Critical Race Theory Hysteria and Democrat’s Path Forward

Or, How Republicans used race-baiting to win, and how Democrats can stop it happening again

Post-financial crisis, the Republican Party’s brand of hardline fiscal conservatism; of rolling back workers rights, refusing to raise the minimum wage and repealing key protections within the Affordable Care Act, has been met with an increasingly frosty reception from the American public. In place of embracing a more transformative economic agenda — one that would inevitably divide the party’s donor class support base — they’ve instead put all their eggs into the culture war basket. It’s an understandable, if deeply cynical and exploitative, approach; why take a stance on controversial policy issues that would actually require you to *do something* when you could instead just moan about Mr Potato Head going gender-neutral on Fox and Friends?

The Republicans’ culture war inflammation hasn’t always led to electoral victories — turns out most voters care more about bread and butter issues than they do the supposed cancellation of Dr Seuss. However, in Virginia they struck gold by dubiously tying an abstract, conservative point of contention to voters’ everyday lives. Republicans — not least the now Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin — struggled to define Critical Race Theory, or what exactly they would do about it, but it didn’t matter. There’s no issue as emotionally potent as the treatment of one’s own children and Republicans argument that Democrats didn’t want parents to have a say in what their children were taught turned the tides against the Democratic Party. Where as just weeks ago voters whose number one issue was education favoured Democrat Terry McAuliffe by 33 points, on election day the majority of those voters split for Youngkin.

Watching the CRT hysteria unfold has been infuriating and disheartening for a number of reasons; not least because it has shown that race-baiting remains as effective an electoral strategy as ever. It’s also a reminder of the wilful ignorance of a substantial number of voters, who are willing to vote on a issue they know very little about (and know they know very little about), as was demonstrated by one viral clip of one man who was incensed about critical race theory, but woefully unable to even attempt explaining it.

Of course, the most infuriating aspect of this story is that no elementary or middle schooler in America is being taught Critical Race Theory. None. To the extent that any school curriculum has changed recently, it has simply changed to merely acknowledge that racism has, and still does, exist in America. That is what is driving the current moral panic; not good-faith concerns about a complex theoretical framework, but a recognition that the current pervasive perception of America is one that can only be maintained through deceit and a selective telling of history.

What is being taught now is not critical race theory, it is American history — true American history, not the whitewashed version accepted and passed on as fact for generations. Moreover, the teachings that are drawing furious responses from White parents are only scratching the surface of America’s ugly racist past; a past that involved committing genocide towards Native populations, the lynching of Black children as young as 11, and the use of bound Black babies as alligator bait.

Much of the attention on Democrat’s loss has focused on their failure to articulate a convincing message on CRT. That’s fair, but it misses the larger problem; which is Democrats failure to articulate a convincing message about pretty much anything in this election

This, ultimately, is what is sparking such fear from White parents — not that their children are being taught they are responsible for slavery or that they are inherently racist (as some have ridiculously claimed is being taught) — but that all of America’s ugliness and indignity will be put on full display for everyone to see. If children are coming home with the understanding that America is, or at least, has been, a racist country, that reflects America’s continued behaviour since its founding, not any biases or distortions in teaching.

If the lion’s share of criticism over the CRT hysteria deserves to be directed at Republicans — and, believe me, it does — then, some blame must also be pointed at the Democratic Party; who, at an inflection point for race relations in America, ran an impressively bad campaign. Terry McAuliffe entered the race with near 100% name recognition in a blue-leaning state, and had the advantage of running as a Democrat after four years of a Democratic administration that had passed multiple popular progressive priorities. Instead of running on this and creating a positive vision for his campaign, he spent most of his energy trying to tie Youngkin to Trump and emphasising his moderate bona fides. The latter approach has been proven again and again to be largely ineffective at a time of radical discontent, meanwhile voters failed to see the relevance of focusing on an ex-President in a local race.

Much of the attention on Democrat’s loss has focused on their failure to articulate a convincing message on CRT. That’s fair, but it misses the larger problem; which is Democrats failure to articulate a convincing message about pretty much anything in this election— and elections across the country. CRT was not predestined to become the dominant issue in this race, it arose simply because a void of ideas existed; a void Democrats allowed to fester and grow. Elsewhere in America, CRT wasn’t the central issue — In New Jersey, for instance, it was property taxes — and yet Democrats did similarly poorly; once again because Republicans were allowed to set the agenda.

Nearly a year into the Biden presidency, it remains unclear to most voters what exactly he stands for; as Democrats cave and U-turn on key policies (paid family leave, for instance) and fail to pass transformative action on pressing issues like healthcare, student debt and gun control. If it wasn’t clear enough before, Tuesday’s election made it so; without a significant course correction, Democrats are likely to lose both the House and the Senate in 2022 and likely won’t win back control of either for a generation.

It doesn’t have to be like this. Regardless of the frustrations caused by the likes of Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, there are still plenty of popular, meaningful policies Biden can pass with the stroke of a pen. Meanwhile, the current labor uprising across America is a perfect time for Democrats to emphasize their union roots and remind voters of Republican’s continued disregard for workers rights.

Even on the issue of CRT, Democrats can still win the war — even if they lost the most recent battle. In Guildford, Connecticut a similar uproar arose over the supposed teaching of CRT, and in scenes similar to those seen in states like Virginia and across the country, CRT opponents forcefully took their fight to school board meetings. At first, these activists seemed triumphant; handily winning primaries, raking in donations and even landing TV appearances on Fox News. Soon, however, students and parents alarmed by the pushback against teaching a more honest history of race organised and made their voices heard. They refused to treat voters like idiots and instead systematically debunked lies regarding critical race theory. They drew attention to the suspicious levels of outside money in this hyper-local race and spoke thoughtfully about their own privilege and the role historic, and modern day, racism played in this. They took on the mantle of free speech and being unafraid of new ideas; one that conservatives have so long clung onto as theirs and theirs alone. As Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey faced a hammering on Tuesday, on the same day, Guildford’s anti-CRT candidates lost in a landslide. If only Democratic leaders could find the same energy, passion and message discipline as the triumphant Guildford parents.