The Republican Party has always leaned on culture war issues to win elections, but for the last three years, since Joe Biden won office in 2020, an aggressive and virulent form of culture war demagoguery has been at the center of Republican political strategy.
To be fair to Republican strategists, there was a moment, in the fall of 2021, when it looked like the plan was working.
Youngkin shot to national prominence and Republicans made immediate plans to take the strategy to every competitive race in the country.
In 2022, with “parental rights” as their rallying cry, Republican lawmakers unleashed a barrage of legislation targeting transgender rights, and Republican candidates ran explicit campaigns against transgender and other gender nonconforming people.
“They kicked God out of schools and welcomed the drag queens,” said Kari Lake, an Arizona Republican, during her 2022 campaign for governor.
Persons:
Joe Biden, demagoguery, Glenn Youngkin, Terry McAuliffe, Youngkin, “, ”, Kari Lake
Organizations:
Republican Party, Republican, Democratic, Arizona Republican
Locations:
Virginia , Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Arizona