Most Americans Want Police Reform But Don't Back 'Defund The Police'
Most of the public, including Republicans, think there needs to be some reform, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds.
Another poll
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Most Americans Want Police Reform But Don't Back 'Defund The Police'
- Thread starter GrapeApes
- Start date
Another poll
This is not surprising in the least. Most prospective voters are incrementalists and believe that basic level reforms are more achievable and work better than attempting something perceived as radical at the outset.
As many other people have said, it's a terribly worded platform. Conservatives do not run on 'defund the schools' because that's not a popular position, and yet they successfully defund schools. Framing this cause as a strictly anti-police matter largely doomed the chance of any major politicians backing it.
While "Defund the Police" is catchy, it's not a good message as people will construe it wrong.
"Reallocate Money Away from the Police" is the more accurate message, but it's long and clunky.
It's a tough sell.
"Reallocate Money Away from the Police" is the more accurate message, but it's long and clunky.
It's a tough sell.
that's a really good point. there's a reason we always call out politicians for "dog-whistling" but the truth is that it works. most voters are low-information voters.
Who needs to worry about silly things like public opinion. What really matters is what twitter thinks
The right is way better at getting the uninformed on board with their nonsense
The right is way better at getting the uninformed on board with their nonsense
If they want any defund police campaign to be successful they need people outside of internet echo chambers and Twitter blue checkmarks to support it and make the case. As of now it has basically no traction.
All this should communicate to people is that there's more work that needs to be done.
Poll numbers aren't argument for whether or not something should be done
Poll numbers aren't argument for whether or not something should be done
Yeah I tried raising that point in another thread and was told how I was wrong, no one would miss understand the word *rolls eyes*.
Its a horribly worded platform that has confused and scared alot of poeple. I mean you already have one person in this thread says "Abolish would be a start", but that is exactly what many people think the protestors want, a complete dismantling of the police and fall into a lawless state. So easy for everyone to take extreme stances. One side is saying "Fuck the police, they are all horrible, abolish them!" the other side is saying "OMG WHAT THE HELL, if you do that we are all going to get raped and murdered". And of course the politicians are doing everything they can to spin the messaging to their agenda.
People are scared, on both sides. One side wants massive change right now, cant blame them. The other side is scared that massive change is going to cause a major rise in criminal activities, cant blame them either. Its scary, and the fact no one seems to have a direct plan on moving forward is also scary. Feels like we are entering a time of a lot of trial and error.
Yes. You have to be honest that it scares the average person. Even those with left leanings.
Even that sounds "scary". We should just say "Give the police less money for tanks"
Should've been called demilitarize the police.
edit: Alright, I understand that defund the police isn't about how overly equipped the police actually are.
edit: Alright, I understand that defund the police isn't about how overly equipped the police actually are.
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Unbelievable. Don't they understand what happens to the money that's taken away from police? It goes to better causes for health, schools, transportation
it should be Defund and Redistribute slogan
it should be Defund and Redistribute slogan
So in about 4 years, we might have public support for that platform. In the mean time, it's good to focus on reform. If Biden has run in 2016 and made BLM a major part of his platform, it would not have gone well. Now he can easily do that.
"Budgeting less money for your local police department for more social services" is literally "defund the police" and there are more positive opinions on it according to the poll.
Anyway this makes sense. The window moved but it'll take more time for people to warm up to some of the ideas and really conceptualize what it means. I really think at this point we just need more test cases to show that everything doesn't descend in to chaos. A couple cities kick stuff off and if it goes well more will follow, who doesn't want a bigger city budget? It's going to be more similar to marijuana legalization, people aren't suddenly going to tear things down overnight.
Anyway this makes sense. The window moved but it'll take more time for people to warm up to some of the ideas and really conceptualize what it means. I really think at this point we just need more test cases to show that everything doesn't descend in to chaos. A couple cities kick stuff off and if it goes well more will follow, who doesn't want a bigger city budget? It's going to be more similar to marijuana legalization, people aren't suddenly going to tear things down overnight.
Admirable goal but doesn't encompass what defund the police wishes to accomplish
Not at all surprising. "Defund the Police" is like a 2 weeks old concept for most Americans. It's a vague catch phrase and platform without, to most of them, a clear goal or plan. Of course they're not going to support it right now. None of this shit ever has major support in the early days, it takes years in most cases. Maybe "Defund the Police" is just a bad phrase, but to point to early polls is probably not a very good way of proving that given it's always the case for these kinds of movements.
