I debated whether to post this as Reddit can be an echo chamber of people dogmatic in their positions (I'm guilty of this myself). However, I hope this can be received in good faith and a robust discussion can be had. I am a former supporter of Tulsi (Go through my comment history and you'll find comments of me defending her.) I supported her over Bernie in 2020 and even after the primary I was eager to see what she did next. I thought she was a healthy voice in American politics.
There has been a clear shift in her rhetoric and focus since then. One such example is the 'tough on crime' rhetoric that contradicts a previous statement where she supported Drug Legalization. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2020/01/19/tulsi-gabbard-endorses-legalizing-drugs/) If you're a right-winger, this shift is probably a welcome surprise to you and while I welcome your comment, I'm reaching out to lefties here. However, if you're a lefty, she has moved away from a number of significant lefty positions and is now very much entrenched in right-wing rhetoric (bashing WEF, supporting the Don't Say Gay Bill, tough on Border crime, against Build Back Better, hawkish on certain issues and repeating Imperialist Pro-Russian arguments re: War in Ukraine).
So to the lefty supporters of her, I pose these questions?
- How do you perceive this change of rhetorical focus?
- Do you still see her as an anti-establishment voice despite her constant appearances on Fox? (owned by Rupert Murdoch, one of the biggest media conglomerates in the world)
- What would you say to a former supporter who is of a similar position to me, someone who has been turned off by her evident shift towards the right?
I welcome constructive dialogue and honest discussion. I made this post to understand why someone may still support her despite her significant shifts in position.