Welcome to this week’s edition of “Stuff You Should Consume,”— a weekly compilation of interesting political content for Message Box readers. “The Road to A Political Realignment in American Politics” by Doug Sosnik (via Politico Playbook) Culturally, a person’s educational attainment increasingly correlates with their views on a wide range of issues, including abortion, attitudes about LGBTQ+ rights, and the relationship between government and organized religion. It also extends to cultural consumption (movies, TV, books), social media choices, and voters’ sources of information that shape their understanding of facts. As a result of these economic and cultural trends, politics now has a class-based architecture where cultural affinity now surpasses voters' narrow economic self-interests. This educational sorting has made the vast majority of states no longer politically competitive. It is the battleground states in the middle - where education levels are neither disproportionately high nor low - that will decide the 2024 presidential election
I continue to be surprised by the GOP. I shouldn’t be; so many House members come from extremely gerrymandered districts that you can get elected with no political skill as long as your policy prescriptions are radical and bigoted enough.
Of course the left has a few of those Reps from a district so blue that my German Shepherd could get elected if he declared as a Dem (but he strongly maintains he’s a left-leaning independent).
The big difference is that Democrats, wherever they fall on the liberal spectrum, believe in government, and disagree only on where and how government should lift up and stand behind all individuals.
The MAGA hate government, and despise its power to make society a fairer place. But their increasing lack of political instincts and skills push a bad agenda and out-of-tune proposals that increasingly are anathema to the majority of voters.
I believe the GOP is approaching a tipping point where all their sins combine to make them a minority party for a generation. That’s happened to one party or another several times in the country’s past. I personally am looking forward to it.
Dan's first item today, “The Road to A Political Realignment in American Politics” by Doug Sosnik (via Politico Playbook)," explains why the GOP is so hell-bent on destroying public education -- they are well aware that educated people find their ideas and politics toxic. Book bans, working to fund religious schools (and hence taking much-needed funds from public schools), etc., are all part of their plan. Dems need to be clear-eyed about these efforts, especially in small rural communities who have small tax bases and are therefore more dependent on state and federal funds. I'm not smart enough to know how to address this but I hope the Dems have enough bright minds to figure it out.
I'm not sure I have a well-thought-out comment here, so bear with me. I disagree with Adam Serwer and the big bummer of the Fox lawsuit. Money talks. Money is really the only thing that matters when it comes to influencing politics. Dominion is a business, and the lies of Fox News disrupted their business. They weren't there to bring down Fox, necessarily. However, if it costs Fox enough money, they would have to change their policies about how far they can lie for viewership. Murdoch wants to make money. If every time Tucker or Jeanine or Lou open their mouths and it costs money in lawyers and settlements, eventually something has to give. This lawsuit was never going to change Fox viewer's minds, they are too long gone for that. Also, Serwer casually states that if Fox goes down, something else would rise in its place. Well, we have proof that isn't the case. OAN and Newsmax - bleh. Nobody has Murdoch money. And soon, the big guy will be gone and his two, less money-over-everything sons will decide which direction they want to sail this ship (we think - insert theme song to Succession here). My point is, you can't change people's minds. We know this. But if there's no money to run the machine, the machine breaks.
I found the Sosnik highly explanatory for the northern midwest-- but it doesn't account so clearly for the political tendencies in the states where I've worked since 2004: New Mexico and Nevada. There's something else going on there, as well as evidently Georgia.
I continue to be surprised by the GOP. I shouldn’t be; so many House members come from extremely gerrymandered districts that you can get elected with no political skill as long as your policy prescriptions are radical and bigoted enough.
Of course the left has a few of those Reps from a district so blue that my German Shepherd could get elected if he declared as a Dem (but he strongly maintains he’s a left-leaning independent).
The big difference is that Democrats, wherever they fall on the liberal spectrum, believe in government, and disagree only on where and how government should lift up and stand behind all individuals.
The MAGA hate government, and despise its power to make society a fairer place. But their increasing lack of political instincts and skills push a bad agenda and out-of-tune proposals that increasingly are anathema to the majority of voters.
I believe the GOP is approaching a tipping point where all their sins combine to make them a minority party for a generation. That’s happened to one party or another several times in the country’s past. I personally am looking forward to it.
Dan's first item today, “The Road to A Political Realignment in American Politics” by Doug Sosnik (via Politico Playbook)," explains why the GOP is so hell-bent on destroying public education -- they are well aware that educated people find their ideas and politics toxic. Book bans, working to fund religious schools (and hence taking much-needed funds from public schools), etc., are all part of their plan. Dems need to be clear-eyed about these efforts, especially in small rural communities who have small tax bases and are therefore more dependent on state and federal funds. I'm not smart enough to know how to address this but I hope the Dems have enough bright minds to figure it out.
I'm not sure I have a well-thought-out comment here, so bear with me. I disagree with Adam Serwer and the big bummer of the Fox lawsuit. Money talks. Money is really the only thing that matters when it comes to influencing politics. Dominion is a business, and the lies of Fox News disrupted their business. They weren't there to bring down Fox, necessarily. However, if it costs Fox enough money, they would have to change their policies about how far they can lie for viewership. Murdoch wants to make money. If every time Tucker or Jeanine or Lou open their mouths and it costs money in lawyers and settlements, eventually something has to give. This lawsuit was never going to change Fox viewer's minds, they are too long gone for that. Also, Serwer casually states that if Fox goes down, something else would rise in its place. Well, we have proof that isn't the case. OAN and Newsmax - bleh. Nobody has Murdoch money. And soon, the big guy will be gone and his two, less money-over-everything sons will decide which direction they want to sail this ship (we think - insert theme song to Succession here). My point is, you can't change people's minds. We know this. But if there's no money to run the machine, the machine breaks.
I found the Sosnik highly explanatory for the northern midwest-- but it doesn't account so clearly for the political tendencies in the states where I've worked since 2004: New Mexico and Nevada. There's something else going on there, as well as evidently Georgia.