Maybe Musk will now start reading NewNeo to guide him through the transition to voting Republican
The title of this post is tongue-in-cheek; I don’t expect Musk to be interested in what I’ve written about political changers and left-to-right political change. But he’s a classic example of the phenomenon in this announcement:
Elon Musk, admitting he had voted “overwhelmingly” for Democrats in the past, has changed his mind.
Musk is registered as an independent voter; he announced the switch over video link at a tech summit in Miami, Florida, hosted by the All-In podcast.
“I have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats, historically,” Musk acknowledged. “Like I’m not sure, I might never have voted for a Republican, just to be clear. Now this election I will,” Newsweek reported.
One of the classic changer elements Musk is demonstrating is the need to emphasize his past solidarity with Democrats in order to let the left know he’s not a bad person, not one of those terrible people on the right. And he’s also implying that maybe the switch is just for this election rather than being permanent (I suppose that could even be true). I know that, at the beginning of my change when I would discuss it with friends, I would emphasize that I’d never voted for a Republican before and was not a Republican now.
No one seemed to care. Actually, I think it only infuriated those whose politics were such that they were inclined to be infuriated. My past bona fides only made my “conversion” more threatening and more pernicious to that group. No one likes an apostate – or at least, many people on the left don’t. And I don’t think Musk parading his past liberal bona fides will impress those on the left, either, who now see him as the archenemy.
He also had this to say about President Teleprompter.
https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1526564920313237511
Musk is perhaps best described as “libertarian”, yet it is certainly encouraging that he is unafraid of the left, even though being modestly wealthy and somewhat successful makes his opposition to leftist totalitarianism easier for him than it might be for others. Perhaps an even more fascinating example of political conversion is provided by Leo Terrell, the black attorney who changed his politics in his sixties and now appears frequently on Fox to denounce the left and who is adamant that there is no truth whatsoever to the claims about the existence of “systemic racism” in this country from Democrats who do nothing but “play the race card”, in his well-chosen words.
All Musk has to do is accuse Democrats of transphobia.
Seems like we are counting down the days to when Musk backs out of buying Twitter.
No one likes an apostate – or at least, many people on the left don’t.
Same on the right, see reaction to Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney. It’s ugly, but it is true. I’ll also say I’m not a big fan of converted zealots. Please don’t construe any statements as a suggestion that anybody here fits those categories. I’m just noting a general observation.
As for Musk, I’d agree with j e, or perhaps more than libertarian, “classical liberal”. What is happening now on the left is illiberal. If you believe in liberty at all, then the left is repulsive at the moment.
@elonmusk – Biden’s mistake is that he thinks he was elected to transform the country, but actually everyone just wanted less drama.
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1524883482836623373
He was elected? Really? ))))))))))
Leland:
Nope, not a good analogy. They are not apostates in the same sense at all. They have not switched parties; I think people would respect them far more if they did. I certainly would. They are on a personal vendetta against one person, Donald Trump, and they have compromised principles they used to say they upheld – principles they still say they uphold – and screwed the party from within. Also, they are politicians, not people like me or even Musk, who are not political operatives.
Musk is pragmatic, I think he see’s the way the wind is blowing and he is ready to sell to the Right. He worked the left rather well developing the electric cars that are great golf carts, go to work and back home, but not worth a whole lot more than that. I do appreciate the fact that the wind seems to be changing to the Right however I would never ever trust him to remember to come over and feed my dog if he were my neighbor and I was out of town.
Slightly off topic but OldTexan mentioned the winds blowing to the Right but am I the only one that gets really nervous about all this talk about November?
Maybe it’s just my nature to be a worrier but what if it’s not that big a wave?
@ j e: Musk is “modestly wealthy”?? Must be a typo! 🙂
Six years ago about this time I saw Trump getting a bit of traction and I was willing to give him all of my support for one Justice on the Supremes and we got a bit better than that. Lots of right folk were very unhappy at that time so I am going to think, an hope, that there are some people starting to wake up and ask for honest elections and they realize they have been totally played and now they are having trouble filling their cars, grocery bills (ours are way up) and the rest of the family budget stuff. We are retired and not doing too bad but I would hate to be the parents of a young family starting out right now, I did that in the late 70’s and early 80’s and it was hard then.
