The End of Identity Liberalism

[Kushinator]

It is a truism that America has become a more diverse country. It is also a beautiful thing to watch. Visitors from other countries, particularly those having trouble incorporating different ethnic groups and faiths, are amazed that we manage to pull it off. Not perfectly, of course, but certainly better than any European or Asian nation today. It’s an extraordinary success story.


But how should this diversity shape our politics? The standard liberal answer for nearly a generation now has been that we should become aware of and “celebrate” our differences. Which is a splendid principle of moral pedagogy — but disastrous as a foundation for democratic politics in our ideological age. In recent years American liberalism has slipped into a kind of moral panic about racial, gender and sexual identity that has distorted liberalism’s message and prevented it from becoming a unifying force capable of governing.

I originally read this op-ed a few days ago, and it has stuck with me as i continue to observe our political landscape. Going back eight years, a key difference between the Clinton and Obama campaign was that Clinton targeted her message toward specific groups, e.g. women, the poor, minorities, etc... where as Obama's message was inclusive (Change we can believe in). Of course, this was a strategy sparked by Trump's own targeting of specific groups to blend nationalist with populist sentiments, which is , a strategy that failed to rile up enough of the base to get elected. Still, Trumps message was about America (even if it is already great).

The article mentions something important:

A convenient liberal interpretation of the recent presidential election would have it that Mr. Trump won in large part because he managed to transform economic disadvantage into racial rage — the “whitelash” thesis. This is convenient because it sanctions a conviction of moral superiority and allows liberals to ignore what those voters said were their overriding concerns. It also encourages the fantasy that the Republican right is doomed to demographic extinction in the long run — which means liberals have only to wait for the country to fall into their laps. The surprisingly high percentage of the Latino vote that went to Mr. Trump should remind us that the longer ethnic groups are here in this country, the more politically diverse they become.

Establishment Democrats put liberalism against the ropes during this election season. The key to rebounding from such a defeat isn't to cry foul of election law, or continue pushing identity politics. It is to govern in a manner that pulls the country together.

Link

 

[11Bravo]

I originally read this op-ed a few days ago, and it has stuck with me as i continue to observe our political landscape. Going back eight years, a key difference between the Clinton and Obama campaign was that Clinton targeted her message toward specific groups, e.g. women, the poor, minorities, etc... where as Obama's message was inclusive (Change we can believe in). Of course, this was a strategy sparked by Trump's own targeting of specific groups to blend nationalist with populist sentiments, which is , a strategy that failed to rile up enough of the base to get elected. Still, Trumps message was about America (even if it is already great).

The article mentions something important:

Establishment Democrats put liberalism against the ropes during this election season. The key to rebounding from such a defeat isn't to cry foul of election law, or continue pushing identity politics. It is to govern in a manner that pulls the country together.

Link

liberalism should be illegal. imo it will be illegal by 2018

 

[Harshaw]

liberalism should be illegal. imo it will be illegal by 2018

:doh :roll:

 

[Surrealistik]

It's the economy stupid; and the people not benefiting from it.

I find it somewhat incredible if not at all surprising that establishment Dems were and are continuing to blame racism (or even real progressives) despite the loss of the typically blue Rust Belt making rather explicit people's distrust of Hillary, as a representative of the dysfunctional status quo, to deal with the economic malaise and loss of prospect that are plaguing them. After all, they (and their sponsors) wouldn't at all like losing power to Bernie's social democrats, and that's exactly what would happen if they made such an admission.

 

[Henrin]

liberalism should be illegal. imo it will be illegal by 2018

No, but it should die out. An ideology built on government expansion shouldn't be something involved in politics.

 

[joG]

I originally read this op-ed a few days ago, and it has stuck with me as i continue to observe our political landscape. Going back eight years, a key difference between the Clinton and Obama campaign was that Clinton targeted her message toward specific groups, e.g. women, the poor, minorities, etc... where as Obama's message was inclusive (Change we can believe in). Of course, this was a strategy sparked by Trump's own targeting of specific groups to blend nationalist with populist sentiments, which is , a strategy that failed to rile up enough of the base to get elected. Still, Trumps message was about America (even if it is already great).

