It doesn’t even matter if he’s trying to say he believes trans girls are girls. Repeating dog whistles amplifies their cognitive framing. This is political messaging 101 at this point, and his campaign should be ashamed. It certainly won’t help anyone except the haters.
Not sure what you mean by this comment, but if you’re saying he needed to respond to the ad, that makes sense.
The thing is, you’re not supposed to use their language in your response, because it reinforces their construction even when you refute it.
When they say “he wants boys to play in girls sports”, a better response is something like “i fight for all Texans, and unlike my opponent, i don’t use children to make political points. I focus on the real issues.” I don’t know the specifics of the campaign, but this is well established stuff.
But how does one respond the implications in that ad? "That's not how flag football works?" The original ad is clearly racist, transphobic and misleading. Not giving it the time of day is clearly the better option.
The best way? Dee Brooks provided an excellent template.
"I fought for every Texan and a representative and I will as a senator. Unlike my opponent, I will not abandon any Texan nor demean our most vulnerable citizens for votes.
Transgender Texans did not weaken our electric grid. Ted Cruz supported the laws that did."
While trans panic has not been a winning issue for Republicans, I think HS and college sports are one area where they can stir up more public interest with images like the Cruz ad. Given the included racist dog whistle, I can see why Allred felt the need to respond.
That's the thing. He didn't respond. He capitulated to the framing which is giving Cruz's frame a veneer of validity. Given the backstory of Rep. Allred, it's nasty politics, but it an effective visual.
I'll admit to a lot of bias. A different campaign ad by Cruz demonizes someone I look up to and consider a friend, so Cruz going to these lengths upsets me.
We can’t let Dems slide on this. I’d rather some dems lose their elections than have the entire party start dropping its support of trans rights. There’s no coming back from that—it would be a catastrophic loss if we let the party as a whole capitulate to anti-trans demands.
Certain cis women can be very loud voices. But their bigotry cannot rule the day, the moves made in the UK and in the U.S. will be resolved in human rights' favor, at the end of the day.
This is dispiriting if not downright depressing news, but one cannot lose sight of the absolute necessity of defeating MAGA politicians, if we are continue to even have an opportunity to vote. Ted Cruz is aligned with a party that wants sole power, and would brook no opposition. If Alred had said this in a primary, I'd say absolute don't vote for him. Now, I think Democrats in Texas have no other choice.
It accentuates the need for voter education on the reality of physiology and gender. A few physicians have spoken out on this in op-eds, but we need far more articles and posts explaining the reality (and countering the rubbish that the NYT and WP have featured so prominently in recent times).
You’re wrong Jayna. Telling an audience that follows Erin because they care about trans people and trans rights to vote for a Democrat who takes an anti-trans position is unacceptable. The goal is not to defeat MAGA politicians, the goal is to make sure we have the right to exist. Your comments make it clear that you’re fine with trans people being sold out.
Yes, if they're willing to discard us and only keep us for the sake of the vote, they're ultimately the same. This is a primary issue for trans people, and "vote blue no matter who no matter what" is a thin line. We're just buying time and If they abandon our bodily autonomy and right to exist on their platform, they don't get our vote and can lose their own in the process, because we can't hold back the flood forever.
Your comment makes it clear that you don't understand what is at stake in this election (the right to exist being very definitely part of it). I won't continue a polemic (which means I won't reply any further, and will ignore the insult), but I do urge you to consider carefully what will happen if Republicans (=MAGA now) control the Senate, even if Trump is not in the White House.
Agreed. For Democrats to see they can still win by adopting anti-trans positions would be worse than letting Republicans win. If I will burn, let the country burn with me.
Yeah. As long as he understands a transgender girl in girl's sports is not a boy, I'm good with that. Just make and keep puberty blockers and HRT available to youth requiring them and it's a non-issue all-around -- to those informed and sane.
