Dennis, a thought-provoking column. Let me ask what do you think are the answers to the central questions first liberals/Democrats? What did liberals do to cause such anger and grievance? And what might we have done differently?
Did you read Nick Kristoff this weekend in the Times? He argues that we need to stop treating the MAGA Republicans with such disdain.
I did read Kristoff and obviously agree with his point about disdain. Hillary Clinton’s 2016 comments about deplorables played a huge part in this. Remember Iowa’s 31 Obama-Trump counties: Obama had reasonable support in Iowa in 2008 and even in 2012, but in 2016 31 Iowa counties flipped to vote for Trump. There were only 206 counties nationwide that did that, and Iowa had more than any other state.
I think my point is that people want prosperity, but they also want respect. Economics matters, but symbolism matters too. People want to believe that candidates understand them. Now, we can ask whether a billionaire playboy really understands white working-class folks, but someone whose name I can't recall might have sensed the point when he said that Trump hates the same people all these MAGA supporters do.
Democrats have forgotten how to talk to white, working-class voters—indeed, to all working-class voters. Democrats and liberals decided or at least stumbled into identity politics, becoming the party of women and racial and sexual minorities (though there are quite a lot of women who support Trump—see Moms for Liberty). But what goes around, comes around: MAGA is white identity politics on steroids. Democrats and liberals can't even get rural and non-college voters (not to mention young white males) to listen to them, let alone agree with them.
Enough for now. Thanks for your interest and questions.
Dennis, a thought-provoking column. Let me ask what do you think are the answers to the central questions first liberals/Democrats? What did liberals do to cause such anger and grievance? And what might we have done differently?
Did you read Nick Kristoff this weekend in the Times? He argues that we need to stop treating the MAGA Republicans with such disdain.
Dave and John,
I did read Kristoff and obviously agree with his point about disdain. Hillary Clinton’s 2016 comments about deplorables played a huge part in this. Remember Iowa’s 31 Obama-Trump counties: Obama had reasonable support in Iowa in 2008 and even in 2012, but in 2016 31 Iowa counties flipped to vote for Trump. There were only 206 counties nationwide that did that, and Iowa had more than any other state.
I think my point is that people want prosperity, but they also want respect. Economics matters, but symbolism matters too. People want to believe that candidates understand them. Now, we can ask whether a billionaire playboy really understands white working-class folks, but someone whose name I can't recall might have sensed the point when he said that Trump hates the same people all these MAGA supporters do.
Democrats have forgotten how to talk to white, working-class voters—indeed, to all working-class voters. Democrats and liberals decided or at least stumbled into identity politics, becoming the party of women and racial and sexual minorities (though there are quite a lot of women who support Trump—see Moms for Liberty). But what goes around, comes around: MAGA is white identity politics on steroids. Democrats and liberals can't even get rural and non-college voters (not to mention young white males) to listen to them, let alone agree with them.
Enough for now. Thanks for your interest and questions.
That should be the central questions FOR liberals/Democrats
Yes, but our system of government isn't based on trust.
That's why there are three separate, co-equal branches of government.