Below is my response to The New York Times columnist David Brooks’ Opinion dated October 22, 2018 – https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/opinion/midterms-democrats-health-care.html
The Materialist Party
The Democrats fail to take on Trumpism.
By David Brooks
Opinion Columnist
I think Brooks succinctly identifies three themes characterizing the “populists'” onslaught. First, Trump and others preach that “the good, decent people of the heartland are being threatened by immigrants, foreigners, and other outsiders while corrupt elites do nothing.” Second, they “have overturned the traditional moral standards” and Trump has “challenged basic norms of honesty, decency, compassion and moral conduct.” And, third, they have changed the debate from big versus small government to “basic openness, diversity and pluralism” to “closed ethnic nationalism”.
And Brooks criticizes Democrats for an almost singular focus on healthcare in the midterm elections, a criticism I share. David Leonhardt’s Opinion column this morning (October 23, 2018) calls out Democrats for not responding to Trump’s Caravan fixation and I thoroughly agree with him. See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/23/opinion/democrats-caravan-immigration-midterms-trump.html.
Brooks argues that Democrats are failing to respond appropriately. They are offering “no counter-narrative to Trump, little moral case to his behavior, no unifying argument against his ethnic nationalism”.
BUT, the problem with Brooks’ argument is that the Democrats have tried doing what he has suggested and thus far failed. Recall, Democrats tried to make Trump’s rejection of cultural norms a KEY issue in the 2016 elections, and what happened? What happened when Trump disparaged John McCain? What happened when Trump mocked a disabled journalist? What happened when the Access Hollywood video burst on the scene? What happened when women came forward and accused Trump of sexual assault? NOTHING. The herd that loved his disparagement of unlawful immigrants cheered on his misogyny, cried Lock Her Up!, didn’t give a hoot about John McCain, and a majority of white women voted for Trump despite that he likes grabbing women by the p*ssy.
This notion that Brooks and others advance that Democrats are playing identity politics or tribalism but not Trump is pure rubbish. Trump is playing the ultimate identity politics and the identity is WHITE. Oh, it’s not exclusive and 36% of Hispanic voters seem to lean Republican, although many of them might well be categorized as “white” had this country not taken to categorizing “non-Hispanic whites” separate from Hispanics and lumped together all Hispanics, including Cubans, Mexicans, Indians, and other Hispanics, under the same category. No wonder pollsters predict inaccurately.
Yes, I believe Democrats should be making a pitch beyond healthcare and I condemn Chuck Schumer for not providing leadership to his Party. He should move on. He’s a cautious, ineffectual soul. At least Pelosi has spine although I think she too should fade away, not that I see new leadership of quality on the horizon. Democrats should try to speak to the immigration issue but it obviously is not their forte as they want to retain Hispanic support but also need to speak out against open borders and in favor of a fair immigration policy protecting DACA students but that nonetheless does not sanction illegal immigration. They have quite rightly spoken against Trump’s enormous tax cut for the rich and corporations and spoken of its unfairness but the booming economy has made that issue secondary, not primary, and I understand that.
Brooks seems to want Democrats to embrace a position similar to Hillary’s “It Takes A Village”, an imagery I personally always found appealing. But, that’s not where white voters are at (to use the vernacular) for the moment. And white voters continue to rule the roost. Brooks sounds like another pollyannaish Tom Friedman on Mohammad bin Salman (MbS). Brooks condemns ethnic nationalism and suggests Democrats should take a more inclusive approach. What does he think Democrats have been doing? But white nationalism is very powerful and Trump has a penchant for knowing how to manipulate it.
I think the appeal of Texas’ Beto O’Rourke, even though he will likely lose to Ted Cruz, is that he is willing to speak to those broader issues that Brooks champions. But, as noted, Beto will likely lose. And that is the Democrats’ conundrum.
As for Brooks” conclusion that Democrats are better when it comes to materialism but Republicans dominate in the cultural realm, I think there is some truth to that but in large measure because the changing American demographic has frightened so many Americans who still have the power and Republicans are able to play to their fears, their cultural affinities, and the like. Perhaps, but perhaps not, as the demographic changes reflect themselves more and more among likely voters the Republican brand of cultural issues may weaken. I sure hope so. But look at yesterday’s news. As I recall, one of the few “progressive” comments Trump made during his campaign was a pitch for LGBT rights. And now? His “team” is thinking of changing the rules to base gender on biology alone?
I think the thing about Trump that infuriates me most is his serial, pathological LYING. That he can constantly stand in front of people, crowds, rallies, media and tell baldfaced lies and retain his loyal following, and even creep up in the polls as Republicans gravitate back to their Party for the midterm elections, sickens me to the core. It causes me to lose faith in other human beings and, more specifically, my fellow Americans. I realize that sometimes we hold our noses and support someone we don’t like because we consider the alternative worse. But here people are applauding Trump, cheering him on, going wild over him, when he lies through his teeth. They may be low information voters, but I am sure most of them know he is full of it. Call it their disgust with the “elites”, but their willingness to blindly follow their Pied Piper is scary.
God help us.
