Journalist and political commentator Leighton Woodhouse recently offered strategic advice to the Republican Party via social media, suggesting a continued focus on portraying "normal Democratic voters" as aligned with "woke" ideologies. In a tweet on August 3, 2025, Woodhouse asserted, > "There’s like 200 people in America who were actually offended by that ad. My political advice to Republicans is to keep pretending normal Dem voters are all woketarded college kids." This commentary underscores an ongoing debate within conservative political strategy regarding the effectiveness and public reception of anti-woke messaging.
Woodhouse, known for his nuanced critiques of both progressive "woke culture" and the "MAGA cultural political complex," has established himself as a prominent voice in contemporary political discourse. His background includes work as a journalist and documentarian, often exploring the disintegration of traditional political alignments and the rise of new cultural divides. His advice is rooted in an observation that the perceived offense to "anti-woke" advertisements or rhetoric is limited to a small segment of the population.
The Republican Party has increasingly adopted "anti-woke" rhetoric as a central pillar of its platform, using the term as a pejorative to describe progressive social justice views, particularly on issues of race, gender, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This strategy is evident in party documents like the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which explicitly targets "woke culture warriors" and "woke propaganda" across various sectors, including education and government. Republican leaders frequently employ the term to criticize policies and positions they deem too liberal.
While this "war on woke" approach aims to energize the conservative base, its broader appeal remains a subject of debate among political analysts. Some reports indicate that while the messaging resonates strongly with core Republican voters, it may not sway moderate voters, who are often more concerned with economic issues. Polling data from 2024 and 2025 suggests a mixed public perception of the term "woke," with a significant portion of Americans still associating it with being "informed and aware of social injustices," while others adopt the conservative definition of "overly politically correct."
Woodhouse's advice suggests a calculated political maneuver to maintain a specific narrative about Democratic voters, irrespective of widespread public offense. This approach aligns with a long-standing pattern of conservative politics using "reactionary backlash" to cultural shifts. Despite some indications that voters may be tiring of the culture war, the continued focus on "anti-woke" themes suggests Republicans view it as a potent tool for mobilizing their base and framing the opposition in a specific, unfavorable light.