Public Reason: Matt Yglesias sets out his theory of the world. What do I think? I think he says a lot that makes a good deal of sense, but that his underlying belief that moderate Democrats need to do something to get back into the driver’s seat is awry.
As I say: it is not our turn to lead. It will not be our turn to lead until we have negotiating partners with powerful political and policy mojo near us on the right. We do not. To our right, is first, rubble; second, more rubble; third, more rubble; and then, fourth, pluto-kleptocracy; and, beyond that, neofascism.
Thus the attitude of moderate Democrats to the Left should not be to say “no”—the system as a whole says that. It is to let the Left run with the baton, but try to make a path so that when circumstances allow Left proposals can actually be enacted and then cemented into America’s institutions:
Matt Yglesias: ‘The fourth year of Slow Boring, a good time to take stock of both the trajectory of the site and the broader political circumstances…. I’m truly grateful…. Thank you all. The basic political problem: Slow Boring has prospered, but I think that only underscores the need for more complex forms of institution-building. Because while I absolutely, 100 percent believe in the importance of takes in shaping the world of political possibilities, it’s also clear to me that certain things can only be achieved by something more tangible than columns…. [1] Donald Trump is a corrupt, authoritarian menace… whose fundamental lack of shame or principle risks inflicting massive long-term damage on the country. [2] The Democratic Party… does not have a realistic plan for winning senate majorities and governing…. [3] America’s blue states are wealthy and in some ways prospering… [but] are not systematically delivering the progressive goods in terms of more egalitarian economies and better public services…. slowboring.com/p/my-gra…… on balance… very much… change for the better. But… the… institutions that used to anchor the moderate wing of the Democratic Party has largely collapsed… [after making] very bad bet[s] slowboring.com/p/what-t… and then stuck with fiscal austerity…. On one level, that was just deserts. But on another level, it’s been a catastrophe…. The moderate side of the party has largely lost the capacity to be proactive and constructive rather than just saying “no” to a subset of agenda items elevated by the left…. Someone who’d like to run for state legislature in an R+4 seat can’t affiliate herself with a broadly recognizable moderate Dem brand identity. I worry in particular about the incentives facing longshot candidates…
