In a widely noted analysis of wokeness at The American Conservative, Scott McConnell indicates that there’s good news ahead. Woke culture may soon be a spent force. It may be following the paths of other attempted revolutions like communism and Jacobinism, which reached a high point in power and popularity and then precipitously declined. According to McConnell, these periodic eruptions “seem to have a natural lifespan,” of about five years, only to peter out. If we show enough “will power” and presumably patience, that will happen in this case.
An End to Wokeness
A reaction is supposedly already setting in with the woke ideas of American educational and media elites. It seems these zealots have pushed their weird notions of white systemic racism, gender fluidity, and anti-Westernism beyond the point of public endurance. Pushback has supposedly begun; and most of McConnell’s detailed commentary is an attempt to flesh out how this perhaps inevitable reaction to wokeness is unfolding.
Asian and Hispanic voters are breaking from the woke-intoxicated Democratic Party; and in the Virginia gubernatorial race in November, a Republican candidate who ran against critical race theory shocked the cultural Left by winning. Moreover, Glenn Youngkin’s Democratic opponent, rather than proudly identifying with the anti-white instruction of the teachers’ unions, simply denied that CRT is being taught in Virginia’s schools. Since Democratic politicians no longer publicly declare their support for the entire woke agenda, we may assume that it’s losing resonance.
McConnell further notes the appearance on the scene of Asian and black media personalities, who are changing the image of their groups by taking emphatically conservative stands. This development renders the Left less attractive to anti-white political coalitions, for good reason. It is hard not to notice that these coalitions are drawing funds and advocates from white elites, while vocal opposition to wokeness is featuring more and more non-white representatives.
Cherished Illusions
Although I wish Scott (who is a friend) were right, I disagree profoundly with his conclusions and believe that he overstates the significance of certain changes. Youngkin only won in Virginia by two points in what was supposed to be an electoral off-year for Democrats; and if my colleague Pedro Gonzalez is correct, the incoming governor has been reaching out feverishly to the Left while putting together his staff.
Black support for the Democratic Party and by implication, the cultural Left, remains at about 90 percent. Half of Hispanic voters and most college-educated youth under 30 will likely continue to vote for the side that McConnell (and I) dislike. As far as I can tell, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris continue to appeal shamelessly to the anti-white Left, and their disapproval of the acquittal of “white supremacist” Kyle Rittenhouse in a trial that should never have taken place was entirely in keeping with their perpetual appeal to racial hostilities. Both leaders continue to favor the right of male athletes who have redefined themselves sexually to compete in women’s sports events.
