Writing for the Claremont Review of Books, William Voegeli looks at the forces keeping the Democrats from adjusting their party’s policy prescriptions to better match those of the electorate. It is somewhat long, but worth your while.
He writes with a clear understanding of “symbolic capitalism” and “conspicuous compassion,” which ideas describe how one gets ahead in the professions making up the Democratic base. These are the factors which will inhibit the Dems from abandoning their unpopular-with-the-electorate preoccupation with a set of social values not widely shared.
Along the way Voegeli deals with the overproduction of Ph.D.s and the likely impact of the DOGE efforts now much in the news. He implies that, if history is any guide, the Dems will have to lose maybe three presidential elections in a row before a major correction can shrug off the “conspicuous compassion” baggage with which they are now saddled.
In a similar vein, Ruy Teixeira identifies his Democrats as the Brahmin party, “Brahmin” here referring to an hereditary elite. Teixeira fears their beliefs dooms the Ds to minority status for the foreseeable future.
I judge both of the above authors believe the changes they prescribe for Democrats will not occur anytime soon. As Republicans we should hope they are correct in those beliefs, following the maxim that you don’t interrupt your adversary when he is losing.
