Americans are divided on culture war issues, according to a new CNN poll. The poll suggests that nearly half of Americans think society has gone too far in its acceptance of different cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, and backgrounds. On the other hand, a little over half reject that characterization.

Republican Strategy

Republicans are trying to leverage this divide in the midterms, with many candidates bombarding voters with ads about fighting the “woke” left. In Texas, Republican candidates are targeting Democratic state representative James Talarico over his past comments on social issues, which they deem “woke.” Talarico has since distanced himself from some of these remarks, calling them “cringey.”

The CNN poll also reveals that there are significant divides within the Democratic Party. Women are more likely than men to see an issue with offensive speech and to say that society hasn’t gone far enough in accepting differences on culture, gender identity, and sexual orientations. Additionally, Democratic-aligned Whites are more likely than Democratic-aligned people of color to say that societal acceptance hasn’t gone far enough.

Culture War Issues

The debate over “wokeness” has been particularly potent within GOP primaries, where politicians face an electorate largely primed for a backlash against cultural acceptance. Nationally, President Donald Trump’s administration made efforts to roll back diversity initiatives an early and prominent tentpole of his second term.

Most men and White Americans reject the idea that they’ve seen advantages in their lives from being born into those demographics. However, few feel as though they’ve been the targets of discrimination themselves. White Americans who align with the Democratic Party are three times as likely as those aligned with the GOP to say that their race has been an advantage in their lives.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.