"Political attacks targeting LGBTQ+ Texans are shameful and are attacks on the fundamental right to live free from discrimination. These attacks are particularly harmful to transgender kids and their families who just want to live their lives free from interference and intimidation."
Hopefully he meant boys and not transgirls. Poor messaging for sure. And let me add that I'm sick of hearing about all the Christians in politics. I don't want Cruz so I plan to vote for him, but this add makes me less enthusiastic, both due to the poor messaging and his screaming that he's a Christian from the roof tops.
I'm not in Texas and not able to vote there. That said, this Ad has diminished him in my eyes. While I concur with Erin in that he may be ham handedly attempting to make the point that Transgender girls are not boys . . . but . . . I'd have to take that with a Texas sized grain of salt. As it is he's rubbing salt in our wounds. *shaking my head* in disappointment.
What an idiot. Just astoundingly stupid to literally respond to attack ads. Either he doesn't understand the whole point was to get him to respond (it's trolling you don't respond), or he's dumber than that and did it anyway. There was no actual win scenario in any ad in response to that, that's the point. Either he gives Cruz more ammo or he makes himself look worse. THe only way to win is to not play.
The inability of the Democrats to give a full unequivocal statement of support for trans rights is so frustrating. I'm tired of being told "We've got your back" but not seeing any actual effort to legislatively protect our rights to healthcare. Seriously. F this guy.
I went to his congressional page and submitted a hearty complaint. I suggest you do too. It will get in front of his eyes quicker. https://allred.house.gov/contact/email-me LIVID
THANK YOU, Terry, for that URL. Made it much easier for me to give them (the intern staffers that screen his website's feedback, and hopefully the more senior campaign staff that I strongly suggested they make sure read my feedback) a piece of my mind about the absolute embarrassing rookie mistake he and his campaign made by responding to that ridiculous and bigoted Cruz ad.
I leveraged almost all of the outstanding points made in the comments by @WHOISDEE, above, to help them out...and included a reference to the infamous "I am not a witch" senate candidate Christine O'Donnell as a final "get a ****ing clue, dumb@sses" tip.
But FFS, you'd think any US Senate campaign staff would know this Political Messaging 101 shit. So disappointing...
This is devastating. Two steps forward, five steps backward. It's so disappointing. He lost me. I've given him my hard-earned money. I'm from Missouri which is just as horrible. I believe this one thing will change the trajectory of the election. All the candidates will be pressured to give their opinion. How many more will fold. It seems like this is honestly his opinion. Even if it is belief/opinion, he should be standing up for human rights. Their opinion SHOULD be the government doesn't belong here. Period. This ruined my day.
You know, every time that I see another person say "We just don't want girls playing sports against boys" it just makes me think "this person doesn't know how sports work."
But fast on the heels of that I think about how the English Football Association had a formal ban on women playing soccer from 1921-1971(officially for sexist reasons about how a woman's body couldn't endure the strain of the game; but really because it was very popular during WWI and the FA worried that less people would watch men) and I can't help but think that's what is really being said is "We just don't want girls playing sports"
All I'm gonna say is that there always comes a point where being spineless is essentially no different than being evil: when they lead to the same outcome.
It doesn’t even matter if he’s trying to say he believes trans girls are girls. Repeating dog whistles amplifies their cognitive framing. This is political messaging 101 at this point, and his campaign should be ashamed. It certainly won’t help anyone except the haters.
YEP, you don't respond to this shit.
He's basically being framed as a man who plasters high school girls on a flag football field in the ad. Just sayin'
Not sure what you mean by this comment, but if you’re saying he needed to respond to the ad, that makes sense.
The thing is, you’re not supposed to use their language in your response, because it reinforces their construction even when you refute it.
When they say “he wants boys to play in girls sports”, a better response is something like “i fight for all Texans, and unlike my opponent, i don’t use children to make political points. I focus on the real issues.” I don’t know the specifics of the campaign, but this is well established stuff.
