From corporations to sports teams, Americans prefer ‘unwoke’
NEWS AND OPINION:
“Companies, schools, amusement parks and even professional sports teams that have gone ‘woke’ and adopted ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ measures are alienating many customers, leading to a drop in business, reports indicate. The latest Issues & Answers/TIPP Poll shows why: A strong plurality of Americans oppose such social activism rather than support it,” writes Terry Jones, an analyst for Issues & Insights, a news and opinion site.
“In recent months, companies as varied as Anheuser-Busch, Disney, and Target; the Los Angeles Dodgers; and major universities have suffered financial and reputational damage for pushing controversial social and cultural issues on customers, fans and students,” he said.
The news organization teamed up with the TIPP Poll and conducted a nationwide survey of 1,358 U.S. adults conducted online from May 31-June 2 and released Monday. Here’s what it found.
“All told, 46% of Americans opposed the trend toward corporate social activism, compared to just 17% who supported it. But a large contingent, 29%, expressed indifference,” Mr. Jones said.
“The phrase ‘get woke, go broke,’ coined barely five years ago, today seems more relevant than ever. As the poll results show, a great many Americans want their capitalism unwoke,” he advised.
TIM SCOTT’S TOWN HALL
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Tim Scott will have an ideal moment to set forth his agenda and share his thoughts when he joins Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday for a town hall meeting at a major sports center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The encounter will focus on the 2024 presidential race, the state of the country and the growing Republican field in the primary election, among other topics.
The South Carolina lawmaker offers some insight about the event.
“The past few weeks have been a whirlwind and we’re going to cover it all. I’ve been to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and so many other states working to push my message of restoring faith in America,” Mr. Scott said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“And of course we’ll be discussing how ‘The View’ co-host Whoopi Goldberg said I have ‘Clarence Thomas syndrome’ as a Black Republican,” Mr. Scott said.
“After fellow ‘View’ co-host Joy Behar said I’m a Republican because I ‘don’t get’ the idea of racism, I’m sure it’s going to be exciting television,” the senator noted.
“I believe that in America you’re defined by the content of your character, not the color of your skin. You can go as high and far as your character and work ethic will take you. The truth of my life disproves the racist lies of the radical Left. America is not a racist country. It’s the greatest country in the world. That’s what I stand for,” Mr. Scott said.
The town hall airs on Fox News Channel at 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
NIGHTSTAND READING
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued its 13th annual report identifying new opportunities to save taxpayers billions of dollars by reducing that pesky fragmentation, overlap, and duplication that can occur in the federal government.
“This year’s report outlines 100 new corrective measures in 35 topic areas that Congress and federal agencies could take to save money and improve efficiency and effectiveness in government programs and activities,” the federal agency said in a statement.
Curious about all this? Find the 126-page report, or a two-page rundown of the highlights, at GAO.gov.
SCIENCE CORNER
The nation’s space agency is at work on a new project, perhaps of interest to auto and aircraft manufacturers, city planners, imaginative politicians and the ever-restless new media.
NASA is interested in air taxis that would ferry folks around town with the greatest of ease.
“To create a future where air taxis are a regular form of transportation, passengers need to be comfortable. That’s why researchers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are exploring how passengers may experience an air taxi ride by building a custom virtual reality flight simulator,” the agency said in a statement.
Researchers are intensely interested in the human physiological response to motion, vibration, noise and “visual stimuli” that passengers could encounter when tooling along in the newfangled vehicle,
That in mind, the new simulator includes virtual reality goggles depicting both an aircraft cabin and city environment, plus noise, sound effects and anticipated seat motions.
“NASA will make data collected with the simulator available to industry and other stakeholders to help shape the design of electric air taxis, locations where the aircraft will take off and land, and desired flight paths through cities,“ the agency said.
“As each subject virtually flies around a projected scene of downtown San Francisco, they will be asked to indicate any time they feel uncomfortable by pressing a handheld button. These discomfort cues can later be correlated with recorded visual and motion stimuli, as well as with physiological measurements, such as heart rate and breathing rate,” NASA said.
Then, perhaps, the fun begins.
“NASA researchers will be able to provide guidance on elements of air taxi design like seat placement and window size based on the results of these experiments. It will also help inform where the aircraft will take off, land and fly. This information will help industry and government make informed decisions to ensure a positive experience for future air taxi users.” the agency said.
POLL DU JOUR
• 43% of U.S. adults think that a third “major” political party “is necessary” in the U.S.; 40% of conservatives, 44% of moderates and 50% of liberals agree.
• 47% of men and 40% of women also agree.
• 29% overall say the Republican and Democratic parties are “enough” to represent Americans; 34% of conservatives, 33% of moderates and 24% of liberals agree.
• 30% of men and 28% of women also agree.
• 27% overall are not sure about the issue; 25% of conservatives, 23% of moderates and 25% of liberals agree.
• 23% of men and 32% of women also agree.
SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted June 10-13.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
