Writes Tyler Austin Harper, an environmental studies professor, in "Is This How Democrats Win Back the Working Class? Embracing populism could help the party build a lasting political coalition — if the Republicans don't do it first" (The Atlantic).
"The soul-searching that is before the Democrats will require liberals to engage with views they find discomfiting, and to reckon with the fact that their social values are out of keeping with the working-class majorities they profess to represent.... 'We cannot successfully engage with people whose inner lives we do not even try to understand,' a recent report from the stalwartly liberal think tank the Roosevelt Institute concludes...."
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87 comments:
"coalition of the non-college-educated."
What horseshit. This lie needs to die. The number of college and post-grad voters for Trump is substantial. I know of nobody with a master's degree including myself who voted for the prostitute who grew up in a middle-class household.
Puritans must be pure. It's what they do, damn the consequences.
“Still, most of those I interviewed shared the view that Trump will likely squander his populist goodwill with tax cuts for billionaires and other anti-populist agenda items during his term”
Don’t think you interviewed anyone outside your Central Park bubble.
“but there remains a deeper and perhaps more intractable problem: The GOP appears to be locking into place a multiracial coalition of the non-college-educated.“
And there’s yer trouble…. You can’t understand them from your Central Park balconies, especially when you look down your nose at them as “the non-college-educated”. You think all that voted for Trump are uneducated deplorable garbage.
'We cannot successfully engage with people whose inner lives we do not even try to understand,'
We cannot successfully engage with people we only pretend to care about and look down upon. (This is more accurate)
The operative word here is few, as in the number of members of the populist right an intersectionalist academic at a private liberal arts college can name or has even spoke to. Tyler Astin Harper lives in an ivory tower without windows.
Their greed and arrogance has destroyed the value of a college degree. It is now nothing more than a certificate of prestige. It doesn't mean the graduate is actually "educated."
Who are these Dems capable of gaining a positive national profile without pandering to the antisemitic left?
"If the Democrats have any hope of once again being the party of the working class..." Clueless liberals.
The Democratic Party no longer cares about the non-college educated. From the NYTimes article on Biden's immigration surge: "The Congressional Budget Office has concluded that wage growth for Americans who did not attend college will be lower than it otherwise would have been for the next few years because of the recent surge. On the flip side, higher immigration can reduce the cost of services and help Americans, many with higher incomes, who do not compete for jobs with immigrants."
>"Embracing populism could help the party build a lasting political coalition — if the Republicans don't do it first"<
Um, what? Didn't the Republicans just do it a few weeks ago?
If the Democrats want to win people back, they should start by not listening to environmental studies professors, or any studies professors.
There's one thing all right wing populists share -- they can smell condescension a mile off. They're far too polite to talk to anyone they way people like Tyler Austin Harper reflexively talk to anyone who doesn't kowtow to his obvious superiority, so they nod and shrug and mostly agree with whatever premise the slumming aristo is peddling in hope of his sooner than later departure. This accounts for much of the absurd polling data flogged by morons like that champagne-guzzling "political analyst" who made of herself an epic fool on the socials.
This is all good news for conservatives. The left is mired even deeper in its custom-made pigsty of delusion and brain fog than it was last September.
Atlantic Hack sez:
"Still, most of those I interviewed shared the view that Trump will likely squander his populist goodwill with tax cuts for billionaires and other anti-populist agenda items during his term."
This liar did not interview anyone on the "right". Because no one on the "right" thinks that. We all know the truth - which is that Trump cut taxes for all brackets.
more to come...
It's in The Atlantic, so the chances he made up his sources is not zero.
Atlantic hack sez:
"This should produce an opening for the populist left, but there remains a deeper and perhaps more intractable problem: The GOP appears to be locking into place a multiracial coalition of the non-college-educated.
ah yes - "the uneducated." There's the hive-mind D-hack slur of the year.
It's impossible for anyone who IS educated - to support Trump/or his agenda. Only smart people love and adore (as they should!) the modern Corrupt Democrat Party.
Tyler Austin Harper is evidently well-schooled, but there's also evidence that he's poorly educated. Can you see it? One doesn't need Doctor Bell's forensic acumen to see the flaw in his reasoning sticking out like a sore thumb the size of the Eiffel Tower.
Dems just need to knock on their neighbors' doors and offer them the chance to hang out with the cool kids.
It has to be said at this point. The Atlantic is not what it once was. Everyone knows that. Do not look to The Atlantic for an idea of what is happening, or what is about to happen. They don't know this because they are truly disconnected from that real world. They see the world through a made-up lens. And none of it reflects reality.
The Left still has to manufacture a connection to the masses of America. Remember 'Brat'? 'Joy'? Those didn't quite last long enough. To be honest, Trump as Hitler did more to bring out their voters than any actual policy or stated emotion (aside from full on abortions anytime, anyplace). And that's the truth.