Here is ad. Notice how he is portrayed subtly at the end of the ad.
Important context: Colin Allred was an All-Big XII linebacker at Baylor University and played in the National Football League.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaZteamrjBw
But how does one respond the implications in that ad? "That's not how flag football works?" The original ad is clearly racist, transphobic and misleading. Not giving it the time of day is clearly the better option.
The best way? Dee Brooks provided an excellent template.
"I fought for every Texan and a representative and I will as a senator. Unlike my opponent, I will not abandon any Texan nor demean our most vulnerable citizens for votes.
Transgender Texans did not weaken our electric grid. Ted Cruz supported the laws that did."
I live in Canada and don’t have time to view the ad (quite frankly don’t love engaging with the crap y’all are dealing with in detail).
It just occurred to be that Tim Walz’s calling them weird is a great example of questioning framing rather than reinforcing it with denial.
Edit to add: we have our own versions of this stuff up here. And I do engage plenty, but also I try to maintain some boundaries
While trans panic has not been a winning issue for Republicans, I think HS and college sports are one area where they can stir up more public interest with images like the Cruz ad. Given the included racist dog whistle, I can see why Allred felt the need to respond.
That's the thing. He didn't respond. He capitulated to the framing which is giving Cruz's frame a veneer of validity. Given the backstory of Rep. Allred, it's nasty politics, but it an effective visual.
I'll admit to a lot of bias. A different campaign ad by Cruz demonizes someone I look up to and consider a friend, so Cruz going to these lengths upsets me.
Democrats lose because they allow republicans to define the issues on their terms. They should know better by now, but they don’t.
We can’t let Dems slide on this. I’d rather some dems lose their elections than have the entire party start dropping its support of trans rights. There’s no coming back from that—it would be a catastrophic loss if we let the party as a whole capitulate to anti-trans demands.
See Labour in the UK.
Certain cis women can be very loud voices. But their bigotry cannot rule the day, the moves made in the UK and in the U.S. will be resolved in human rights' favor, at the end of the day.
Exactly!!!!!
This is dispiriting if not downright depressing news, but one cannot lose sight of the absolute necessity of defeating MAGA politicians, if we are continue to even have an opportunity to vote. Ted Cruz is aligned with a party that wants sole power, and would brook no opposition. If Alred had said this in a primary, I'd say absolute don't vote for him. Now, I think Democrats in Texas have no other choice.
It accentuates the need for voter education on the reality of physiology and gender. A few physicians have spoken out on this in op-eds, but we need far more articles and posts explaining the reality (and countering the rubbish that the NYT and WP have featured so prominently in recent times).
You’re wrong Jayna. Telling an audience that follows Erin because they care about trans people and trans rights to vote for a Democrat who takes an anti-trans position is unacceptable. The goal is not to defeat MAGA politicians, the goal is to make sure we have the right to exist. Your comments make it clear that you’re fine with trans people being sold out.
Yes, if they're willing to discard us and only keep us for the sake of the vote, they're ultimately the same. This is a primary issue for trans people, and "vote blue no matter who no matter what" is a thin line. We're just buying time and If they abandon our bodily autonomy and right to exist on their platform, they don't get our vote and can lose their own in the process, because we can't hold back the flood forever.
Your comment makes it clear that you don't understand what is at stake in this election (the right to exist being very definitely part of it). I won't continue a polemic (which means I won't reply any further, and will ignore the insult), but I do urge you to consider carefully what will happen if Republicans (=MAGA now) control the Senate, even if Trump is not in the White House.
Agreed. For Democrats to see they can still win by adopting anti-trans positions would be worse than letting Republicans win. If I will burn, let the country burn with me.
Yeah. As long as he understands a transgender girl in girl's sports is not a boy, I'm good with that. Just make and keep puberty blockers and HRT available to youth requiring them and it's a non-issue all-around -- to those informed and sane.
