Majority of Americans Think Being 'Woke' Is a Good Thing: Poll
By: Yahoo News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Republicans are casting being "woke" as a bad thing, but a majority of Americans don't see it that way, according to a new poll.
In a USA Today /Ipsos Poll that asked respondents to choose between two definitions of the term, 56 percent chose "to be informed, educated on, and aware of social injustice."
"That includes not only three-fourths of Democrats but also more than a third of Republicans," USA Today reports.
Thirty-nine percent opted for the negative definition, "to be overly politically correct and police others' words." Fifty-six percent of Republicans chose that.
Respondents' age made a difference. Among those aged 50 to 64, 48 percent chose the "overly politically correct" definition. Only 33 percent of those aged 18-34 did, and 37 percent of those aged 35-49.
However, respondents were divided on whether being called woke was a compliment or an insult. Overall, 40 percent considered it an insult, 32 percent a compliment. Sixty percent of Republicans and 42 percent of independents thought it was an insult. In contrast, 46 percent of Democrats deemed it a compliment. Younger respondents were more likely than older ones to see it as a compliment.
"Most Americans understand that to be woke is to be tuned in to injustices around us," Cliff Young of Ipsos told USA Today . "But for a key segment of Republicans who make up the Trump-DeSantis base, 'woke' is a clear trigger for the worst of the politically correct, emerging multicultural majority."
The term dates from the early 20 th century, when Black American activists urged people to "wake up" to the reality of injustice. It came back into wide use after the police killing of Black man Michael Brown in Missouri. It has come to mean being aware of not only racism but also homophobia and transphobia.
But Republicans are using "woke" to describe everything they see as wrong with the U.S. They see being woke as undermining conservative values and making white people feel guilty. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Stop WOKE Act into law last year; it "essentially prohibits instruction on race relations or diversity that imply a person's status as either privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by his or her race, color, national origin, or sex," according to a press release from Florida state Sen. Bobby Powell, a Democrat.
Several speakers at last weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference denounced what they see as "woke" policies, including moves to support transgender people. Donald Trump recently released a social media post saying President Joe Biden was engineering a "woke takeover" of the federal government by calling for equity and inclusion. When DeSantis won a second term in November, he proclaimed, "We will never surrender to the woke mob."
"Even South Carolina's Sen. Tim Scott, a Black man who discusses how racism has affected his life, has derided 'woke corporations' and 'woke prosecutors' as negative forces in American life," USA Today notes. Scott, a Republican, is a potential presidential aspirant.
The poll also asked respondents about school lessons on racism, book bans, and the use of gender-neutral pronouns. The response on school instruction depended on how it was asked. Half of those surveyed were asked if they favored teaching about "the ongoing effects of slavery and racism in the United States," and 72 percent said yes, including large majorities of Democrats and independents as well as nearly half of Republicans.
But the other half were asked if they support the teaching of critical race theory, "which holds that systemic racism is institutionalized in America to the advantage of white people," as USA Today puts it. Fifty-three percent opposed it, with 41 percent supportive. Among Republicans, 81 percent opposed it.
Among all respondents, 76 percent opposed book bans by state governments. That included 86 percent of Democrats, 78 percent of independents, and 66 percent of Republicans.
A majority opposed the use of gender-neutral pronouns; the margin was 61 percent to 36 percent. Respondents opposed the use of a choice other than "man" or "woman" on government documents by the same margin.
But 61 percent of Democrats supported the use of gender-neutral pronouns, and 60 percent favored having a gender-neutral identity option. Republicans were overwhelmingly opposed, 87 percent on pronouns and 88 percent on the identity option.
The poll was conducted among 1,023 people last Friday through Sunday on the Ipsos online platform. There is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
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Can I just say that Tim Scott as a black man does not give me any hope that I can point to in any shape, form, or fashion! Am I wrong?
Perfectly stated.
Republican propagandists can take their insult and shove it.
It is so pathetic, it is tiresome, it is 'endless' - the stresses and strains; trials and tribulations, meddlesomeness and busybodiness which conservatives put liberals through repeatedly. Some conservatives out-loud told the whole country they would mock "WOKENESS" into being too nauseous for society to wish any part of being involved with it. This shows their 'act' is failing. The public is simply not buying the propaganda.
Likely, DeSantis with is de-woke brand may be in serious trouble if/when liberals fight back using the above data points. Serves him right to lose in his bid for president during the primaries, because he is an opportunist who would trample on the emotions and needs of innocent people just to get a career boost!
DeSantis might be popular with right wing extremists, but normal, sane Americans are going to reject him and his brand of comatose-ism.
And, right now the public is preparing to spurn DeSantis, long before the Lincoln Project has to take stock of him!
And what is the collective public doing in preparation?
For starters, the public is not buying into DeSantis' manipulation. Although, I don't understand how come the 50-64 year olds (just one integer away from 65 years old on the chart) are so evenly matched in their polling numbers on this. Fortunately, the youth, the future, agree history needs to be known; processed, sustained, and not merely 'swept away.'
They do seem to be buying his book. Maybe “the public is preparing to spurn” requires buying his book in preparation.
Honestly though, these days do book sales even mean anything? How many voters actually read these books? .002%, being generous?
Most candidates other than the incumbent still dish them out. It offers a national introduction for some and provides a reason to travel the country talking about themselves, especially important before declaring.
