Despite his persistent and unwavering support from many Americans, more and more, Donald Trump’s legal troubles put him in peril of losing the Republican nomination.
Ron DeSantis is next in line, but still with an almost 40-point gap. Ramaswamy, with his unabashed support for Trump, is leading the rear and gaining ground fast.
These two candidates have their finger on the pulse of something that is gaining attention, despite the media’s downplay and ridicule of current events – culture.
Marketplace Misteps
Bud Light and Target learned the hard way what happens when you get caught up in the culture wars.
After overt support for LGBTQIA+ initiatives and blatant displays during Pride Month, both behemoth businesses lost massive market value over the summer.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, both companies have lowered their profit goals for the entire year after being struck by consumer boycotts.
Anheuser-Busch stocks have remained almost 20% below their highest point in March since the company decided to pursue a marketing promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April.
Ex-marketing executive, Alissa Heinerscheid added fuel to the fire by proclaiming Bud Light was a “fratty and out of touch” brand that needed to be reimagined and refreshed.
Target also experienced fierce backlash from consumers over its Pride Month collection which included “tuck friendly” bathing suits for young adults.
Music Lessons
It was hard to miss the controversy over country music star, Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town.”
While CMT banned the music video and liberal media immediately jumped on the bandwagon to portray the song as “racist,” in rebellion, the rest of America got busy sending the song to #1 on the Billboard charts within days.
I remember the first time I heard the flyover state anthem. I was in my car driving past the Pacific Ocean on my left en route from my home in Ventura Country to Santa Barbara, ironically, on my way to a country music concert. I rolled down the windows and while the salty scent of the ocean was familiar, the tune I cranked up to twenty reminded me where I was from – a small town in Northeast, PA steeped in the history of those who worked in the coal mines, like my grandfather.
I thought about the “good old boys, raised up right” I went to high school with – the ones who worked on farms and embarked on reckless adventures on ATVs. The wrestlers and football players spent the week in vocational classes and took the weekends to hunt deer or get drunk in a field.
All of a sudden, while I spent many years trying to run away from that culture, I felt a new appreciation for those “boys” and the men they grew up to be.
I know no matter how many years have gone by and how west coast I may have become if I were ever in danger, they’d have my back faster than you can say DEI.
And they’d bring their guns with them. I love them for that.
These are the people that Washington D.C. has forgotten about in their attempts to create some sort of unattainable utopia steeped in the new traditions and progressive teachings in elite institutions such as Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton.
But Jason Aldean remembers them.
And so does Oliver Anthony, the latest country crooner whose bluegrass driven hymn about the forgotten souls in rural towns, Rich Men North of Richmond, recently replaced Aldean’s song as #1 on the country charts. It’s received over 15 million views on YouTube and people are coming in droves to hear his raspy, soul filled voice croon about “sellin’ my soul, working all day, double time hours for ******** pay.”
I’m sure the more contemporary country superstar doesn’t mind.
The lyrics from both songs encapsulate the sentiment of those all over the country who seem to have been discarded by Washington’s elite as backward bumpkins.
Culture Swell
These are the people, and particularly the men, that Republican primary candidates need to pay attention to. While they’ve remained silent for quite some time because they’re used to tolerating a lot of B.S. in the name of being left alone to live their lives, the left has gone too far.
They’re tired of being called “deplorables” and now, even worse, “racists” and “Nazis.”
They’re tired of being told they are wrong and they better get with the times.
They’re tired of their traditions and religion being stomped on and condemned.
The bear has been poked and as evidenced by everything from business to music, there’s a revolution swelling.
If it’s not Donald Trump, a Republican primary contender better be well positioned to take advantage of that force because, without its support, they can kiss a candidacy goodbye.
While more traditional Republican candidates such as Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, and Tim Scott want to simply focus on the issues that concern everyday Americans they can no longer ignore that cultural movements are the issues.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor and opinion writer for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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