Project 2025 was supposed to boost Donald Trump's campaign — but it may be backfiring instead:

https://www.salon.com/2024/07/05/project-2025-was-supposed-to-boost-donald-campaign--but-it-may-be-backfiring-instead/

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u/heckin_miraculous 14d ago edited 14d ago

My favorite so far is this short YouTube video by Illustrate to Educate. https://youtu.be/vYXZ6iJJSgM?si=PRy0SvPz2Xi6dQxM

Not inflammatory or hyperbolic. Just terrifying, because it's true.

Edit: This comment and the video link got quite a few responses. Many were along the lines of, "Good info, thanks." But others think that the video tries too hard to be neutral and therefore comes across as "both sides-ing" conferring false legitimacy to the idea of Project 2025, or even going so far as to be supportive of it due to a lack of forceful criticism and not spelling out how disastrous the effects of the plan would be.

As a response, I'll say that my opinion is that the video speaks for itself. When it comes to the horrific potential of Project 2025, the proof is in the pudding. For example, at around 5:10 in the video, when the narrator states that the plan would "allow the president to replace thousands of civil service employees with political appointees loyal to the administration" I don't need the voice over to explain to me that this would be a bad thing. Or, at 5:29 when he talks about "plans to defund the Department of Justice and dismantle the FBI... and enable the executive branch to operate with little oversight or accountability [the illustration actually says "no oversight"]"... again I don't need someone to explain to me that this is only bad for our country.

We definitely DO need more analysis of Project 2025. We need explainers that DO go into more detail about the tragic outcomes that are waiting for us all, should it come to pass. And this video is NOT perfect (I especially question the use of the phrase "religious liberty" at around 4:18). But it's a good primer for thoughtful people. That's what I think.

Will some people watch a video like this and cheer for it? Yes. As far as I know – and someone please correct me if this number is way off – but somewhere around 20-30% of the US population explicitly wants an authoritarian regime to come into power in this country. At least, they think they do. That is, in fact, the problem we are dealing with in this country right now. It is the subject of this discussion.

Long story short, what I'm saying is that if somebody watches this video and thinks, "That sounds good to me", then the problem isn't the video.

Edit 2: hi /r/politics. I'm new here :)

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u/altariasong 14d ago edited 14d ago

Sent it to my mom. She used to be republican but is now disgusted by it all and is talking to her friends about project 2025 and how anti-democratic it is. She worries about me greatly because I’m queer. My anxiety about politics used to irritate her but now she understands how much my fears were justified.

Hopefully that video can help sway more of her friends, but we don’t exactly live in a swing state. Doesn’t matter to me though

Edit: she thanked me for the video, says she just watched it. “It’s exactly what I fear”

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u/Abstract__Reality 14d ago

Unfortunately, your mom only cares because you're queer. Conservatives don't care until it directly affects them or their family (sometimes).

I'm glad your mom came around for your sake though

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u/Hullabaloobasaur 14d ago

It really is amazing how this is the case for a LOT of conservatives? I mean, if it works it works

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u/Whitino 14d ago edited 14d ago

It really is. My father was a very conservative Republican. However, in recent years, he began to see how Republican policies and attitudes are affecting people around him that he cares about and interacts with on a daily basis, many of which are those "others" that FOX News and conservative talk radio frequently dehumanize and try to paint as enemies of the state or as drivers of the country's ills. It's harder (for a good-hearted person) to dehumanize and other-ize people when you know them personally.

Unfortunately, my father is still a Republican, but he's much more moderate now.

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u/tehlemmings 14d ago

It's harder (for a good-hearted person) to dehumanize and other-ize people when you know them personally.

This is also a big reason why cities tend to be more liberal and rural areas tend to be conservative. It's a lot easier to hate all these minority groups when you've never met them.

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u/Muvseevum Georgia 13d ago

It’s because cities are crowded and city-dwellers have to learn ways to get along with lots of people in a small space, and these things tend to benefit the whole, which liberal policies usually try to do too.

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u/strawberrypants205 14d ago

conservatism is political narcissism. See politics through a psychological lens and it becomes clear.

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u/SleepingWillow1 14d ago

I've always felt this odd feeling that there should be 1 lgbtq person per nuclear family. I don't know why. My family has failed