The article mentions something important:

Establishment Democrats put liberalism against the ropes during this election season. The key to rebounding from such a defeat isn't to cry foul of election law, or continue pushing identity politics. It is to govern in a manner that pulls the country together.

Link

Obama says that that is, what he is doing.

 

[Kushinator]

Obama says that that is, what he is doing.

I can't respond to what you claim Obama says he is doing.

 

[backpacker]

I don't think that identity politics have changed at all. I think they will get worse. The DNC apparently thinks there is absolutely nothing wrong with their message and only need to have better get out the vote efforts going forward. Considering the WH was the only thing they had left, you would think they would stop hoping against prior results.

 

[Chomsky]

I originally read this op-ed a few days ago, and it has stuck with me as i continue to observe our political landscape.

<snip>

Link

Nice Op Ed, thanks!

I very much agree, although I must point-out Mr. Trump rode into the White House (in large part) on identity politics!

But yeah, the Dems lost me well over a decade ago due to this B.S.

Identity politics worked decades ago when the disenfranchised groups were extremely large - particularly African-Americans & Women - and they were groups receiving a great deal of popular national support. Now, how large is the Muslin demo? The LGBT Demo? It's fair to say these smaller demos need support and a voice, but they are not going to carry the day in terms of electoral success. And while focusing on these groups, many struggling Caucasians believe they were forgotten, particularly the poorly employed & underemployed. And Trump scooped them up (too a point).

I'm old enough to remember when the Dem's core constituency was working men & women believing in freedom & equal opportunity, while providing an open tent for minority, gender, and the marginalized & disenfranchised, along with those in academia & the power structure who shared those values. They were an open tent, but it was an open tent based upon shared values, not primarily the value of diversity itself, but the diversity that occurs naturally when coalescing around universal core values!

I was highly active in the party then. I was exceedingly proud to be a Democrat. I worked pretty damn hard for the party (but truth-be-told, I also had self-interest in doing so). But I believed in the party and it's causes. I identified with it. And I'm still extremely proud of the work that was done. I think the Dem Party very much needs to get back to this. The minorities & marginalized will come if the message is right (and sincere). So will working men & women.

I'll finally add this, from the article:

"Some years ago I was invited to a union convention in Florida to speak on a panel about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous Four Freedoms speech of 1941. The hall was full of representatives from local chapters — men, women, blacks, whites, Latinos. We began by singing the national anthem, and then sat down to listen to a recording of Roosevelt’s speech. As I looked out into the crowd, and saw the array of different faces, I was struck by how focused they were on what they shared. And listening to Roosevelt’s stirring voice as he invoked the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want and the freedom from fear — freedoms that Roosevelt demanded for “everyone in the world” — I was reminded of what the real foundations of modern American liberalism are."

 

[joG]

Nice Op Ed, thanks!

I very much agree, although I must point-out Mr. Trump rode into the White House (in large part) on identity politics!

But yeah, the Dems lost me well over a decade ago due to this B.S.

Identity politics worked decades ago when the disenfranchised groups were extremely large - particularly African-Americans & Women - and they were groups receiving a great deal of popular national support. Now, how large is the Muslin demo? The LGBT Demo? It's fair to say these smaller demos need support and a voice, but they are not going to carry the day in terms of electoral success. And while focusing on these groups, many struggling Caucasians believe they were forgotten, particularly the poorly employed & underemployed. And Trump scooped them up (too a point).

I'm old enough to remember when the Dem's core constituency was working men & women believing in freedom & equal opportunity, while providing an open tent for minority, gender, and the marginalized & disenfranchised, along with those in academia & the power structure who shared those values. They were an open tent, but it was an open tent based upon shared values, not primarily the value of diversity itself, but the diversity that occurs naturally when coalescing around universal core values!

