About a year ago, an impartial friend well-versed in the art of politics asked me a tough question, “What has happened to the Republican Party?” he said. “You used to be the party of optimism. Now, you seem to be the party of grievance.” Having spent decades opposing the Democratic […] Read more »
Status Anxiety Is Blowing Wind Into Trump’s Sails
What is the role of status discontent in the emergence of right-wing populism? If it does play a key role, does it matter more where someone stands at any given moment or whether someone is moving up the ladder or down? … It is hardly a secret that the white […] Read more »
Fewer Americans now say Trump bears a lot of responsibility for the Jan. 6 riot
A little more than a year after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Americans remain deeply divided about the events of that day and the ongoing congressional investigation into what happened. Last year, in the immediate wake of Jan. 6, about half of U.S. adults (52%) said Donald […] Read more »
Don’t bet on the GOP coming to its senses just yet
… Yes, I understand that some people are angry with the establishment, believe Democrats are a threat to our economy and culture, and yearn for the 1950s. Some uneducated Americans even like Trump’s vulgarity and name-calling. But Trump continues to get crucial support from people who are educated — the […] Read more »
Led by Trump, GOP increasingly casts White people as racism’s victims
Early barbs for President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court selection process have helped crystallize a rising Republican line of attack against Democrats. “He’s saying, ‘If you’re a White guy, tough luck,’ ” complained Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Cruz was referring to Biden’s vow to name a Black woman to the […] Read more »
Trump and allies try to redefine racism by casting White men as victims
… After years of being branded a racist for his inflammatory comments and actions, Trump and some of his allies are attempting to turn that label back on their critics. In the process, they have wielded their own definition of racism, one that disregards the country’s history of racial exclusion […] Read more »