Mediaboss Marketing

Ron DeSantis doesnt just want to run for the presidency, the Florida governor seems to already have declared himself president as he tries to wrest clear federal responsibilities away from the U.S. government with a new Florida law that heavily penalizes employment of undocumented immigrants, gives state officials more authority to investigate potential immigration violations and forces hospitals to collect immigration status, among other things.

Almost 150 years ago, in 1875s Chy Lung vs. Freeman, the Supreme Court established that regulating immigration was exclusively the domain of the national government, not states. That hasnt stopped plenty of states from trying it anyway. Thirteen years ago, Arizona set off the modern wave of immigration organizing in enacting the disastrous SB 1070, most of which was eventually struck down by the Supreme Court as a violation of the Supremacy Clause.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

More recently, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has taken it upon himself to appear tough on the border, sending National Guardsmen to an ill-fated and ultimately pointless deployment, almost setting off an international incident with Mexico over truck inspections, and of course busing migrants here and elsewhere without any coordination or notice.

Apparently envious of the havoc Abbott was wreaking, DeSantis joined the clown show, using a shadowy former Army counterintelligence agent to trick migrants into boarding planes bound for Marthas Vineyard, paid for by a dedicated state fund that this law has now expanded. DeSantis seems wholly indifferent or apathetic to the fact that the consequences of his culture war are being suffered by his own state.

Since the law was enacted, there have been reports of employees fearful of returning to work in a variety of industries, and even attempting to arrange boycotts. The short-term impacts are still uncertain, but it seems clear that in the long run, Florida will lose out on the contributions of an important population, just as it will face a brain drain from DeSantis heavy-handed crackdown on academia and anti-business war with Disney. The governor doesnt care; his eyes are set northwards, to Washington..

Originally posted here:
Going the Ron way: DeSantis' new immigration law and culture wars will backfire - New York Daily News

Michael Gove

Minister says focus should be on economics and public services a day after Suella Bravermans highly partisan speech

Conservatives need to recognise that elections are won on economics and public services rather than culture wars, Michael Gove has said in what will be seen as a rebuke to Suella Braverman.

Addressing the National Conservatism (NatCon) conference in Westminster, a day after Braverman gave a highly partisan speech to the same event which condemned experts and elites and political correctness, Gove was at pains to make no direct criticism of the home secretary.

But asked in an onstage interview whether Conservatives needed to engage with such issues, Gove highlighted what he said were the virtues of gentleness and stability and discourse.

He said: I think that the overwhelming majority of people in this country prefer civility. This goes to the whole question of the so-called culture war that is raging at the moment.

There are certain principles you should defend, absolutely. And it is absolutely critical that we dont deny biological reality or that we dont feel that we should apologise for aspects of our past, which are genuine sources of pride.

But we should do so with the self-confidence that means we dont need to be strident.

Gove, the communities secretary, said the changing media and social media landscape had helped increase the prominence of culture war issues. The way in which algorithms work tends to drive people towards poles, and the way in which particular sections of the media work means that they tend to become echo chambers, he added

However, he argued, voters were far more likely to judge parties and governments on other areas.

I actually think that economics is still central, Gove said. When it comes to the boring and vulgar task of winning general elections, and the even more boring and even more dispiriting task of government, the most important thing to do is to concentrate on the right economic policies, the right policies for public service delivery and so on.

Goves words are a polite rebuttal of the increasing tendency of some Tories, as highlighted by the NatCon gathering, organised by a rightwing US thinktank, to take more overtly combative approach to subjects like race and sexuality, and to borrow ideas from populists such as Hungarys Viktor Orbn and Giorgia Meloni of Italy.

Braverman devoted much of her speech to railing against what she said was an attempt by the left to devalue Britains heritage, while Tory MP Miriam Cates said cultural Marxism was one reason for the UKs falling birthrate.

Gove, who was at pains to praise Bravermans call for a reduction in legal migration numbers, said such divergent views were a sign that our party and our broader movement is healthy, that you can have debate.

However, he did stress the need for recognising what is distinctive and cherished in Britain and in the United Kingdom, amid a conference which has seen other speakers praise Orbn and Donald Trump, and describe a supposed plot by leftwing groups to eradicate democracy.

In some of the commentary that there has been around national conservatism, I think people are trying to suggest that this is somehow an attempt to import American ideas, American ideology and American conservatism into the UK, Gove said, saying this should not be the case.

He also gently dismissed the idea of another argument by a Tory MP, Andrea Jenkyns, at a grassroots Tory conference on Saturday, that many of her party colleagues would fit better in the Liberal Democrats.