People don't blink an eye when the military is given insane amounts of money to do whatever and it's the same thing here. There is a baseline misconception that many people possess that more money spent on your "safety" will magically make you safe.
Or how about "restructure the police to be more community oriented, to be for the people to help the people and lift up the community, not be military on the streets. Do that by restructuring the cost away from arming and enforcing and into community outreach, social support networks, and training"
OP
OP
I think the issue is that "Defund the Police" sounds scary to your average uninformed citizen and arguably misrepresents its true intent.
Or maybe 74% of white people need to educate themselves more on what "defund the police" means. Maybe they don't care about social services and divesting police funds to more essential services. Maybe they're so ignorant that they can't see a world without militarised police used for everything. That's on them, not on PR for defund the police movements.
Defund the Police is a bad slogan on so many levels. There are so many reforms/changes/laws that need to be implemented beyond just reducing police budgets, and the slogan conveys none of that.
"These people need to educate themselves instead" has never worked, ever in reality. Guess what, it's on organizers and politicians to get the message out.
Reuters had two definitions for "defund the police" in a very recently released poll, one definition received 76% support:
www.reuters.com
Exclusive: Most Americans, including Republicans, support sweeping Democratic police reform proposals - Reuters/Ipsos poll
Most Americans, including a majority of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, support sweeping law enforcement reforms such as a ban on chokeholds and racial profiling after the latest death of an African American while in police custody, according to a Reuters/Ipsos...
www.reuters.com
"most americans understand on an intuitive level that something is wrong but don't want to meaningfully change anything" could be used to describe lots of things
This is not how political movements work unfortunately. It's up to activists/protestors/organizers to educate the public, unfair as that may be.
How about "Protect and Serve Everyone"
If Trump and Brexit has taught us anything you want an ill-defined catch all which people can project their own opinions into, and which is nebulous to allow you to what you actually want.
If Trump and Brexit has taught us anything you want an ill-defined catch all which people can project their own opinions into, and which is nebulous to allow you to what you actually want.
reform the police is rather nebulous in meaning. It could simply mean procedural reforms which hasn't work in curbing police violence.
"Law Enforcement Responsibility" movement would probably be less painful for many folks to get behind
Is there a central place where "Defund the Police" is accompanied by a list of replacements/reforms that would take it's place. I think if defund will be the prevailing rallying cry beyond the protests, that would be needed in order to try to sway public opinion and put that sentiment into policy/legislation.
Obviously there would be some nuances due to the differences of cities across the country, but even if a general big tent objectives or initiatives to go along with defunding.
Obviously there would be some nuances due to the differences of cities across the country, but even if a general big tent objectives or initiatives to go along with defunding.
Arent there quotes to meet on tickets too? I think ive been told to always drive extra careful toward the end of the month because patrol officers need to meet a quota or whatever. lol
i still remember this BS while going to work at 5am. neighborhood stop-sign with no-one around and this cop hiding around the block"
"I pulled you over for doing a California roll, but i wont put that down and just ticket you for obstruction of view for that little thing hanging from your rearview mirror"
Insurance receives information that i drove a vehicle with a broken taillight. WTF? this happened about 6 years ago -_- ...
i still remember this BS while going to work at 5am. neighborhood stop-sign with no-one around and this cop hiding around the block"
"I pulled you over for doing a California roll, but i wont put that down and just ticket you for obstruction of view for that little thing hanging from your rearview mirror"
Insurance receives information that i drove a vehicle with a broken taillight. WTF? this happened about 6 years ago -_- ...
Has the left or whatever in America ever been able to out-slogan the right? Maybe working with those Lincoln Project Republicans will provide some good training on how to do it.
I think this poll also proves that leftists are also terrible at messaging.
I wish a former, extremely popular politician could stand up for his people and explain defunding police to Americans in a very nonthreatening manner.
Great slogan, can't wait to put that on a billboard where it's gonna fit.
It wasn't a tank on George Floyd's neck.
Looking forward to the thread in 6 years where a lot of you pretend they were behind defund the police along, but *new slogan* is too divisive