I feel this article is targeted at centrist Dems who are just beginning to understand that the party no longer represents them, and they feel lost as a result. The title is not meant to imply the Democratic party is disappearing, OBVIOUSLY (so either folks don't understand the title or are deliberately misreading it)--but to indicate that those who call themselves Democrats have largely moved into rarified activist circles that have abandoned core principles the party once championed. As for all the history indicating that the Dems are evil incarnate, you can dig up Republican history that's shameful too. Arguing that all Dems are evil because of x,y,z forever amen is basically the same kind of argument made in anti-racist circles: "all whites are evil bc privilege and slavery blah blah blah." The article is meant to provide some context for older centrist Dems who are "behind the times," and may be feeling increasing discomfort about what the party is doing. In that sense, the article may be behind the times, but might serve to ground those looking for some answers and a place to start digging into things.
The Free Press is not a conservative or liberal rag. If you want that, go elsewhere. But this married, gay, Christian, gun-owning, former public school educator who disavows all aspects of the medical transition of children is grateful to have found in the Free Press some voices who don't spew party-line dogma and who are committed to complexity, nuance, and truth in journalism.
When I signed up for Free Press, I didn't realize that tons of ads were also part of the package. Really turned off, especially the more obnoxious ones. I Plan to cancel my subscription, despite the high quality of the content~
I actually found the conversation to be pretty interesting, but if anyone is interested in a more data-driven exploration of these ideas they might find the analysis of Thomas Piketty in “Capital and Ideology”, particularly Chapter 15 on the “Brahmin Left”, to be a bit more convincing? I think the point that both parties have essentially become parties of the highly educated is an important one; there is no party of the working class any more, just one party who pretends to represent the working class but condescendingly looks down on them (ie “deplorables”) and another who wants to mobilize their votes through grievance and fear of immigrants etc but then still ultimately supports globalization and trade. It’s why, unfortunately, Trump has been (and probably will be again) so successful at capturing the votes of blue-collar, high school educated people. They’ve got nowhere else to go.
Look at comments on Bret Stephens recent NYT article: "Silence is Violence..." Common sense Democrats are leaving progressive "Me Too" feminism. They are being pushed out. The absurd, downright crazy, alliance forming between Hamas supporters and progressive Feminism, means reasonable women are leaving the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is going to collapse much sooner than you suspect. For example, now Kamala, her aim entirely her own foot as usual, is coming out against Israel, and that means she is lining up with the insane justification of the rape and murder of Jewish women. Tone deaf? No she is simply a fool. We all know Biden's age and health means the Dems are running a stealth Kamala/ DEI presidency and Kamala just destroyed that. I see absolutely no way the Democratic party can recover from their progressives justifying rape while simultaneously holding on to "believe women." This is a very low bar for Republicans to win. Haley is their magic candidate. VP or P she beats the Democratic party by a mile in 2024.
I would love to vote for a Democrat not beholden to the progressive crazy wing of the party. I am a Democrat! But since that is not in the cards. I am all in for Nikki Haley.
Haley is by far the best option of the Republican choices, an, as good as it gets Republican. If it’s her and Biden, I’d take a serious look, that’s unlikely but I wish her well, she’s a fierce leader
So many of Michael Moynihan's (very interesting) points were prefaced by "I attended a rally or a march or observed a city council meeting" while the podcast guests were "I reviewed a Gallup Poll."
I appreciated some of the points made in this conversation, but for the most part it seemed pretty dated and out of touch. I think these authors are profoundly underestimating the radical shift to the left of Gen Z and younger in particular. There are consequences to the ideological capture of our public schools and universities. And I’m pretty concerned that things are only going to get worse, not better. The demographics will win out.
Also, as a 42 year old woman who has been a lifelong Republican (not a member, just always voted that way) I am used to but still resent the tired story that Democrats were the party of the working class, the party of the people, the party who cares about the downtrodden and so forth. Having a difference of opinion about the policies that best bring about the welfare of the people doesn’t mean right-leaning people are heartless, money-loving bigots. We conservatives are looking around at the decay and the insanity and shaking our heads because we saw this all coming clear as day 30 years ago.
Gen Z (high-school age early college) are not what they seem!! Remember they have to pretend to be woke not to be chastised in class. But when my kids and their friends are over they are terrifyingly anti-woke!!! Trump is their favorite by far. All day long they have to pretend to hate themselves, at home they kick off the bridle.
“Where have all the Democrats gone?” What a massive fallacy for a title. They control every major institution in this country, even the church. Just a month ago, “the Democrats” won back control of both Houses of Virginia’s Legislature, effectively neutering a very Centrist Republican Governor. In a landslide they enshrined into Ohio’s state constitution the right to terminate the life of an unborn human being. “The Democrats” are well on their way to eradicating the meaning within the words “man” and “woman” even though the differences and distinctions contained within those words are right before our eyes, plain as day. Again in Virginia, “The Democrats” succeeded in rejecting a proposed appointee of Gov. Youngkin to the Virginia School Board. She was a first generation immigrant from India, educated in engineering but she was accused of being a White Supremacist because she wrote something praising the US Constitution. “The Democrats” appear to be alive and well.
I pray with every fiber of my being that “The Democrats” do not win in 2024 because if “The Democrats” win, there will surely be civil war in the formerly United States of America.