Depend on the book as well as the primary vs general percentage. I've read three prior to the election, McCain's and Obama's in 2008 and Buttigieg's in 2019. I wanted to know more about Obama and why a medium size town mayor thought that he should be president. Long after the fact, I read Kennedy's. I thought all four were helpful to the candidate. Most others not so much.
Which "public"? Conveniently, you left that out of your 'fair and balanced' commentary. In a national election , 95,000 people won't get you very far. Who is buying the book? As expected (in your linked article) Trump has an idea about who too:
Trump, a manipulator extraordinaire himself, knows a great deal about such matters!
You failed to define "public" in 3.1.1 and 3.1.4 which is what I replied to.
Is that a bad start in week one? The Audacity of Hope sold 67,500 in week one.
PACs, supporters, others, etc. A candidate that doesn't try to game the system isn't a serious candidate.
I have never read a single one and don't plan on it. Frankly I prefer to look at their actions versus their words. You are right though, the book tours are an excuse to jerk themselves off in public.
Manipulation is what DeSantis is executing, just like his kindred spirits at FOX News. So there you have it! It's all bull $hit and DISTRACTION to comment on future potential book sales. My day to day happenings, and life in general and probably some conservatives' lives as well, should carry more weigh than some 'game' politicians can make sport!
Likely more college educated democrats than dropout republicans.
Maybe you think that dropout of color don’t vote.
Simple answer: Yes, to varying degrees. Emphatically.
You are empowered to answer for cjcold?
Excuse you? I am empowered to answer your comment at 3.1.12!
Yet you haven’t.
We're done here.
The public will not be distracted by the game some conservatives play mocking around with terms. Not this time!
Once again some conservatives have nothing useful to add to a topic they have little to no/lost control to manipulate (Poll results). Oh well. It is what it is.
For the 18th, 19th, and the first half of the 20th centuries, the word "gay" meant being happy and having fun, not a sexual orientation. You will see in many old movies a character say that had a gay time at a party or a picnic or some such. Now no one uses the word outside of the sexual orientation context.
"Woke" is destined for a similar fate. Who doesnt want to be "woke"? It is a good thing , certainly compared to the alternative of being asleep to the issues. But the word is compromised now, probably permanently.
I dont pay any attention to it one way or the other anymore.
I am awake.
Ever tricky, here are some conservatives once again appropriating group-think :
CPAC Crowd Applauds Being “Awake, not Woke” in Orlando
So much for those who 'say' they don't need, have, or allow anybody else to tell them what to think, be, say, and of course, write!
Group-think or a common knowledge of English?
That's irrelevant and superfluous? CPAC appropriated the term, 'Awake" as counter-narrative to liberals use of the social aware expression, "Woke." After which some conservatives tried to trash/'own' liberals for crafting its use entirely. That is the point!
We can talk all which-a-ways about this and it would be superfluous and irrelevant.
How so, because you think so?
They were late to the party as the discussion between awake and woke is sveral years old.
Crafting its use? woke is the past tense of awake.
To mean its a team sport between the blue team and the red team. The blue social justice crusaders and the red evangelicals both use the terms as a way to try to shame all those that disagree with their narrow viewpoints.
Why should this be different than 95% of every other comment on this site?
Meh. You think the substance of this thread is word tenses?
No, like most threads here, I see little substance.
Republicans have run the term into the ground so badly and so quickly that “woke” these days basically means NOT being a conservative extremist. If you call me “woke” my response is simply “sure, fuck right wing political and religious fanatics.”
The term is not a state of being anyway. Just support the truth and truth will be its own reward. Republicans/conservatives don't own the word, "woke," and they certainly can't tell people what they can do with a term. Use it, if you wish, because 5.1.1. shows they only misappropriated the term to 'alter' it for their own purposes. Don't assent to them doing that.
I never use the term, always thought it was stupid, and immediately tune out as soon as someone uses it. It is a meaningless buzzword meant to try and evoke an emotional reaction, it does not actually convey anything. My father actually used the word a while back when we were having a debate and I just said "pops, don't say woke because it makes you sound like a fuckin retard. As soon as you say that I know you don't have anything serious to say."
Haven't actually heard him use it since.
Like I said, as far as I can tell being "woke" means you don't suck Trump's or Desanti's micro peckers. It has no meaning beyond that to me outside of the past tense of wake.
Everly Brothers- - a real musical treat!
I am pretty sure, the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie" is not saying "Woke up little Susie" and I have no idea why or where you found misappropriated lyrics above.
Some conservatives are yet playing up a distraction, nevertheless!
Their twangy accent caused confusion on their actual lyrics.
The Republicans' "anti-woke hysteria is racist and homophobic at its core", according to former Florida Republican Congressman David Jolly today. He knows whereof he speaks.
Like everything else liberals say and do, some conservatives choose to diminish, bad-mouth, disparage, or exploit this expression, "Woke," because the thinking goes: if conservatives lambaste the term, liberals will walk away from its potency in conveying an approach to social awareness. But all liberals who reflect on walking away need to do is remember social awareness by any other name is yet social awareness. So the term, "WOKE" is not in any way, shape, or form the root cause of what is happening. The term is fine!
I am glad to see young people and many others saying some conservatives can 'stuff' their manipulation in their ears.
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