Leland,
Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney have amply demonstrated that they are not conservatives. Romney’s allegiance is to the GOP establishment, which is not conservative. Cheney just broke with the GOPe.
neo,
Cheney tweeted on Monday, “The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-semitism”
That implies Cheney has broken away from the GOPe, her most likely motivation for that attack is in preparation for securing a ‘commentary’ position with one or more of the mass media outlets. FOX for certain.
OldTexan,
“I would hate to be the parents of a young family starting out right now, I did that in the late 70’s and early 80’s and it was hard then.”
Myself as well. Yet adversity is good for development of the character in those with the right foundation.
“Don’t handicap your children by making their lives easy.”
Robert A. Heinlein
Griffin,
“am I the only one that gets really nervous about all this talk about November?
Surely not. Reportedly, 30 of the States still employ Dominion software.
In addition; “Dems already infiltrating for 2024 election, plan will deploy 5,000 operatives, likely more”
https://www.wnd.com/2022/04/alert-dems-already-infiltrating-2024-election-plan-will-deploy-5000-operatives-likely/
Then there’s George Soros’ top operative; “Lord Malloch Brown and Soros: The British Hand Behind The US Coup Revealed”
A very long article but well worth reading. First published in Dec. 2020
“I have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats, historically,” TommyJay says noting that it was the very distant past. Yes, well; a clever turn of phrase possibly.
Elon Musk and Peter Thiel both got seriously rich for the first time (I think) at PayPal. Peter is cited by Wikipedia as being a conservative libertarian. I’ve never heard that verbal juxtaposition before. I had thought that probably Peter and Elon were quite friendly, but it looks as though they were hostile competitors for the CEO slot.
An interesting development in CA … former Progressive Michael Shellenberger is running as an Independent for Gov.
Over the last years he’s come out as a pro-Human, pro-Abundance environmentalist. He’s written two books. One on global warming, one on homelessness.
He’s gotten the endorsement of the conservative Howard Jarvis Tax Association (hjta.org).
He’s openly critical of CA Dems and his own former policy positions.
This will be a fascinating case study of political change!
Here’s a YouTube live stream. Not sure if it’s valid after the event? He arrived 20 min late so you can skip over the front.
https://youtu.be/xn0KgaHqu-Y
Musk would be wise to read you, Neo. 🙂
Kate is right, he should read you.
I think more thinkers should read Neo – but Neo should also write a book, or two, or… 2021-2004 = 17 books.
A series of yearly diary posts. “21st Century Diary”.
Actually, most of the writing work is done. Just take each year’s blog posts, and put them in Chron order, and publish them as a book. With some e-book that has the links more clickable.
Starting with 2015, “The Rise of Trump”
21st Century Diary – 2015
I truly think having actual books creates intellectual buzz and far more respect than most other processes.
Another idea is to follow many other bloggers who are moving to Substack, with an optional paid subscription. Tho getting hundreds of comments loses this cozy community, the successful bloggers (none as good as Neo), are making thousands every month.
Here is the podcast of the Elon Miami interview:
https://overcast.fm/+YlhmYgl-g
@ Tom Grey > “Tho getting hundreds of comments loses this cozy community, the successful bloggers (none as good as Neo), are making thousands every month.”
I’m all for Neo making tons of filthy lucre, but maybe she could put the political offerings on Substack, and we could still come here for music, dance, and Jell-o.
And weighing in on the politics as well, of course, but in the usual convivial fashion.
Apostate definition: A person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle.
I don’t see where it requires changing to a new religion or party. Certainly they are on a vendetta as well, but why do you think they should switch parties? If they still hold the beliefs and principles of the GOP, then shouldn’t they stay within the party?
“…are making thousands every month.”
I think I have seen this verbiage elsewhere on this blog recently….
🙂