I think where you are wrong is how you describe "Blue Liberals". They aren't liberal at all (not at least in the real meaning of the word: "Favoring reform, open to new ideas, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; not bound by traditional thinking; broad-minded."
They are conservative. They do not want change. They understand that they are priveleged, and that any meaningful reforms will mean that they will become less rich than the middle and working classes they despise.
This is why Pelosi knees wearing kente cloth rather than, say, enforcing the tax code against the donor class that lavishes her in money. Kneeling is free.
This is also why they can only run on "at least we're not Trump!" They may as well say, "We're not going to a damned thing to make your life better, but we'll try and convince you the other team will make your life worse."
Except the Democrats adopt each Republican policy they pretend to abhor no less than two election cycles later.
Biden is apes Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric now.
Obama didn't even wait a day before continuing Bush's no-string giveaway to the crooks who blew up the world's economy.
David Frum and Bill Kristol raise money for the Democrats now. Remember when George Bush was an unholy evil that needed to be stopped at all costs? Now he hangs out with Michelle Obama, counting the money they made screwing over America.
There is no "horseshoe" theory. It's a fish hook - any time it seems like income inequality might become less horrendous, the Right joins with the Center to stop the Left from making any real progress towards decency.
Exactly. You could call them Oligarchy Dems. Wokeness was very useful to them until recently, but as Ross notes they are at a loss now that they can't dismiss Rashida Tlaib as a white bro, their one and only rhetorical gambit.
The Democratic Establishment doesn't exist to legislate or even win elections.
They will be very well funded by a grateful donor class so long as they continue to prevent anyone who represents the middle or working classes from ever winning election.
They would prefer to lose to a Republican like Trump than have someone like Bernie Sanders win.
It's amusing to watch them pretend to care about foreign influences in our election will ignoring how the Israel lobbies pour money into elections against anyone who isn't sufficiently enthusiastic about ethnic cleansing. They care about one thing, and one thing only - money.
The Democrats of today are the Republicans of five years ago. And since my own Congressman Daniel Sachs Goldman (yes that is his real name; is there any wonder he hates Matt Taibbi?) believes in censoring the truth if he disagrees with it (just look up the definition of "malinformation" - spoiler alert, it means things that are true but makes you doubt the wisdom of the ruling class) I will be voting Republican for the first time ever (if you don't include Bloomberg).
As much as I have a problem with billionaires thinking billionaires are the solution to every problem, he is literally the only politician in my lifetime that made measurable improvements to my quality of life.
But, yeah, as much as I would shake his hand and thank him for the bike paths (jesus, what a low bar to cross) I won't be voting for any billionaires who aren't going to massively raise taxes on themselves.
But for years people like yourself have been telling the Democrats to focus on kitchen table economic issues NOT cultural or foreign policy issues yet the moment October 7th happens it is all Palestine all the time(What happened to Medicare for All?)
1) That either focusing on "kitchen table economics" is a bad thing thing, or that the Democrats have actually meaningfully improved the lives of their constituents.
I disagree with both of these statements.
2) that people who want to see the middle class return do not care about human rights or genocide.
I can assure that I both believe that both reigning in historic wealth inequality AND not sponsoring ethnic cleansing are good things. I even believe that they are good things for the same reasons.
I also feel like there is a strong and smug implication of "oh those lefties are just hard to please! Nothing will ever make them happy!" in your comment.
Bring back the New Deal and make it not racist this time. That all most of us are asking for. As soon as Bill Clinton signed Gramm-Leech-Blighly - the banks merged, and we immediately went back to pre-Glass-Steagall boom-and-bust economics that grind the working and middle classes into paste.
The current set of Democrats won't do that. The economy that they are trying so hard to sell us is trash. Get back to me when you can walk down most streets in America, find a job cooking on a line, and pay your rent with one week's pay.
Because that's what I could do as a kid. Sickens me how much America has decayed.
"Palestinian activism is overwhelmingly popular among today’s undergraduates and college administrators, many of them Blue Liberals who took easily to the Great Awokening but drew a firm line after Oct. 7, have cracked down on dissent."
When I first read that sentence, I thought, "Since when is Palestinian activism popular among college administrators"? I needed a second reading to realize that "college administrators" was the subject of the verb "have cracked down".
Ross, very well laid out. This schism is a source of great concern for those of us worried about a victory for Trump in 2024. Online, I have encountered that sense of nihilism you mention among young people. I recently even met a real life nihilist, people who I used to think only existed in Dostoyevsky novels.
Something to point out is Robert F Kennedy isn't really that aligned with Palestine Liberals. Some might vote for him out of spite but Kennedy's views on Israel and Palestine are rather mainstream. So if Palestine Liberals want to vote for a third-party candidate it is going to have to be more like a fourth- or fifth-party candidate.
Second elected DSA liberals since you last did your analysis in 2021 have most supported Ukraine's resistance against Russia. Thinking AOC, Jamal Bowman, even Tlaib and Omar. The anti-Ukraine pro Russia contingent in the DSA has mostly been in the grassroots not the elected officials.
I think where you are wrong is how you describe "Blue Liberals". They aren't liberal at all (not at least in the real meaning of the word: "Favoring reform, open to new ideas, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; not bound by traditional thinking; broad-minded."
