Gutfeld on I-P-B: Identity Politics Blindness
Former first lady Michelle Obama questions why women voted Trump.
In the latest installment of what happened in an election that occurred a year and a half ago, Michelle Obama was asked how Trump won and she laid the blame on Hillary. Just kidding, she blamed sexism -- from women against women.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: In light of this last election, I'm concerned about us as women and how we think.
If we're not comfortable with the notion that a woman could be our president compared to what? You know, we have to have that conversation with ourselves as women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Maybe so, but her analysis seems a symptom of a greater problem that contributed to her party's loss. It goes back to seeing the group and not the person. I call it IPB, Identity Politics Blindness. They lost not because Hillary was a woman; they lost because all they saw was a woman. Meanwhile, Trump took nothing for granted.
The fact is, many voters would have happily voted for a woman, just not that one, because unlike Trump, she didn't speak to their concerns. She only spoke of her entitlement. She just assumed that she had the votes. And just assuming a woman must vote for a woman seems pretty insulting, from a man.
Humans are more complex, surprising and interesting than liberals give them credit for. But more than anything, Trump's election is a lesson in effort. At least he showed up, he fought. Hillary didn't. If Democrats learn from that, then they can win. But if they continue to dwell in this narrow-minded, intolerant universe where all people sit in their own identity buckets, where their behavior is fixed forever by sex or race, they will lose. And then what group will they blame next?
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