Why do Republicans use "woke" so much now?

[gulliver]

What about that term really crystallizes their political and philosophical attitude and makes it so popular and motivating for them?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke

Sheesh, I can't imagine what it might be. Republicans use "woke" in every other sentence now it almost seems. There must be something about it that really grabs them. Why hate so much on "woke" instead of just "leftist" or "politically correct?"

It's not racism, right? Surely someone would call them on that, right? I mean, that's just way too obvious to be what's actually going on. That would be too simple an explanation to even be any fun trying to figure out. Where's the challenge?

Please. Republicans just found a word they can use to be more openly racist? Surely not! Perish the thought! But what else could it be? Racking my brain. Real stumper. I guess I need to hear them say "woke" a few more times on TV with no one calling them out for racism to get what Republicans are really trying to say.

[bottomofthehill]

2. They have been using the terms

Liberal, socialist, communists, long haired pot smoking hippie, and yet, the world has not ended so they are testing out a new word

[Caliman73]

23. It isn't a new word though.

They stole "woke" from Black people, who have been using the phrase "Stay woke" since the 1930's to remind each other to stay aware of the struggles of the community and the racial policies and attitudes that were making their lives difficult.

That is what conservatives do. They steal terms and bastardize them to mock and diminish the power of terms that are used within marginalized communities.

"Woke" in the minds of right wingers, now means anything that they don't like, having to do with the struggle of Black and Brown people and LGBTQ people demanding equal rights.

[Aristus]

3. Woke is the new SJW, which is the new Politically Correct.

Mantras of endless petty grievance over the social unacceptability of behaviors right-wingers used to get away with.

They're pissed that they're getting called out on their boorish behavior, and that it's only socially acceptable within their own insular, low-brow social circles.

[Wounded Bear]

14. Yep, whiny buzzword du jour...

[LakeArenal]

4. Dog whistle.

[Cracklin Charlie]

5. They steal the terms.

As a way to control the narrative. They do it every time, especially to terms used by people of color. For example, Black Lives Matter becomes all lives matter, or blue lives matter. Sometimes they steal the words, and use them as their own. Sometimes they denigrate the words, and use them to divide folks.

Childish, but effective. Seems like it would be easier to work on legislation to help Americans, but what do I know?

[andym]

19. Appropriating a label and then demonizing it, is a very effective means of influencing people

So of course they use this method, and have for decades.

[Cracklin Charlie]

21. Appropriating...

Good word.

[uponit7771]

28. THIS !!!! ☝🏾☝🏾☝🏾 Then we sit back and don't respond

[Cracklin Charlie]

30. They will just steal your response.

It’s what thieves do.

Kinda makes it easy to see what scares them, like “community organizer”. They fear anything that helps people organize their communities.

[uponit7771]

35. True, that's why its important to define them first and put them on the defense. The community

... organizer who won the presidency last time defined his opponent early and often as just a rich guy who worries about rich people and it stuck seeing ... well, that's what he was and still is.

rMoney isn't thinking about stemming voter stupidity by the GQP by voting for a filibuster carve out for voting rights.

[sanatanadharma]

6. They are angry about awakenings, prefering to be asleep

Their sleep and improbable dreams cause nightmares for the majority who are awake.

[jmbar2]

7. Coopting the opposition message

It's a cottage industry. TThere are professionals somewhere assigned to do this. They are very good at it.

[Scrivener7]

8. Maybe the term made the concept clear to them, and that brought them

right up against their hypocrisy, racism and sexism.

So, of course it pissed them off. Nothing makes them madder than those moments of self-awareness that they fight so hard against.

[BlueJac]

9. Trying to improve their vocabulary to 200 words!

Just saying

[RainCaster]

10. Probably Russian disinformation

They needed a word and guessed that this would be a good one.

[JHB]

17. Except they've been doing this crap since long before the Russkies dipped their fingers in

Sure, the Russians amplify it, but wingnut outrage junkies have been making their own smack for decades.

[hamsterjill]

11. It's a wink to the QAnons.

It’s a verb the Q’s have used for a couple of years to identify those who have it all figured out.

As I type this, please know that I see the sarcasm because the Q’s are the ignorant ones who refuse to see the facts. But that’s how they use the term.

[brush]

12. Qs didn't start that word. It evolved out of the Black community.

It was the latest slang for what we used to call being politically aware. Woke wraps it up in one word and republicans have latched onto it and try to make it a negative term.

And it rolls off the tongue easily. Until they can co-opt another term they'll keep using it as critical race theory takes too long to say, and most people don't know what CRT, the abbreviation for it means.

[hamsterjill]

29. The first I ever saw it was two QAnon crazies

That I follow. I don’t doubt your explanation. But that’s my experience with the Q’s.

[Apollo Zeus]

13. It is much easier to get people to define what they are NOT rather than what they are

Fear and hatred endure. Much easier to be against something than for something. Attacking "woke" harnesses vague anger and cynicism and directs it at Democrats.

I was researching declines in church attendance in the US (>100 churches close every week) and one of the RW sources used the phrase "Get Woke - Go Broke" as a kind of battle cry. They were blaming churches which became more inclusive as a way to boost attendance for the general decline, which of course inverts the order of events (eg. the churches were going to close THEN they tried being more inclusive).

A similar narrative ("Get Woke - Go Broke&quot is being advanced aout the failure rate of colleges, which is increasing.

I don't hear them using "woke" in strictly racist contexts -- more often it seems aimed at groups and individuals who criticize conservatives and bigotry in general. Attacking "woke" is their pushback against Cancel Culture.

[moondust]

16. Another chew toy.

[alphafemale]

18. They want their cult to prefer to stay asleep

They are selling being awake and aware as a bad thing.

[andym]

20. Appropriating a word/phrase and then demonizing it, is a very effective means of influencing people

The Right wing propagandists have done this for decades, and their focus has been on fighting social changes for quite some time. For example, In the 80's the word "liberal" was so demonized by Republicans and Reagan that "progressive" became a widely-used synonym by Democrats because of it-- though some would argue that progressive is not identical in meaning.

[lame54]

22. Because it fits on a bumper sticker

[Edwcraig]

24. BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO OVERTHROW OUR GOVERNMENT AND WANT TO DISTRACT YOU WITH PROPAGANDA

[11 Bravo]

25. Because they never had an original thought in their entire miserable lives.

[Marrah_Goodman]

26. They obviously prefer people be asleep...

[Mr.Bill]

27. I think they would gain a much larger following

if they started calling everything Groovy. They've already got the hats. Make America Groovy Again.

[MissMillie]

31. It's their new 4-letter word

Taking the place of "hoax."

[Dirty Socialist]

32. Because they're DEAD, Jim

At least from the neck up

[Generic Brad]

33. Not sure, but it sure makes it easier to spot a Free Republic sock puppet when they infiltrate DU

When they venture outside of their inbred echo chamber, they like to come over and declare they are on the side of "woke". Even an old dude like me sees the chuegy in them.

[Skittles]

34. because to them it means EDUCATED

cannot have that!