,” he said of white actors who claim they didn’t land a job because of their race. While his intention may have been to highlight systemic inequalities, the anecdote came across as tone-deaf and self-congratulatory.”
Surely the more important point must be that if we are to continue to expect a white-majority nation to support the eradication of prejudice via the universalist principles of equality, we can hardly expect it to work very well if white people are somehow excluded from the rights in question?
Yes, the Democrats should emulate Trump by enlisting the support of people with political and intellectual gravitas such as Hulk Hogan and Dana White.
They’re just trying to drum up some enthusiasm and inject some humor. Which only highlights the facts that a) she’s not very inspiring, b) they can’t talk about actual policies without half their base howling in furious protest, and c) they’ve completely lost their sense of humor.
But, as I’ve said before, the Dems are interested in money first, and $3.5M is real money. So I’m sure they’re pleased.
No, the Dems are interested in Power first; money being a means to that end.
Kamala Harris and the amazing enthusiasm that she has created has really left the Trump cult in a spin!
Imagine the fat clown’s reaction when he loses in another landslide but this time to a woman! And a woman of colour no less!
This is becoming a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle!
Is that all you’ve got? Gloating? Over identity politics culture war shit? Come on, I know you know a little more than that. Can’t you discuss policy, just a little bit?
It seems the Democratic elite can clearly distinguish between “male” and “female” only for fundraising purposes. My lifelong affiliation with the party ended with its capture by an ideology that fails vulnerable youth, disregards women’s rights and erases the material reality of the sexes — unless, apparently, they need to be differentiated for purposes of raising money for Harris, a gender acolyte like Biden.
Males in female sports? No problem. In previously women-only space for traumatized victims of domestic violence and sex assault? Kindness and inclusivity. Intact male sex offenders who self-identify as “female” into women’s prisons? Transwomen are women, you know. A “female” Assistant Secretary of Health who exerted his influence to allow physicians to lop off the breasts and genitalia of children regardless of age? What’s the big deal?
Wholly agree that all the virtue-signaling around race is tiresome. But virtue-signaling around “gender identity” is no less so, and as policy does real harm. With much of the party’s traditional base alienated by identity politics and divided on major issues, I have a feeling that election night “vibes” will be considerably less enjoyable for party power brokers.
Boo hoo!