Really like the through-line you’re drawing. Curious what you make of the present-day Democratic Party though, do they still frame themselves as resisting the ruling class? Since the rise of Trump (though really starting under Obama), it seems like they’ve leaned hard into defending the status quo. Not just in practice, but increasingly in rhetoric too.
We're definitely in a transition period and it's too soon to say. Similarly, in my previous post about Republicans, you could argue that Trump has been ignoring a lot of conservative values (so far, his coalition has mostly held together anyways).
I definitely think the Democrats still tell themselves that's what they stand for. I suppose my overall point is that this has always been the case and it has not always been true, so they can believe whatever they want. Going forward, if they keep losing working class and minority support, maybe eventually that will flip. That might also require Republicans acknowledging their new coalition, as well.
On the Democrats, I agree they’ve always and still do think of themselves as defending liberty, but what’s striking today is how much that rhetorical defense now seems aimed at protecting the liberal ruling class itself, as if that’s the best way to protect ordinary people. That shift feels rhetorical as much as material.
Trump complicates things in a different way. He’s clearly broken from parts of traditional conservative orthodoxy, but it hasn’t led to a real policy realignment, just a more populist veneer over the same class project.
Really like the through-line you’re drawing. Curious what you make of the present-day Democratic Party though, do they still frame themselves as resisting the ruling class? Since the rise of Trump (though really starting under Obama), it seems like they’ve leaned hard into defending the status quo. Not just in practice, but increasingly in rhetoric too.
We're definitely in a transition period and it's too soon to say. Similarly, in my previous post about Republicans, you could argue that Trump has been ignoring a lot of conservative values (so far, his coalition has mostly held together anyways).
I definitely think the Democrats still tell themselves that's what they stand for. I suppose my overall point is that this has always been the case and it has not always been true, so they can believe whatever they want. Going forward, if they keep losing working class and minority support, maybe eventually that will flip. That might also require Republicans acknowledging their new coalition, as well.
On the Democrats, I agree they’ve always and still do think of themselves as defending liberty, but what’s striking today is how much that rhetorical defense now seems aimed at protecting the liberal ruling class itself, as if that’s the best way to protect ordinary people. That shift feels rhetorical as much as material.
Trump complicates things in a different way. He’s clearly broken from parts of traditional conservative orthodoxy, but it hasn’t led to a real policy realignment, just a more populist veneer over the same class project.