This is from his website:
"Political attacks targeting LGBTQ+ Texans are shameful and are attacks on the fundamental right to live free from discrimination. These attacks are particularly harmful to transgender kids and their families who just want to live their lives free from interference and intimidation."
Hopefully he meant boys and not transgirls. Poor messaging for sure. And let me add that I'm sick of hearing about all the Christians in politics. I don't want Cruz so I plan to vote for him, but this add makes me less enthusiastic, both due to the poor messaging and his screaming that he's a Christian from the roof tops.
I'm not in Texas and not able to vote there. That said, this Ad has diminished him in my eyes. While I concur with Erin in that he may be ham handedly attempting to make the point that Transgender girls are not boys . . . but . . . I'd have to take that with a Texas sized grain of salt. As it is he's rubbing salt in our wounds. *shaking my head* in disappointment.
What an idiot. Just astoundingly stupid to literally respond to attack ads. Either he doesn't understand the whole point was to get him to respond (it's trolling you don't respond), or he's dumber than that and did it anyway. There was no actual win scenario in any ad in response to that, that's the point. Either he gives Cruz more ammo or he makes himself look worse. THe only way to win is to not play.
This is basic ass shit.
I do not think this speaks to anything larger in the Dem party on this issue though.
The inability of the Democrats to give a full unequivocal statement of support for trans rights is so frustrating. I'm tired of being told "We've got your back" but not seeing any actual effort to legislatively protect our rights to healthcare. Seriously. F this guy.
I went to his congressional page and submitted a hearty complaint. I suggest you do too. It will get in front of his eyes quicker. https://allred.house.gov/contact/email-me LIVID
THANK YOU, Terry, for that URL. Made it much easier for me to give them (the intern staffers that screen his website's feedback, and hopefully the more senior campaign staff that I strongly suggested they make sure read my feedback) a piece of my mind about the absolute embarrassing rookie mistake he and his campaign made by responding to that ridiculous and bigoted Cruz ad.
I leveraged almost all of the outstanding points made in the comments by @WHOISDEE, above, to help them out...and included a reference to the infamous "I am not a witch" senate candidate Christine O'Donnell as a final "get a ****ing clue, dumb@sses" tip.
But FFS, you'd think any US Senate campaign staff would know this Political Messaging 101 shit. So disappointing...
This makes me sooooo sad! 😢 I live in Texas.
Call the campaign office and let them know. If I can manage it, I'm going to unleash the power of 40,000+ moms on this candidate...that I supported.
This is devastating. Two steps forward, five steps backward. It's so disappointing. He lost me. I've given him my hard-earned money. I'm from Missouri which is just as horrible. I believe this one thing will change the trajectory of the election. All the candidates will be pressured to give their opinion. How many more will fold. It seems like this is honestly his opinion. Even if it is belief/opinion, he should be standing up for human rights. Their opinion SHOULD be the government doesn't belong here. Period. This ruined my day.
Why did I have to be born in Texas? A place where even the Democrats are opposed to my existence?
You know, every time that I see another person say "We just don't want girls playing sports against boys" it just makes me think "this person doesn't know how sports work."
But fast on the heels of that I think about how the English Football Association had a formal ban on women playing soccer from 1921-1971(officially for sexist reasons about how a woman's body couldn't endure the strain of the game; but really because it was very popular during WWI and the FA worried that less people would watch men) and I can't help but think that's what is really being said is "We just don't want girls playing sports"
All I'm gonna say is that there always comes a point where being spineless is essentially no different than being evil: when they lead to the same outcome.
Is it too late to claw back my donation? A different kind of dog whistle, Colin.
I’m demanding mine back, with the promise that if they don’t return it or Allred doesn’t repudiate this stance I’ll donate that x2 to Cruz.
Better an enemy you know than a duplicitous “friend” you can’t rely on.
A Social Conservative is someone who wants to abuse some children with their sex. Please remind them of what they are at every opportunity.
#Omelas