There seem to be a mass of articles by the left, watching the ascent of the right, and saying, "Hey...we can do that, too. Only we'll do it our way." By knocking on your neighbors doors, no doubt.
…”if the Repuhlicans don’t do it first”.
Too late; those dastardly racist Republicans have already begun doing it!
Populism has no policy content. It is just an organizing tactic. Elite consolidation and technocratic incrementalism are alternatives.
Each choice can work, and each must work within a somewhat limited policy range, since the policies must, by and large, appeal to the populace, the elite or the technocrats, but the tactic chosen doesn't define the agenda, and, to a degree, a broad agenda can be pushed by any coalition of these organizing tactics.
"...engage with views they find discomfiting..." But that would Trigger them and they'd have to retreat to a Safe Place with cookies and stuffed animals, and where you write with crayons. In other words, The Atlantic.
Writes Tyler Austin Harper, an environmental studies professor
Yeah, when I want to know what "those not he populist right" think, the person I'm going to listen to is "an environmental studies professor"
/sarc
What is populism exactly? I think of it historically as a movement of farmers and laborers who wanted to limit the power of bankers and robber barons. These days, I think it refers to the idea that government policies should be aimed improving the economic prospects of ordinary, middle-class Americans who work in private-sector jobs. Trumpian policies like border enforcement, protective tariffs, and reducing the size of government fit in easily with this view of populism, unlike the things that dems seem to care most about (e.g., open borders, expanding government, destroying the fossil fuel industry, direct government subsidization of the living expenses of non-wage-earners).
Therefore, I don't see how leftists can be authentically populist. Perhaps what the author has in mind is merely embracing "populism" as a label or marketing strategy?
Of course Trump can't be seen as "the genuine (populist) article;" he isn't genuinely anything other than cunning, self-servicing, and self-aggrandizing, vomiting up whatever nonsensical rhetoric and splenetic insults and name-calling that serves his scheming and/or mercurial moods at any given moment. He is for no one but himself.
Working from the advice being peddled by every intersectionalist from Bates to Bryn Mawr, here's the deal the "reformed" DNC will offer the working class in 2026: Give us the power and we'll give you a $30/hour national minimum wage. Just think how many eggs that will buy!
Unfortunately, for the Democrats to become again the party of working-class Americans they will have to abandon support for current trade and immigration policies that their donors are committed to above all other issues. And no wonder. It's where a lot of the big-money class's income comes from.
Straighten up
@gilbar
You seem to be the source of italics here and in other posts. Please stop doing whatever you are doing. Don't play with italics and boldface when you're not sure you are adequately closing them.
How is his presidency helping himself? Is he getting richer like Biden, Obama, or the Clintons? Is his life getting easier? Is he getting more famous? How Cookie?
Welcome back, Robert Cook. Still haranguing yourself, I see. You must be a remarkably stubborn person. If I were in your position I would have convinced myself years ago.
The first requirement is for Democrats to get back in touch with reality, they aren't even close. Today's mystery: on what planet is The Atlantic published?
"Today's mystery: on what planet is The Atlantic published?"
Planet Tyke, homeworld of the Teletubbies.
So Republicans call Trump a transitional figure. You have trannies, we have trannies too.
I don’t think so.
And he's your President too, baby - we'll share him with you. And why not give us your take on why the self-servicing, self-aggrandizing greedhead is deferring his salary again, just so we can keep it straight.
I, for one, will go with this self-serving guy whose actions oddly enough make the entire country and world better off, rather than the leftist self-serving guy or gal whose actions, oddly enough, make the entire country and world worse off.
“…a multiracial coalition of the non-college-educated.”
Why the long winded description? Just use the shorthand “despicables” like you used to.
"Americans are desperate for meaning and community..."
We used to call that "a nation."
The democrats opened the border in a craven bid to import more democrat voters, if not in the immediate election cycle then down the road. It has the inevitable consequence of depressing the wages of lower-income voters. Now they are on a quest to trick these voters into voting for them anyway. Giving them "government" handouts is the only tool in their kit.
Tyler Austin Harper writes, "Americans are desperate for meaning and community..."
There are words for people who look to government for meaning and community. Two of them are "communist" and "fascist".
"He is for no one but himself."
It's really disappointing to see you stoop to these evidence-lacking throw-away lines, Robert. What has happened to the old Robert Cooke?
Trump a transitional figure? Just as it is said again and again about Goku in the many series of the anime Dragon Ball, "He has not yet achieved his final form!"
