Eliza Anderson, Deseret News
If you want to get elected, don’t let anyone call you “woke.”
The list of labels voters don’t like is long — including “MAGA” and “election denier” — so political name-callers have a lot to choose from.
On the other hand, you might welcome the labels “moderate,” “independent,” or — somewhat surprisingly — “conservative.”
According to a new national poll conducted by HarrisX for Deseret News, if a candidate is labeled “woke,” voters are less likely to support her or him. These results run contrary to a recent national debate over the word “woke,” after a USA TODAY/Ipsos poll found people favored a more positive definition of the word, leaving many saying Republican use of the term is backfiring.
“The GOP blew it by calling everything woke,” a recent Daily Beast headline read. The USA TODAY headline read, “A GOP war on ‘woke’? Most Americans view the term as a positive … .”
But while people may favor a more positive definition of the term woke, it appears to be a net negative in the voting booth.
“Woke” loses votes
Of the people who responded to the poll, 24% say they are more likely to vote for a candidate described as “woke,” while 49% say less likely. Among independent voters, 46% say they are less likely to vote for a “woke” candidate, while 24% say it makes them more likely.
The word “woke” is particularly unpopular for older voters — 56% of voters in the 50-64-year-old age bracket say they are less likely to vote for a candidate described as woke, while that goes up to 73% for voters over age 65.
From “MAGA” to “radical”
On the political right, there are labels candidates should want to avoid if they hope to be elected — including “MAGA” and “election denier.” Among voters, 45% say they’re less likely to vote for a candidate labeled “MAGA,” compared to 33% who say they’re more likely; while 53% say they’re less likely to vote for an “election denier,” compared to 20% who say more likely.
Source:: Deseret News – Utah News