“Identity politics” has become a hostile phrase for some and a rallying cry for others, though the concept is as old as our nation, just like voter suppression. As a result, our politics, particularly around elections, often resolves into a dichotomy about how to win elections. The argument goes that we must talk exclusively either about groups that are explicitly excluded or only about those who feel as though they’re going to be left out if the conversation changes. Presumably, we can’t talk about both. Yet, our democracy has always been grounded in how we must investigate identity and work
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