Vox Sentences - Why right-wing boycotts are working

Thursday, August 31, 2023:

How’s it going? It’s Izzie Ramirez, and here’s what we’re following today:

Up first: Why protests against major companies are working.

In other news: Ron DeSantis tested by recent crises; more than 70 dead in a Johannesburg building fire; and a Backstreet Boy sued for sexual assault.

See you in your inbox tomorrow!

The conservative boycott playbook is kind of working

Natalie Behring/Getty Images

Usually, boycotts rarely succeed. However, this year, boycotts in the US have been a little different: Conservative consumers have been able to do some damage.

The lowdown: 

• Bud Light lost millions of dollars in sales after launching a small marketing campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney earlier this spring. The backlash ultimately contributed to Bud Light’s dethroning as the most popular beer in the country.
  
  

• Then, over the summer, conservatives took aim at Target and its annual Pride collection. Many called for a boycott of the retailer, and some consumers took to going into Target stores to destroy displays and harass employees. Target’s earnings were down for the second quarter.

The stakes: Money and culture reporter Emily Stewart argues that conservative boycotts are more successful than progressive ones — like those against Chick-fil-A or Goya — because the right is energized, relatively homogenous in their beliefs, and focused. 

“The culture wars of the moment are likely a contributing factor here,” Emily writes. “Namely, conservatives are united around pushing back against transgender visibility and rights. It’s a hot-button issue and one there’s a lot of frenetic sentiment around within the GOP.”

Read Emily’s full explainer here.

A Florida hurricane and shooting are testing Ron DeSantis

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Here’s what you need to know: 

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is currently running for president. He’s the closest competitor to Trump, but the margin remains huge: DeSantis trails Trump by nearly 40 percentage points as of late August. [Vox]
  
  
• He’s now had to take time off from his struggling campaign to deal with crises at home: Last weekend, three people were killed in a racially-motivated shooting in Jacksonville. The incident set off protests and a curfew. [The Florida Times-Union]
  
  
• And now, Hurricane Idalia threatens to render some Floridians homeless or — because of insurance policies in the state — unable to make affordable repairs. Though damage appears to be not quite as bad as expected, Idalia was still serious: It made landfall as a Category 3 storm. [Vox]
  
  
• While DeSantis led a conservative renaissance in the once-swing state of Florida, in the current time of crises, he’s been forced to confront Floridians who believe they’re suffering as a result of his policies. [Vox]

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• A building fire in Johannesburg, South Africa, kills more than 70 people, many of whom were homeless. As many as 200 people may have been living in the building. [NPR]
  
  

• Backstreet Boys star sued for alleged 2003 sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl. It’s the third of such lawsuits against singer Nick Carter, who denies all allegations. [The Guardian]
  
  

• UNC’s student newspaper responds to campus shooting with an emotional front page, featuring worried texts from loved ones to students under lockdown. President Joe Biden shared the front page on social media. [NBC News]
  
  

• Syrian protests call for the ousting of the authoritarian government. The moment feels reminiscent of the Arab Spring. [The New York Times]

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