The bigger problem with Kshama Sawant’s tasteless outburst

Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant’s angry tweet was, indisputably, tasteless. Most people lit her up on Twitter for it.

RELATED: Sawant says Seattle is a ‘playground for the rich’

But, in all of the anger, there’s a much bigger problem she now faces. She just pushed herself back into the fringe corners of the internet.

Sawant spent a lot of time pushing Socialist alternatives to progressive policies traditionally espoused in Seattle politics. She’s had much success in mainstreaming the movement, even if she doesn’t expressly say she wants to make them mainstream. But when your agenda is adopted by a major city — from changing the conversation on housing affordability to success in raising the minimum wage — it has become mainstream. If you’re a supporter of her principles, this is a win.

But when you come out in such a harsh and unreasonable way, angry that the Women’s March offered a rote “rest in peace” message to a well-loved, non-controversial former First Lady, you send the message that you’re not mainstream. And beyond that, you tell the people you aim to bring to your side that you’re just simply mean-spirited and unlikable.

Sawant is undoubtedly brilliant at playing the media and changing the narrative. She’s a lot like President Donald Trump in that regard (they also share an unjust hatred of Amazon). But this Twitter decision was a bad one. She just pushed herself back into the fringes and made her brand less mainstream. What purpose did her tweet serve if not to alienate people who might otherwise have found themselves moving into her camp?

Why is that a problem? Because fringe activists don’t win debates if they’re unable to mainstream their policies enough to get the non-fringe activists motivated to push for change. You think it was the Socialist activists alone who passed some of her legislation? No. Though loud in voice, fringe elements are small in numbers. Politicians aren’t too scared of those elements. But politicians get freaked out when those fringe elements start to get everyone else to start looking at topics differently.

To come out with such a lack of empathy, Sawant played back into the narrative that she’s just an unhinged politician who lucked into a position of power in the Council. What normal person wants to associate themselves with someone who takes such a ridiculous and hurtful position? Her movement needs more supporters, not fewer.

With that tweet, she just reminded people of her fringe roots. And that will have consequences.

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