Gove said: The coalition government was five fascinating years, but I cant think of a single Conservative who reminds me of Chris Huhne.

{{topLeft}}

{{bottomLeft}}

{{topRight}}

{{bottomRight}}

{{.}}

See the original post:
Michael Gove says Tories will not win election with culture wars - The Guardian

Former President Donald Trump helped deliver the Republican nomination for governor to Attorney General Daniel Cameron, but its unclear if the Trump effect will help in his efforts to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

Cameron, whose campaign has been built on his record as attorney general and his conservative values, defeated 11 opponents in the primary. Now, he will face one of the most popular governors in America, according to a Morning Consult poll.

The two have a history of disagreeing. On the campaign trail, Cameron often notes that he sued Beshear to reopen churches during the coronavirus pandemic. More recently, Cameron has proposed putting a Kentucky State Police post in Louisville as a way to control violent crime, but Beshear said that idea shows a lack of confidence in the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Trumps endorsement of Cameron was announced early in the race, June 2022. The former president also voiced support for the attorney general in a brief tele-rally the Sunday before the primary election.

Cameron thanked Trump for his endorsement after the race was called Tuesday.

Let me just say, the Trump culture of winning is alive and well in Kentucky, Cameron told the crowd gathered at his watch party in Louisville. Trump won the state in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.

On Wednesday, Trump called Cameron a star and gloated on Truth Social that another candidate backed by his potential 2024 GOP presidential opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, came in a DISTANT third. Though he didnt say her name, Trump was referring to Kelly Craft, whom he appointed to ambassadorships to Canada and the United Nations.

Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, said Trumps endorsements can help in Republican primaries but hurt candidates in general elections when it comes to swing voters. In the Kentucky Republican primary, Trump supporters could have been divided between three candidates Trump-backed Cameron; Craft, who emulated Trumps cultural policies; and Eric Deters, a suspended attorney from Northern Kentucky who captured Trumps style on the campaign trail and on social media.

The one thing Trumps endorsement may have done is not a positive but a negative in the sense that Cameron previously had been seen as a McConnell protege and Craft wanted to tie Cameron to the McConnell wing of the party, which is unpopular with right wingers, Voss said. But Cameron having the Trump endorsement was like armor against attacks related to McConnell.

Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator who has worked in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnells past campaigns, said Republican presidential hopefuls could show up to support the GOP gubernatorial nominee.

Trump would be the biggest, and I think on balance I think hes a net positive for if youre trying to juice Republican turnout, Jennings said. One of the things about governors races is turnout is low. Primary turnout was low. General election turnout is low. And so, you think about trying to pull out voters who wouldnt normally pay attention to a governors race, yeah, Trump has the capacity to help you do that.

The general election will be the first serious exploration of what Beshear has accomplished in Frankfort and his policies, Jennings said. He characterized Beshear as a nonpartisan technocrat who shows up to hand out hugs and water when something bad happens.

Heading into the fall, Kentucky Republicans will likely press the governor on culture issues, Jennings said, adding Beshear is outside of the mainstream where most Kentucky voters are. Cameron is also likely to excite voters, including some independents, he said.

Daniel Cameron is at worst a generic Republican, which is a good thing to be in Kentucky, Jennings said, and at best and I think probably more tilting towards best he is something more than that. He is a young transformational sort of candidate to our partys future.

Beshear does have an advantage in being the incumbent, Jennings said. But he noted, incumbents do lose, pointing to former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin in 2019 and Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022.

Jonathan Miller, a former Democratic state treasurer, said facing Cameron will likely be a heated race for Beshear, but remained optimistic that the governor will get a second term.

I think its going to be very close and there are going to be tens of millions of dollars put into the race for both sides. Its probably going to get quite negative, Miller said. And ultimately, I think because of the relationship that the governor has established with the people of Kentucky, its going to overcome the fact that we are mostly a red state.

Voters in Louisville will likely be energized to vote against Cameron because of his work in the Breonna Taylor case, Miller said. In 2020, LMPD officers killed the unarmed Black woman in her apartment.

Critics of Cameron, who was the special prosecutor for the case, have questioned why his office did not bring murder charges against any officers when later the Department of Justice announced federal charges against four police officers.

Beshear has faced some criticism of his own, especially from Republican candidates in the primary election, particularly on his coronavirus response and the veto of Senate Bill 150, an omnibus anti-trans bill, earlier this year.

Voss said that the Republican nominees criticisms of Beshear will likely be the same as presented in the primary election.

