At the start of the Cold War, anticommunist sentiment swept through American politics. Leading the way during the Red Scare was Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., a conservative who had made his career by engaging in extreme fearmongering. McCarthy would often accuse high-profile celebrities, politicians and even law enforcement agents of being communists or communist sympathizers, effectively ending their careers. For the most part, McCarthy’s voters supported blacklistings and political persecutions, marking arguably the first modern use of “culture wars” — the clash usually between liberal and conservative social ideology — to captivate a voter base.
By focusing on social issues like the rise of communism as an ideology, McCarthy was able to win over a group of voters with propaganda, distracting them from substantive issues like beneficial economic, environmental or foreign policy. This technique paved the way for the modern McCarthyism we see today, as the Republican party has once again managed to capture part of the electorate with pointless identity politics and false propaganda. This, in turn, has caused them to consistently vote against their own best interests.
Research shows a significant disconnect between Republican voters and the policies supported by the representatives they elect. For example, former President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 — which most GOP voters tout as a resounding success — has been proven to have only benefited households with incomes in the top 1%. This means that a large sum of Republican voters who praised Trump for his tax cuts did not receive any of the benefits. These voters have been politically deceived into supporting a tax policy that not only fails to benefit them, but continues to exacerbate the growing wealth gap that currently divides the nation. In fact, most Republican tax policies have consistently favored the rich, often leaving no financial breathing room for low-income, working-class families.
This disconnect is prevalent in Republican foreign policy as well. During his 2016 campaign, Trump railed against China and its ruthless business practices. He slammed the country for taking advantage of the U.S. and vowed to put an end to what he considered unfair trade policies. Two years later, after he won the election, Trump started a consequential trade war with China that cost the American economy hundreds of thousands of jobs, significantly damaged the agriculture industry and failed to end China’s unfair business practices. The country that paid the price for Trump’s reckless policies was America, not China. More specifically, rural Americans — who are statistically most supportive of Trump’s rhetoric — were disproportionately harmed by his trade war.
Yet, year after year, the Republican party manages to get away with their political grift. Even though they rarely deliver for their voters, the GOP has managed to develop a cult-like base with unbreakable loyalty. Whether they tirelessly attempt to dismiss Donald Trump’s indefensible actions or ignore undeniable facts that challenge their political views, it is clear that the Republican party has amassed a base dedicated to preserving the party’s interests over their own. The driving forces behind the fandom’s undying allegiance are the culture wars and social issues that dominate the conservative agenda. Abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights and voting accessibility are all used as “boogeymen” by the right to keep their voters frightened and furious. Through the weaponization of religion and disinformation, the Republican party has been successful in convincing their voters that the ideological debates are worth far more than any impactful policy.
To ensure Republicans continue to vote against their own economic interests and well-being, right-wing politicians indulge in these culture wars and take drastic steps to distract their base from their own detriment. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for instance, has been complacent as thousands of books have been banned from public schools, and has signed strict abortion bans into law, all in the name of his “war on woke.”
Meanwhile, Florida — a state with the second-highest population of senior citizens — continuously fails to address a health care system that ranks among the worst in the country. Further, lessons on historical U.S. events — crucial to understanding the complexity of civil rights in our nation — are being intentionally misconstrued and ignored through altered textbooks and curricula that fit DeSantis’s restrictive education policies. The governor is too distracted with suppressing differing ideologies to focus on what his state’s residents could truly benefit from. Republican voters from the state, who would undoubtedly gain more from better health care, have taken DeSantis’ bait and ignored genuine policy in exchange for unnecessary and antidemocratic attacks on opposing ideology.
In the same vein, Republican state lawmakers in Alabama have recently opposed efforts to expand Medicaid. The legislation would broaden support for rural hospitals and allocate funds to improve health care in those areas. The blocking of this bill directly harmed rural Republican voters in Alabama, yet the GOP seems to maintain their growing support. Part of this phenomenon stems from Alabama’s harsh restrictions on abortion, a popular policy among many Republican Alabamians. The Republican party capitalizes on single-issue voters who seem to give legislators free rein to fight against advantageous legislation as long as they are anti-abortion.
However, some conservatives and moderates find the obsession with culture wars necessary. To some extent, they believe that Democratic social issues have gone too far, and Republicans seem to be the only ones willing to rein in the chaos. While this may be true at times, those cases make up a small minority. Most of the time, Republicans blow specific instances out of proportion or exaggerate unverifiable anecdotes to push their agenda and further galvanize the supporters, who are being intentionally misled.
Republican policies rarely offer positive progress or tangible policy for their most dedicated supporters. Instead, right-wing legislators focus on meaningless culture wars to win voter support. They play off their voters’ emotions and propagate fear-inducing lies that have proven successful in amassing loyal devotion. This contemporary form of McCarthyism must come to an end in order to facilitate meaningful productivity and national unity.
Zach Ajluni is an Opinion Columnist who writes about American politics and current events for The Michigan Daily. He can be reached at zajluni@umich.edu.