I was highly active in the party then. I was exceedingly proud to be a Democrat. I worked pretty damn hard for the party (but truth-be-told, I also had self-interest in doing so). But I believed in the party and it's causes. I identified with it. And I'm still extremely proud of the work that was done. I think the Dem Party very much needs to get back to this. The minorities & marginalized will come if the message is right (and sincere). So will working men & women.

I'll finally add this, from the article:

"Some years ago I was invited to a union convention in Florida to speak on a panel about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous Four Freedoms speech of 1941. The hall was full of representatives from local chapters — men, women, blacks, whites, Latinos. We began by singing the national anthem, and then sat down to listen to a recording of Roosevelt’s speech. As I looked out into the crowd, and saw the array of different faces, I was struck by how focused they were on what they shared. And listening to Roosevelt’s stirring voice as he invoked the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want and the freedom from fear — freedoms that Roosevelt demanded for “everyone in the world” — I was reminded of what the real foundations of modern American liberalism are."

That's a very good take on the time and describes the Democratic liberals that I thought so highly of. I was a liberal. Still am. But there are no Democrats anywhere near like that anymore. Now it has gone an odd kind off decadent that people call liberal, but has really nothing to do with yesteryear's meaning.

 

[TheGoverness]

That's a very good take on the time and describes the Democratic liberals that I thought so highly of. I was a liberal. Still am. But there are no Democrats anywhere near like that anymore. Now it has gone an odd kind off decadent that people call liberal, but has really nothing to do with yesteryear's meaning.

That's a contradiction.

 

[Hawkeye10]

The surprisingly high percentage of the Latino vote that went to Mr. Trump should remind us that the longer ethnic groups are here in this country, the more politically diverse they become.

Should have never been a surprise because mexicans are at heart more conservative than liberal, and it has long been clear to even the minimally observant that the Hispanic poltical pressure groups dont even try to speak for the wide Hispanic vote. Much like feminism the outfits got taken over by the liberals, with the intent to drive liberal agendas, not the opinions or bests interests of the people they claim to represent.

Some people are waking up.

That's always nice.

 

[Casper]

Clue to the Clueless. Liberalism is not going away, wrap you brain around it stop whining. The Cons got what they wanted and are trying to rub it the face of those they oppose and the Libs are PO'ed that they blew it and lost, suck it up girls, it would have been the same had the shoes been reversed. Occasionally Conservatism is a good thing, especially when we are such a mess financially and politically, and some harsh medicine maybe be just what the doctor ordered. We shall see if they are truly Conservatives or if they are Conservatives in name only and we get more of the same old same. Now as for the Libs going away, or as some morons suggest that it should be made illegal, the second those conservative ideals start infringing on peoples personal lives or removes the gains some Americans have made such as SSM, then the Libs will get their butts back to the voting booth and take control back, it is the way of things in America when the political atmosphere leans too far in either direction the voters right the ship. So The Cons are in the limelight now and we shall see if they were all talk and no substance or if they will finally accomplish something, hopefully they can handle it and the Nation will improve, if they fail they will be gone and that old shoe will get passed back to the other guys.

 

[yankintx]

Clue to the Clueless. Liberalism is not going away, wrap you brain around it stop whining. The Cons got what they wanted and are trying to rub it the face of those they oppose and the Libs are PO'ed that they blew it and lost, suck it up girls, it would have been the same had the shoes been reversed. Occasionally Conservatism is a good thing, especially when we are such a mess financially and politically, and some harsh medicine maybe be just what the doctor ordered. We shall see if they are truly Conservatives or if they are Conservatives in name only and we get more of the same old same. Now as for the Libs going away, or as some morons suggest that it should be made illegal, the second those conservative ideals start infringing on peoples personal lives or removes the gains some Americans have made such as SSM, then the Libs will get their butts back to the voting booth and take control back, it is the way of things in America when the political atmosphere leans too far in either direction the voters right the ship. So The Cons are in the limelight now and we shall see if they were all talk and no substance or if they will finally accomplish something, hopefully they can handle it and the Nation will improve, if they fail they will be gone and that old shoe will get passed back to the other guys.