In a press call last week, Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Colmon Elridge said of the criticism of the governors COVID-19 response, bless them if thats the road they want to go down.

Gov. Beshear has a clear record of showing up when Kentuckians needed him the most, Elridge said. So, insofar as COVID is concerned, the governor across the board, regardless of party affiliation, continues to get high marks because he set a standard for care, for compassion and for making decisive decisions that kept people alive.

As for the veto of the anti-transgender bill, Eldridge echoed Beshears comments of treating others with dignity and respect.

He has made it a priority for our party to echo those values in how we do our work, how we build our party to see the humanity in everyone and to treat everyone with dignity and respect and, as the governor says, as a child of God, and so we will continue to echo those values through Election Day and beyond.

Miller said Beshear established a connection with Kentuckians for his responses during the pandemic and natural disasters, so much so that it might sway even conservative voters who normally vote Republican.

In Kentucky, we really have a personal relationship with our governor, Miller said. Its different from every other elected office.

The race will likely heat up soon with ads on both sides trying to bring down the others approval, Miller added.

While on opposing sides of the political spectrum, Cameron and Beshear do have some career commonalities. Cameron is in his first term as attorney general as he leads his gubernatorial campaign. Beshear also served one term as attorney general before facing Bevin in 2019.

Their law careers also overlapped. Their offices were on the same hallway in Stites & Harbison, a Louisville law firm.

Jennings said the attorney general offers Kentucky Republicans something they didnt have in the 2019 election a unifying top of the ticket which is a huge advantage.

One of the main problems with Bevin in 19 is there were just a whole bunch of Republicans that didnt want to vote for him, and guess what? They didnt.

Beshear defeated Bevin by about 5,000 votes in the 2019 general election.

Jennings pointed out that more Kentucky voters are registered Republican than when Bevin was seeking reelection. Cameron will benefit from the work done in the primary by all of the candidates, Voss said. The contested GOP primary encouraged voters to register and gained their attention. Heading into the primary election, 1,587,478 Kentucky voters were registered Republicans. Democrats had 1,534,606.

And, Jennings said, Cameron has widespread support geographically and in the ideological wings of the party.

Voss agreed, saying the Republican candidates had very few differences between them despite the numerous negative ads.

This primary has been mostly gain for the GOP, despite the fact theyve attacked each other, Voss said.

But Voss and Miller disagreed about whether the attack ads by his GOP rivals would hurt Cameron in the general election.

Voss said the damage would likely not linger but Miller said damage has been done by negative ads.

Kelly Crafts ads were not just seen by Republican primary voters but by general election voters as well, and so I think that that weakens Cameron as a general election candidate, Miller said.

Go here to read the rest:
Beshear, Cameron face-off seen as referendum on culture wars in ... - Commonwealth Journal's History

A controversial free-speech activist and author is slamming the London Public Library for barring her from delivering a public lecture at the downtown branch, a move she calls textbook illustration of contemporary censorship.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Joanna Williams, a British commentator and lecturer, said she was scheduled to speak on Sex, Gender and the Limits of Free Speech on Campus at a meeting of a Canadian academic freedom group, but the librarys refusal to rent them space forced a change of venue.

Make no mistake, it is very clearly my views that the library objects to here. . . . They have set themselves up as gatekeepers of what can and cannot be said, she wrote in a column in Spiked, a publication that advocates for free speech.

The London Public Library seemingly has no problem hosting drag queen storytimes for young children. By stopping me from speaking, it is clearly taking sides in the gender debate and preventing the opposing view from being heard.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Williams claims library officials asked the event organizers for background details on the content of her lecture during the process of booking the room. The request to rent space was denied by library officials, who said her lecture violated its policy and was likely to pose a risk of physical danger to participants or the audience or misuse of the property or equipment, she wrote in Spiked.

In a statement Thursday, London Public Library said there were multiple policy-related concerns that the board and senior leadership team considered when deciding not to rent space to the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (SAFS).

The library said there was a risk or likelihood of physical danger to participants or the audience along with the potential or likelihood the event would negatively impact other peoples enjoyment of the facilities.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

The library also said the events content is or is likely a violation of its policies, including the rules of conduct and workplace harassment and sexual harassment prevention policies.

We respect that not everyone will agree with this decision, and we value the many perspectives that may be shared about this situation, library officials said in a statement.

London Public Library is committed to supporting Londoners and the community of London. We are guided in this work by our primary values of exceptional customer service and anti-racism and anti-oppression, which we hold alongside the values of strong relationships, digital empowerment, accountability and responsibility.