They are conservative. They do not want change. They understand that they are priveleged, and that any meaningful reforms will mean that they will become less rich than the middle and working classes they despise.
This is why Pelosi knees wearing kente cloth rather than, say, enforcing the tax code against the donor class that lavishes her in money. Kneeling is free.
This is also why they can only run on "at least we're not Trump!" They may as well say, "We're not going to a damned thing to make your life better, but we'll try and convince you the other team will make your life worse."
Except the Democrats adopt each Republican policy they pretend to abhor no less than two election cycles later.
Biden is apes Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric now.
Obama didn't even wait a day before continuing Bush's no-string giveaway to the crooks who blew up the world's economy.
David Frum and Bill Kristol raise money for the Democrats now. Remember when George Bush was an unholy evil that needed to be stopped at all costs? Now he hangs out with Michelle Obama, counting the money they made screwing over America.
There is no "horseshoe" theory. It's a fish hook - any time it seems like income inequality might become less horrendous, the Right joins with the Center to stop the Left from making any real progress towards decency.
Exactly. You could call them Oligarchy Dems. Wokeness was very useful to them until recently, but as Ross notes they are at a loss now that they can't dismiss Rashida Tlaib as a white bro, their one and only rhetorical gambit.
The Democratic Establishment doesn't exist to legislate or even win elections.
They will be very well funded by a grateful donor class so long as they continue to prevent anyone who represents the middle or working classes from ever winning election.
They would prefer to lose to a Republican like Trump than have someone like Bernie Sanders win.
It's amusing to watch them pretend to care about foreign influences in our election will ignoring how the Israel lobbies pour money into elections against anyone who isn't sufficiently enthusiastic about ethnic cleansing. They care about one thing, and one thing only - money.
The Democrats of today are the Republicans of five years ago. And since my own Congressman Daniel Sachs Goldman (yes that is his real name; is there any wonder he hates Matt Taibbi?) believes in censoring the truth if he disagrees with it (just look up the definition of "malinformation" - spoiler alert, it means things that are true but makes you doubt the wisdom of the ruling class) I will be voting Republican for the first time ever (if you don't include Bloomberg).
As much as I have a problem with billionaires thinking billionaires are the solution to every problem, he is literally the only politician in my lifetime that made measurable improvements to my quality of life.
But, yeah, as much as I would shake his hand and thank him for the bike paths (jesus, what a low bar to cross) I won't be voting for any billionaires who aren't going to massively raise taxes on themselves.
But for years people like yourself have been telling the Democrats to focus on kitchen table economic issues NOT cultural or foreign policy issues yet the moment October 7th happens it is all Palestine all the time(What happened to Medicare for All?)
Your comment seems to imply:
1) That either focusing on "kitchen table economics" is a bad thing thing, or that the Democrats have actually meaningfully improved the lives of their constituents.
I disagree with both of these statements.
2) that people who want to see the middle class return do not care about human rights or genocide.
I can assure that I both believe that both reigning in historic wealth inequality AND not sponsoring ethnic cleansing are good things. I even believe that they are good things for the same reasons.
I also feel like there is a strong and smug implication of "oh those lefties are just hard to please! Nothing will ever make them happy!" in your comment.
Bring back the New Deal and make it not racist this time. That all most of us are asking for. As soon as Bill Clinton signed Gramm-Leech-Blighly - the banks merged, and we immediately went back to pre-Glass-Steagall boom-and-bust economics that grind the working and middle classes into paste.
The current set of Democrats won't do that. The economy that they are trying so hard to sell us is trash. Get back to me when you can walk down most streets in America, find a job cooking on a line, and pay your rent with one week's pay.
Because that's what I could do as a kid. Sickens me how much America has decayed.
"Palestinian activism is overwhelmingly popular among today’s undergraduates and college administrators, many of them Blue Liberals who took easily to the Great Awokening but drew a firm line after Oct. 7, have cracked down on dissent."
When I first read that sentence, I thought, "Since when is Palestinian activism popular among college administrators"? I needed a second reading to realize that "college administrators" was the subject of the verb "have cracked down".
Great piece Ross
thank you Sam!
Ross, very well laid out. This schism is a source of great concern for those of us worried about a victory for Trump in 2024. Online, I have encountered that sense of nihilism you mention among young people. I recently even met a real life nihilist, people who I used to think only existed in Dostoyevsky novels.
Another fascinating article!
Thank you I really liked your Gershwin piece!
Lol Brooklyn Dad Defiant. That guy's still around?!
he's still posting regularly and entertaining me
For some strange reason you really hate the Ukrainian struggle.
I'm def on the Palestinian left but nice to learn blue libs seem to have just gone all in on Biden and are willing to snipe their own media figures.
I’m beginning to think there isn’t a single group of politically engaged people that doesn’t claim the media is biased against them.
Something to point out is Robert F Kennedy isn't really that aligned with Palestine Liberals. Some might vote for him out of spite but Kennedy's views on Israel and Palestine are rather mainstream. So if Palestine Liberals want to vote for a third-party candidate it is going to have to be more like a fourth- or fifth-party candidate.
Second elected DSA liberals since you last did your analysis in 2021 have most supported Ukraine's resistance against Russia. Thinking AOC, Jamal Bowman, even Tlaib and Omar. The anti-Ukraine pro Russia contingent in the DSA has mostly been in the grassroots not the elected officials.