I love how Bannon thinks Trumps razor thin win, due in large part to low Dem turnout, is an indication of a sea change in American politics. They have the prize, and the bragging rights, that is all. More than likely the Rep will over reach, and pay in the mid terms, but who knows.

 

[Van Basten]

I originally read this op-ed a few days ago, and it has stuck with me as i continue to observe our political landscape. Going back eight years, a key difference between the Clinton and Obama campaign was that Clinton targeted her message toward specific groups, e.g. women, the poor, minorities, etc... where as Obama's message was inclusive (Change we can believe in). Of course, this was a strategy sparked by Trump's own targeting of specific groups to blend nationalist with populist sentiments, which is , a strategy that failed to rile up enough of the base to get elected. Still, Trumps message was about America (even if it is already great).

The article mentions something important:

Establishment Democrats put liberalism against the ropes during this election season. The key to rebounding from such a defeat isn't to cry foul of election law, or continue pushing identity politics. It is to govern in a manner that pulls the country together.

Link

Interesting read, but bigotry needs to be opposed openly and directly.

Perhaps some middle ground is to be found?

If only Sanders had gotten the nomination.....

But the fixation on diversity in our schools and in the press has produced a generation of liberals and progressives narcissistically unaware of conditions outside their self-defined groups, and indifferent to the task of reaching out to Americans in every walk of life.

By the time they reach college many assume that diversity discourse exhausts political discourse, and have shockingly little to say about such perennial questions as class, war, the economy and the common good. In large part this is because of high school history curriculums, which anachronistically project the identity politics of today back onto the past, creating a distorted picture of the major forces and individuals that shaped our country. (The achievements of women’s rights movements, for instance, were real and important, but you cannot understand them if you do not first understand the founding fathers’ achievement in establishing a system of government based on the guarantee of rights.)

True indeed.

It's given us maniacs who want safe spaces and want to ban offensive speech.

liberalism should be illegal. imo it will be illegal by 2018

No, but it should die out. An ideology built on government expansion shouldn't be something involved in politics.

You guys are gonna be disappointed in the decades to come.

 

[Henrin]

Should have never been a surprise because mexicans are at heart more conservative than liberal, and it has long been clear to even the minimally observant that the Hispanic poltical pressure groups dont even try to speak for the wide Hispanic vote. Much like feminism the outfits got taken over by the liberals, with the intent to drive liberal agendas, not the opinions or bests interests of the people they claim to represent.

Some people are waking up.

That's always nice.

Feminism ended at the end of the 19th century. What came about in the 20th century is something else. It's really not accurate to say it's continuation of the movement of the past since it disagrees with a good chunk of what original feminists thought. It's more accurate to say it's piggy pack movement designed to look like it is the same thing.

 

[Casper]

I love how Bannon thinks Trumps razor thin win, due in large part to low Dem turnout, is an indication of a sea change in American politics. They have the prize, and the bragging rights, that is all. More than likely the Rep will over reach, and pay in the mid terms, but who knows.

True. We shall see, but if they think the Libs are going to give them a pass they are very confused, the Libs will give the Cons everything the Cons have been giving them for 8 years.

 

[Hawkeye10]

True. We shall see, but if they think the Libs are going to give them a pass they are very confused, the Libs will give the Cons everything the Cons have been giving them for 8 years.

Only the votes matter, and Liberals have been doing very poorly at that all around the globe for some time.

They best learn to prioritize.

 

[Casper]

Only the votes matter, and Liberals have been doing very poorly at that all around the globe for some time.

They best learn to prioritize.

True and now that the Cons are at the helm they better produce, or we will be right back to where we were.