I feel this article is targeted at centrist Dems who are just beginning to understand that the party no longer represents them, and they feel lost as a result. The title is not meant to imply the Democratic party is disappearing, OBVIOUSLY (so either folks don't understand the title or are deliberately misreading it)--but to indicate that those who call themselves Democrats have largely moved into rarified activist circles that have abandoned core principles the party once championed. As for all the history indicating that the Dems are evil incarnate, you can dig up Republican history that's shameful too. Arguing that all Dems are evil because of x,y,z forever amen is basically the same kind of argument made in anti-racist circles: "all whites are evil bc privilege and slavery blah blah blah." The article is meant to provide some context for older centrist Dems who are "behind the times," and may be feeling increasing discomfort about what the party is doing. In that sense, the article may be behind the times, but might serve to ground those looking for some answers and a place to start digging into things.
The Free Press is not a conservative or liberal rag. If you want that, go elsewhere. But this married, gay, Christian, gun-owning, former public school educator who disavows all aspects of the medical transition of children is grateful to have found in the Free Press some voices who don't spew party-line dogma and who are committed to complexity, nuance, and truth in journalism.
Bari-
When I signed up for Free Press, I didn't realize that tons of ads were also part of the package. Really turned off, especially the more obnoxious ones. I Plan to cancel my subscription, despite the high quality of the content~
I actually found the conversation to be pretty interesting, but if anyone is interested in a more data-driven exploration of these ideas they might find the analysis of Thomas Piketty in “Capital and Ideology”, particularly Chapter 15 on the “Brahmin Left”, to be a bit more convincing? I think the point that both parties have essentially become parties of the highly educated is an important one; there is no party of the working class any more, just one party who pretends to represent the working class but condescendingly looks down on them (ie “deplorables”) and another who wants to mobilize their votes through grievance and fear of immigrants etc but then still ultimately supports globalization and trade. It’s why, unfortunately, Trump has been (and probably will be again) so successful at capturing the votes of blue-collar, high school educated people. They’ve got nowhere else to go.
Look at comments on Bret Stephens recent NYT article: "Silence is Violence..." Common sense Democrats are leaving progressive "Me Too" feminism. They are being pushed out. The absurd, downright crazy, alliance forming between Hamas supporters and progressive Feminism, means reasonable women are leaving the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is going to collapse much sooner than you suspect. For example, now Kamala, her aim entirely her own foot as usual, is coming out against Israel, and that means she is lining up with the insane justification of the rape and murder of Jewish women. Tone deaf? No she is simply a fool. We all know Biden's age and health means the Dems are running a stealth Kamala/ DEI presidency and Kamala just destroyed that. I see absolutely no way the Democratic party can recover from their progressives justifying rape while simultaneously holding on to "believe women." This is a very low bar for Republicans to win. Haley is their magic candidate. VP or P she beats the Democratic party by a mile in 2024.
I really do hate to say this, but the Republicans are far worse than the Democrats.
Are there any liberals who read the FP? I’m a little surprised at the conservative leaning, at least in the comment section.
I would love to vote for a Democrat not beholden to the progressive crazy wing of the party. I am a Democrat! But since that is not in the cards. I am all in for Nikki Haley.
Haley is by far the best option of the Republican choices, an, as good as it gets Republican. If it’s her and Biden, I’d take a serious look, that’s unlikely but I wish her well, she’s a fierce leader
One minor thing I noted:
So many of Michael Moynihan's (very interesting) points were prefaced by "I attended a rally or a march or observed a city council meeting" while the podcast guests were "I reviewed a Gallup Poll."
Hmmm
I appreciated some of the points made in this conversation, but for the most part it seemed pretty dated and out of touch. I think these authors are profoundly underestimating the radical shift to the left of Gen Z and younger in particular. There are consequences to the ideological capture of our public schools and universities. And I’m pretty concerned that things are only going to get worse, not better. The demographics will win out.
Also, as a 42 year old woman who has been a lifelong Republican (not a member, just always voted that way) I am used to but still resent the tired story that Democrats were the party of the working class, the party of the people, the party who cares about the downtrodden and so forth. Having a difference of opinion about the policies that best bring about the welfare of the people doesn’t mean right-leaning people are heartless, money-loving bigots. We conservatives are looking around at the decay and the insanity and shaking our heads because we saw this all coming clear as day 30 years ago.
Gen Z (high-school age early college) are not what they seem!! Remember they have to pretend to be woke not to be chastised in class. But when my kids and their friends are over they are terrifyingly anti-woke!!! Trump is their favorite by far. All day long they have to pretend to hate themselves, at home they kick off the bridle.
Thanks Michael. I cannot help but think that if Trump wins it’ll be because of the Dems unwillingness to take the WIN with ease through normalcy.
“Where have all the Democrats gone?” What a massive fallacy for a title. They control every major institution in this country, even the church. Just a month ago, “the Democrats” won back control of both Houses of Virginia’s Legislature, effectively neutering a very Centrist Republican Governor. In a landslide they enshrined into Ohio’s state constitution the right to terminate the life of an unborn human being. “The Democrats” are well on their way to eradicating the meaning within the words “man” and “woman” even though the differences and distinctions contained within those words are right before our eyes, plain as day. Again in Virginia, “The Democrats” succeeded in rejecting a proposed appointee of Gov. Youngkin to the Virginia School Board. She was a first generation immigrant from India, educated in engineering but she was accused of being a White Supremacist because she wrote something praising the US Constitution. “The Democrats” appear to be alive and well.
I pray with every fiber of my being that “The Democrats” do not win in 2024 because if “The Democrats” win, there will surely be civil war in the formerly United States of America.
They are Democrats.