The oil lobby pays the right wing, Musk does not. So they demonize Tesla and EVs and the left has joined them since a few years, to my disgust.
I used to be a die hard liberal, I only lately realized that liberal media and many liberals don't care two hoots about climate change. I used to defend them all the time. They've been publishing hit pieces and even fake news about Tesla just because they don't like Musk. They lost the moral high ground about fake news. Those are heavily upvoted on liberal social media like HN and Reddit. I don't like what Musk has been doing lately but I do care about the environment and don't hate Tesla and SpaceX like people on here. I was going to buy an EV even at a price premium but now I don't care. I'll buy a gas guzzler like the rest.
I am too old for climate change to affect me and it turns out the young ones don't care enough about it themselves. I used to be very liberal but seeing how Tesla is maligned on HN and Reddit changed me. I don't think I will vote red but I will never vote blue from now on. And then more liberals will wonder why the vote is so close come November.
I have such skepticism on these things. I don't think you alter your fundamental world view on things like human rights, the environment and such because of "liberal media".
I think exposure to viewpoints that either validate your biases or contradict your worldview strengthen your position, and rarely change it.
In short, I am always skeptical about "I used to be a liberal, but..." (and for clarity, "I used to be conservative, but...") - it's almost exclusively a weird argument to authority. "I know, I understand, I got you. But I saw the light." No, you were probably always conservative, deep down.
This can also differ if you're talking exclusively the political parties, who generally fall under "all suck" in my view.
> I don't think you alter your fundamental world view on things like human rights, the environment and such because of "liberal media"
I haven't, it's part of the reason I said I probably won't vote right.
> In short, I am always skeptical about "I used to be a liberal, but..."
I guess I could link you to my past social media where I used to argue with conservatives over fake news on the right etc.
I can't stand fake news. So then when I saw fake news against Tesla in prestigious media it changed something in me to see liberal hypocrisy. And no, I didn't turn into a conservative.
Electric cars are cool and all but they really aren't that big a deal in terms of the environment. The environmentalists I know hate personalized transportation, full stop. Tesla wants to pave the earth just like any other car company out there. Liberal hypocrisy my ass.
But we must blame the left whenever the right eats itself!
Or maybe we live in a multipolar world?
....nah