Debates over gender identity and the inclusion of transgender individuals in traditionally single-sex spaces and sports have flared in recent years, with strong opinions on both sides.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Williams is speaking during the annual meeting of the SAFS, which was founded in London in 1992.

The non-partisan Halifax-based group advocates against codes of conduct for speech, so-called anti-hate legislation that infringes on academics ability to teach and research controversial subjects and diversity policies that favour student or faculty groups based on race or sex instead of merit-based grounds, its website says.

The non-profits two-day annual meeting starts in London on Friday.

Williams talk is now being held at a downtown hotel, the Delta London Armouries, Friday evening.

Williams is also the author of several books, including How Woke Won: The Elitist Movement that Threatens Democracy, Tolerance and Reason, which was released last fall.

See the article here:
Culture wars flare at London library over speaker's blocked lecture on gender - The London Free Press

Is there no safe beer for conservatives in America to drink right now?!

First, Bud Light sent a few beers to a transgender influencer in early April. Then, Miller Lite ran an ad celebrating female brewers and offering up a lighthearted mea culpa over all the beer ads over the years featuring women in bikinis. Actually, the Miller Lite thing happened before the Bud Light thing, back in March for Womens History Month, but most people didnt see the Miller Lite thing before now. So now some on the right are mad about both of these major beer brands over what they see as selling out and taking progressive positions in supporting trans people and women.

Its not like beers are totally progressive now though, either. The customers these campaigns were aimed at might be upset to notice that Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev hasnt exactly stuck to its guns on Dylan Mulvaney, the trans influencer in question, and neither companys political donations are super aligned with left-leaning causes.

Its almost like beer companies do not have a consistent, coherent set of morals and values consumers should look to for cues on what to buy. The same goes for all companies, for that matter. Corporations are not your friends, let alone your political allies.

Think of it this way, whatever your political inclinations: The beers are the drinking buddies you suspect really dont have your best interests at heart when they suggest you order just one more at the bar before you head home. Theyve been putting all of the rounds on your tab, and are drinking with the other guy at the bar who really irks you.

If you had asked me what one of the major business stories of the first half of the year would be in 2023, I would not have said beer brands doing supposedly woke stuff. But here we are, and so here I am, too.

In April, Bud Light sent trans influencer and activist Mulvaney some cans of beer and Mulvaney posted about it on social media, presumably as part of a pretty run-of-the-mill paid sponsorship deal. It sparked outrage on the right as part of the ongoing backlash toward trans rights and visibility, with some conservative beer-drinkers feeling like it represented a betrayal and calling for a boycott. Kid Rock shot some beers, Travis Tritt said he was axing the brand from his tour. Indeed, Bud Light sales have declined in the wake of the backlash, though as with any boycott, its hard to know how long the impact will last. (Vox has a full explainer on the Bud Light situation here.)

In May, apparently in search of another target, conservatives decided that Miller Lite was bad, too, and overly woke. People dug up an ad from March and are now mad about that. In said ad, actress and comedian Ilana Glazer talks about an initiative at the company titled Bad $#!T to Good $#!T to create fertilizer from old, sexist beer advertising (read: featuring scantily clad women). The fertilizer was supposed to be used to grow hops for female brewers.

Its not entirely clear why the right has seized on this just now, as Miller Brewing Company, which is owned by Molson Coors, put out the ad and a press release announcing the fertilizer campaign more than two months ago. But the conservative bear has been poked. Right-leaning commentators and outlets have lamented that this is another piece of evidence that the beer companies are broken, complaining that another brand has jumped into a woke beer game and is headed for the boycott treatment too.

A quick scan of Twitter would indicate theres some confusion over what exactly the Miller Lite controversy is or who is at fault. Many people seem mistaken on the timeline and dont realize its ad came a month before the Bud Light ad and instead believe Miller is following in Buds footsteps. One commentator thought Miller was owned by AB InBev, but it is not.

This is emblematic of the broader controversy a lot of people have lost the plot on what exactly happened with Bud Light, to the extent they ever knew it. Some consumers incorrectly believe the company undertook a broad-based marketing campaign with Mulvaney, that beer cans featuring her image are for sale to the public, or that AB InBev is marketing cans with pronouns on them in the US. None of those things are true. Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris got at the issue in the companys most recent earnings call, pointing out that misinformation and confusion still exists around what even happened. We will need to continue to clarify the fact that this was one can, one influencer, one post, and not a campaign, and repeat this message for some time, he said.

