4 ms·

Something I’ve noticed about UK conservatism — and maybe it’s true for the US too — is that women and minorities are much better represented at the very top tha

Something I’ve noticed about UK conservatism — and maybe it’s true for the US too — is that women and minorities are much better represented at the very top than at the MP/Congress level. The Tories have 25% female MPs, but are also responsible for both female PMs. Half of the Great Offices of State in the UK are currently occupied by minorities. And if you look at the historic willingness of the Tories to run ethnic and female candidates for very important roles, it’s considerably better than Labour: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Offices_of_State https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Offices_of_State I guess all I’m saying is that it’s worth factoring in proximity to power rather than just raw numbers

pasabagi 6y ago
There's a simple logic to this. The center is left of the conservatives, so a woman or minority candidate allows them to capture swing voters. Racists and sexists will probably vote for them anyway. It's why Angela Merkel is such an effective politician. She essentially monopolizes the right, while being able to take positions that the right wing hate (e.g. on the refugee crisis), knowing they won't stop voting for her.
- peteretep 6y ago
  > so a woman or minority candidate allows them to capture swing voters I don't think this is true. Thatcher, May, Priti Patel, Palin, and Andrea Leadsom are all hard-right enough that I don't believe any of them are more appealing to people in the center than white, male moderates like Cameron.
pydry 6y ago
Running a minority candidate who shares your politics is a good way of deflecting (or even co-opting) a lot of 'woke' criticism. As true in Thatcher's day as it is with the supreme court today. I wonder if Biden isn't the same thing in reverse (an attempt to appeal to the curmudgeonly older white voters who are attracted to Trump with somebody who looks like them).

pasabagi 6y ago

There's a simple logic to this. The center is left of the conservatives, so a woman or minority candidate allows them to capture swing voters. Racists and sexists will probably vote for them anyway. It's why Angela Merkel is such an effective politician. She essentially monopolizes the right, while being able to take positions that the right wing hate (e.g. on the refugee crisis), knowing they won't stop voting for her.

peteretep 6y ago
> so a woman or minority candidate allows them to capture swing voters I don't think this is true. Thatcher, May, Priti Patel, Palin, and Andrea Leadsom are all hard-right enough that I don't believe any of them are more appealing to people in the center than white, male moderates like Cameron.

pydry 6y ago

Running a minority candidate who shares your politics is a good way of deflecting (or even co-opting) a lot of 'woke' criticism. As true in Thatcher's day as it is with the supreme court today. I wonder if Biden isn't the same thing in reverse (an attempt to appeal to the curmudgeonly older white voters who are attracted to Trump with somebody who looks like them).