> > >In "Ebony and Ivory Fascists," Adolph Reed
My main beef begins here:
> > . . . Buchanan's "populist" appeal ought to be more sobering than
uplifting
> > for the left for another reason as well. As has been noted repeatedly,
> > he appeals particularly to Republican voters who earn less than $35,000
> > a year. Think about that for a second: Republican voters who earn less
> > than $35,000 a year. In simple economic terms that would have to be the
> > stupidest fraction of the American electorate. Why do they register
> > Republican in the first place? I'll bet the answers have less to do with
> > cutting capital gains taxes or "tort reform" than with asserting racial,
> > gender, and nativist privilege.
This use of the word "stupidest" is elitist ignorance. The ignorance is admitted two sentences later when Reed says, "I'll bet the answers . . . " In other words, he doesn't know. Subsequent references are free of any indications of uncertainty. Reed "knows" what those folks are thinking, but reflects no special foundation for his projections.
The point is not that low-income Republicans are more or less tolerant or moral than others, but simply this is apparently unknown territory to the author. So all the business about the herrenvolk is mostly speculation.
See former EPI person Ruy Teixeira's polling analyses for some actual research on this question, rather than reruns of Deliverance.
Buchanan is going to get the Reform Party nomination. The 'left' component of this particular formation will have a quick bloom followed by a quick wilt, as Patsy's glorious catalogue of malignant aphorisms is replayed ad nauseum from all points in the political spectrum. My concern is that his bigotry will be used to discredit any criticism of free trade, just as we see on this list.
Old Adolph has a few things to answer for, regarding the ambiguous progress of the LP. The chapters are loaded with characters (incl myself), but at least they want to DO something.
mbs