Some of the pushback to Bud Lights Mulvaney partnership was supposedly that it was offensive to women. In her post, Mulvaney said she didnt know what March Madness was, which some people claimed played into outdated stereotypes. In response to Voxs original Bud Light explainer, one reader lamented, We have come a long way in this country as women. Women before us have fought hard to get the respect we deserve. Do you want to go back to a time where women needed to act dumb and look pretty? On a larger scale, some anti-trans sentiment proclaims to be about protecting women. It certainly seems that the reaction to the Miller Lite ad, which is coming from many of the same people, would undercut this whole pro-women thing.

The controversy over Bud Lights partnership has had some legs to it. Bud Light sales were down by 23 percent from a year ago in the week ending on April 29, and Budweiser sales were down by 11 percent. Sales of other AB InBev products, such as Michelob Ultra, have fallen, too.

HSBC analyst Carlos Laboy downgraded AB InBevs stock in May, saying the Mulvaney dust-up has caused deeper problems than ABI admits and criticizing company managements handling of the matter. The way this Bud Light crisis came about a month ago, managements response to it and the loss of unprecedented volume and brand relevance raises many questions, he wrote. He questioned whether the company is hiring the best people to grow the brands and gauge risk internally. If Budweiser and Bud Light are iconic American ideas that have long brought consumers together, why did these marketers fail to invite new consumers without alienating the core base of the firms largest brand?

Theres no denying AB InBevs handling of the situation has been messy. Initially, the company went dark on the matter, putting out a single statement and keeping quiet on social media. Then, it put out a longer statement from the CEO that in actuality says very little and managed to anger some progressives and LGBTQ groups, too. It also put some marketing executives on leave. Overall, its sort of just continued to muddle through, and nobodys happy in any corner.

Its not clear whether the storm thats subsumed Bud Light is headed for Miller Lite. Given the current state of culture wars in America, trans rights do seem to be more of a hot-button issue than, you know, the existence of women, but who knows.

For now, Miller Lite appears to be taking the fuss in stride. This video was about two things: worm poop and saying women shouldnt be forced to mud wrestle in order to sell beer, a spokesperson for Molson Coors said in an emailed statement to Vox. Neither of these things should be remotely controversial and we hope beer drinkers can appreciate the humor (and ridiculousness) of this video from back in March.

The website the ad was touting appears to have been taken down, and the video is a smidge hard to find online. Miller Lites social media is also filled with people yelling at it about the ad.

For those currently looking to boycott Bud Light and Miller Lite, note that their parent companies really have the US beer market cornered, accounting for about two-thirds of sales. So if you want to buy from elsewhere, you might have a hard time doing it. You probably do not even know all the brands they sell, and if youre really looking, you can likely find something to be mad about that, say, some Constellation Brands brew, including Modelo and Corona, did at some point. Theres that conservative dad guy selling Ultra Right beer, but its $19.99 for a six-pack, and it wont ship for another 30 days. Also, watch out, because Pride Month is just around the corner, and the corporations love it.

The weekend after the Bud Light dust-up really hit, I had a couple of friends order one at the bar, laughingly declaring it meant they were supporting trans rights. (I am not a beer drinker, or I probably would have joined in.) It was all in jest, but it points to a bigger question of the way we often think about our choices as consumers: as political acts toward entities that are, by and large, apolitical.

Corporations are under more and more pressure to take a stand on the political issues of the day, not only from customers but also from workers. And they increasingly do. But they usually do so because ultimately they believe its good for their bottom lines. Making money for shareholders is the whole game.

Bud Light didnt send beer to Mulvaney because it wants to become a champion of trans rights, it did so because the brand is struggling and it thought LGBTQ consumers were a potential avenue for expansion. Miller Lites leaders arent lying in bed at night sick over all of those sexist ads over the years. They know women have money to spend, and they would like them to spend it on their beers.

Its easy to make light of this stuff people calling for boycotts of random alcoholic beverages because of small online campaigns they found is quite silly. There are, obviously, quite serious elements to this. On a cultural level, the backlash against trans rights in the US is scary for many trans people in the country just trying to live their lives. For all the strides women have supposedly made, they still face setbacks and biases in so many ways and lack basic rights and protections. Abortion rights across the country were rolled back last year.

Companies would probably much rather escape the culture wars, but they cant. Its important to remember they are imperfect culture warriors, and that the only war theyre really fighting is for dollars.

Read this article:
Miller Lites woke ad honoring women sparks backlash from Bud Light boycott people - Vox.com