 

[Hawkeye10]

True and now that the Cons are at the helm they better produce, or we will be right back to where we were.

Produce what? Their ideas have failed and they have taken no interest in forming new ideas as they have been in decline. In fact their major effort seems to be put into denying the decline.

They best shut their mouths, let Trump and the Rebellion have all the rope they want, go into hibernation and try to come up with some good ideas, and then wait for an opportunity to try to sell these as yet non existent good ideas to the people.

Trying to be a speed bump for the winners will not work like it did for the R's because the D's cant get the votes to make it work.

That's my trying to be helpful advise.

 

[Kushinator]

Interesting read, but bigotry needs to be opposed openly and directly.

Perhaps some middle ground is to be found?

If only Sanders had gotten the nomination.....

Of course! However, the focus of governance should never be about appeasing special interests at the behest of the country.

A short story:

In late 2008/early 2009, feminist groups successfully lobbied to divert stimulus funding from segments of the economy hardest hit, e.g. the construction, infrastructure, etc..., toward human infrastructure such as nurses, social workers, teachers, and librarians, even though these segments of the economy are typically recession proof. It was sold as preparing America for the future, although such policy severely reduced the effectiveness of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This is a true story.

Democrats lost the Senate, House, and Executive because instead of governing, they chose to appease special interests.

 

[yankintx]

True. We shall see, but if they think the Libs are going to give them a pass they are very confused, the Libs will give the Cons everything the Cons have been giving them for 8 years.

Nor should they, the Rep have obstructed Obama at almost every turn, the guy was not even in office a day and the GOP gave him a 5 minute honeymoon, thats 4 minutes longer than the Dems should give Trump on Jan 20.

 

[Kurmugeon]

The Progressives have been using Group Identity politics for so long, and so strongly, that they are deeply engrained in a rut of it. They cannot easily stop using Identity Politics, it has become a reflex and instict to use it first and foremost.

Furthermore, they have deep down belief in their own superiority, particularly in seeing themselves as superior to Straight-White-Male-Rural-Working Americans. The Left is deeply invested in the concept that "Bubba" is an in-bred creatin unfit to run his own life, or have any say in Government or democracy.

Yet, in 2016, Bubba and his now convinced Wife, Father, and Two adult Sons got their act together, and Bloc-Voted against the Progressive Candidate... and they're not likely to stop Bloc-Voting against the Progressive Candidate in the next 20 years of national elections.

They have awoken the "Sleeping Giant" of the working white vote, he is pissed as hell, and the Progressives are still sneering in contempt at his race and gender.

Progressives will not win another election, until and unless something happens which re-splits the Working White Vote.

-

 

[yankintx]

Only the votes matter, and Liberals have been doing very poorly at that all around the globe for some time.

They best learn to prioritize.

Again, low Dem turnout on election day, looking forward to 2018, by then some of his ardent supporters will find out that the swamp is even deeper than before Trump.

 

[yankintx]

The Progressives have been using Group Identity politics for so long, and so strongly, that they are deeply engrained in a rut of it. They cannot easily stop using Identity Politics, it has become a reflex and instict to use it first and foremost.

Furthermore, they have deep down belief in their own superiority, particularly in seeing themselves as superior to Straight-White-Male-Rural-Working Americans. The Left is deeply invested in the concept that "Bubba" is an in-bred creatin unfit to run his own life, or have any say in Government or democracy.

Yet, in 2016, Bubba and his now convinced Wife, Father, and Two adult Sons got their act together, and Bloc-Voted against the Progressive Candidate... and they're not likely to stop Bloc-Voting against the Progressive Candidate in the next 20 years of national elections.

They have awoken the "Sleeping Giant" of the working white vote, he is pissed as hell, and the Progressives are still sneering in contempt at his race and gender.

Progressives will not win another election, until and unless something happens which re-splits the Working White Vote.

-

I would not get too excited, the same thing was said of the Conservative movement in 2008, not that Trump is a real Conservative.