The Lou Dobbs Democrats: Say hello to the new economic nationalists. (Jacob Weisberg, Nov. 8, 2006, Slate)
The bums, or at least many of them, have been thrown out. And so the political conversation turns naturally to the question of what the Democrats will do now that they again share power with a Republican president. And while it may be too soon to fully answer that question, we saw enough during the campaign to be alarmed about one tendency in particular: economic nationalism.
Many of the Democrats who recaptured seats held by Republicans have been described as moderates or social conservatives, who will be out of synch with Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi. The better term, with props to Fareed Zakaria, is probably illiberal Democrats. Most of those who reclaimed Republican seats ran hard against free trade, globalization, and any sort of moderate immigration policy. That these Democrats won makes it likely that others will take up their reactionary call. Some of the newcomers may even be foolish enough to try to govern on the basis of their misguided theory. [...]
Nationalism begins from the populist premise that working people aren’t doing so well. But instead of blaming the rich at home, it focuses its energy on the poor abroad. The leading economic nationalist today is probably Lou Dobbs, who on nights other than Election Night natters on against free trade, outsourcing, globalization, and immigration on CNN.
Mr. Weisberg forgets isolationism, perhaps because he agrees with it as he doesn’t with the other planks. Taken together the three isms are what will join the far Right with the Left. It’s no coincidence that Lou Dobbs, like Pat Buchanan before him, is a star of CNN.
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Blue’s Clues (John B. Judis, 11.09.06, The New Republic)
In the 1980s, these voters generally supported Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush; but, in 1992, many of them abandoned Bush for Ross Perot, who received 18.9 percent of the national vote. Perot did well in the West, Midwest, and Northeast, but not in the Deep South. In 1994, two-thirds of Perot voters, disgusted with what they saw as continuing corruption in Washington, backed the Gingrich revolution, accounting for much of the GOP’s success outside the Deep South.
Perot, of course, vanished from the scene after attempting a repeat performance in 1996.
It’ll be great fun watching the Democrats try to keep the anti-Mexico voters happy.