Populist right - Economics is a factor and matters, but cultural issues are also a factor. Often these cultural factors are hidden.Many people on the center right, myself included, feel "voided", or in the words of Sara Longwell, like we are viewed as "bad people". Liberal whites, often with 90% of the gay community, run the culture. Working class folks of all races often have different opinions and get called "bad people".
How about a pink and chubby Majin Buu? Plenty of forms too.
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Majin_Buu
I look at what the "environmental stujdies" professor has to sa y. And I recall a phrase from Dennis Prager--"Some things are so dumb that only a college graduate [or college professor] can believe them." A pious hope that the Bad Orange Man will make a mistake is no substitute for an action plan.
"Still, most of those I interviewed shared ..." my table in the faculty lounge.
TDS killed the old Robert Cooke. Now he is just another spewing left wing activist who has no clue why they lost.
Right, Left, Populism. These are meaningless terms.
Also, the Dems are incapable of believing that one can obtain an "education" in any way other than years of college (while also ignoring the steady decline in the quality of the education one gets at college).
"The GOP appears to be locking into place a multiracial coalition of the non-college-educated." Imagine. A coalition of the non-brainwashed.
sorry professor!
when *i* want to know about how people on the "populist right" think..
i ALWAYS ask a professor.. and Not just Any professor.. an environmental studies professor
and NOT JUST ANY environmental studies professor..
one from Bates College, a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine
one whose degrees are: from: New York University, Ph.D. in comparative literature and M.A. in comparative literature; Haverford College, B.A. in English
(yes! an environmental studies professor, with NO knowledge of the environment)
Lets learn MORE about Tyler Harper!
Harper researches the evolving ways in which science fiction writers have depicted human extinction
Why sci-fi? With a literary canon that includes books from L. Ron Hubbard, and with movie titles like Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man..
That's RIGHT! this "expert" on the 'populist right', is an English teacher, that teaches about Abbott and Costello movies.
The only way to find out what regular Americans think is to go on Truth Social.
Lefties are forever digging in hopes of finding a pony. Nation-destroying simps.
What does a "straighten up" comment mean? Is it about closing italics? For a while I thought it was an admonishment to be more polite, but if so, I can't tell who it is aimed at.
The “college-educated” include a vast number of individuals that lack all common sense and barely know up from down.
We have the current asshole sitting president - who graduated top of his college class, according to him - issuing pardons for Chinese spies and other shitbirds. Impressive.
ka ka
Aren't we beyond the labels now and not thinking about who's conservative or progressive or liberal or populist or nationalist but rather about who can govern effectively and for the country's benefit?
The Democrat base isn't labor or "the little guy" anymore. If Democrats manage to make a comeback it won't be by embracing populists or blue-collar workers. It will be because progressives and a sizeable number of middle-class Americans are again willing to support a party dominated by suburbanites, professional women, academics, technocrats, party hacks, and the rich. It will be (Bill) Clintonism 2.0. The Democrat will know the price of a carton of milk, the Republican won't, and that will put Clintonism back in the White House.
Do they ever take a day off?
"Still, most of those I interviewed shared the view that Trump will likely squander his populist goodwill with tax cuts for billionaires and other anti-populist agenda items during his term."
Tyler Austin Harper is at Bates College in Maine. I doubt that there are many Trump populists up there. He probably interviewed liberal people who voted for Trump because they couldn't bring themselves to vote for Harris. I sincerely doubt that they were Trump populists.
My relatives live in a small, conservative city. They are all Trump populists and they all see Trump as being extremely genuine.
"transitional"... Dream on.
"Aren't we beyond the labels..." You're kidding right?
I read the AA headline, and immediately asked my self, "NYT, New Yorker, Atlantic?"
Yep, got that right. Oh so predictable.
Reminds me of when Pauline Kael said she didn't know anyone who voted for Nixon. I know some college grads who voted for Trump, but the majority went for Harris. It's the thing that helped him--that the Dems are controlled by academicians.
Gerda, yes it is about closing italics. Also the "Don't boldly go" IIRC when our hostess stops bolding. Entering the correct closing tag in a comment will terminate the formatting but in order for the comment to take it has to include some text after the tag. The text entered is irrelevant. "Italico" is favored over at AoSHQ where the comment software has a similar bug.
OT but since you're here, Bich ... Remember when I told you Hunter's was not going to be the last pardon? (Stephen Green @ Instapundit). Multiple Chinese spies and another pedo. Must be FOH.
"Aren't we beyond the labels now and not thinking about who's conservative or progressive or liberal or populist or nationalist but rather about who can govern effectively and for the country's benefit?"
All of these democrat post-mortems are about "how do we win the next election, not enacting country-benefiting policies. It's all very tribal.
Democrats searching for answers could do worse than America's Nobel Poet: "Knock , Knock, Knocking on Neighbors' Doors."
