One huge problem the Dems have in coalition-building: for much of their base, political affiliation is more about the assertion of claimed status than it is about policies. And status, in this sense, requires having people to look down on.
I think that's necessary but not sufficient, since you can always find reasons to look down on other people. The flip side is that the ones considered inferior have to either explicitly accept that inferiority by trying to emulate the superior, or implictly accept it by not challenging the claim. The defining moment of the 2016 was probably the gleeful acceptance of the 'deplorable' label by Trump supporters. The test in 2018 and 2020 is if that coalition is stable.
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One huge problem the Dems have in coalition-building: for much of their base, political affiliation is more about the assertion of claimed status than it is about policies. And status, in this sense, requires having people to look down on.
I think that's necessary but not sufficient, since you can always find reasons to look down on other people. The flip side is that the ones considered inferior have to either explicitly accept that inferiority by trying to emulate the superior, or implictly accept it by not challenging the claim. The defining moment of the 2016 was probably the gleeful acceptance of the 'deplorable' label by Trump supporters. The test in 2018 and 2020 is if that coalition is stable.
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