"They are all Trump populists and they all see Trump as being extremely genuine."
Which is something the left can't abide. Everyone knows leftards define themselves as, pretty much above all else, anti-Trump. So- if Trump is genuine, what does that make them?
Their typical response to any setback is to keep doing the same thing, but harder next time. As the meme says, "It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for 'em."
‘ "Aren't we beyond the labels..." You're kidding right? ‘
He’s officially returned to teh Dead…
This comment is pretty inaccurate. I swear, people post things in here under the assumption that the rest of us don't know how to use google. The first statement about L. Ron Hubbard and Abbott and Costello ends with an ellipsis in this post because the full statement says that popular sci fi is not all there is to the genre. He doesn't teach Abbot and Costello or Hubbard. He uses them in the interview posted (https://www.bates.edu/news/2020/09/18/meet-new-faculty-tyler-harper-and-science-fiction-that-goes-beyond-just-beach-reading/) as examples of how science fiction is more than the popular stuff suggests. Sort of like saying if we limit ourselves to Mickey Spillane, we'll miss how great Chandler or Hammett were. There's still plenty in the interview that folks here would take issue with, but this is just misleading and stupid.
Translated: "How do we get power back?", which is their only priority.
... tax cuts for billionaires and other anti-populist agenda items during his term.
For a lot of people, and especially Cookie, all tax cuts are "tax cuts for the rich." The Left will push this meme even when, as was the case for Trump's previous tax cuts, plenty of well-credentialed economists analyzed his tax cuts and agreed that they disproportionately benefited the working poor and middle class and the expense of the wealthy. This is almost unheard of with tax cuts, but when combined with his elimination of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction (which hit the limousine liberals very hard in their wallets) the benefits were even more powerfully skewed to those near the bottom of the economic ladder.
The GOP appears to be locking into place a multiracial coalition of the non-college-educated. These are voters who may prove easier for liberals to lose than to win back.
Well, Trump locked them into place as Trump voters. The next step will be to turn them into reliable Republican voters, and until people like Ernst and McConnell get comfortable with that -- or get replaced -- they are not the Democrats' voters to lose, they are the GOP's voters to lose.
And it needs to be said that Prof. Tyler Austin Harper has his verb tenses wrong. The non-college educated (not to mention people such as myself with advanced STEM degrees) are not theirs "to lose." The Democrats already lost them. And they did not really lose them; they threw them away.
vomiting up whatever nonsensical rhetoric and splenetic insults and name-calling that serves his scheming and/or mercurial moods at any given moment.
Here's a mirror. Take a good, long look into it.
Trump is the first Person of Orange (PoO) to be elected by popular consensus. Joy. Historical joy.
But his sources ARE likely to be his Atlantic Monthly cohorts and its readers.
not sure what you think is "inaccurate" about it?
Is Tyler an English grad?
Does he "research" the ways science fiction has depicted human extinction?
Does that have ANY THING to do with "environmental studies" ?
Does ANY of this give him ANY insight into the "populist right" ?
help me out, guitar joe? Explain it to me
You didn't represent accurately what his scholarship is based on, so nothing else you say has any merit. Science fiction includes CS Lewis, Vonnegut, and plenty of other writers who are more highly regarded than the examples you use. And, again, he doesn't teach Abbott and Costello. He uses them and Hubbard as examples of cheesy sci-fi. Did you actually read the interview, or is it enough to selectively quote, which pisses you off when the NYT or Post do it.
Thanks Quaestor for edumaaate re Doctor Bell
so no different between community organizing and populism?
Christopher B,
"over at AoSHQ where the comment software has a similar bug."
It's more accurate to say it's a flaw in the HTML spec itself.
Left is very specific, dating back to France and the French Revolution. It covers the insane people who did the French Revolution. And Karl Marx and the Communist revolutions easily fit under its banner. The French Revolution was very, very woke. The names change (Commie, pinko, progressive, liberal, woke) and they usually abandon the name when people get too mad at them.
Liberal is actually what our Founding Fathers were, believing in free speech and free exercise and popular sovereignty (with equal protection added to the list after the Civil War).
In France the right-wing was pro-king, so around the world authoritarian states or military states are often referred to as right-wing. But in the USA, conservatives love our Constitution, and the liberal rights that it protects. So our internal fights have been minimized, since both our right-wing and left-wing have reverence for our Constitution and our rights.
The Democrat party has abandoned most of these concepts, first equal protection, and then free speech. Many of them have abandoned religion altogether, and they don't think it's particularly important. And in the last few elections you can argue the elites in the Democrat party have abandoned popular sovereignty. And many of these elites have adopted an open hostility to our Constitution, and to our country, the USA.
I don't think these terms are meaningless at all. If you know the history of them, it's very helpful.
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